New Interactive Tool Simulates Acoustical Performance of CertainTeed Gypsum Products in Real-World Applications
(Tampa, Fla.) – CertainTeed has launched an industry-first interactive tool — dBstation™ — that simulates the acoustical performance of its SilentFX® Noise-Reducing Gypsum Board. Designed for use on the Apple® iPad or Motorola™ Android mobile devices, dBstation allows architects and builders to actually hear the acoustical differences of wall systems in real-world applications.
“When dBstation users hear the change in decibel levels for each of the wall systems, they are amazed at how the acoustical comfort of a space can vary,” said Angie Day, residential marketing manager for CertainTeed Gypsum. “The dBstation helps architects and building professionals demonstrate the benefits of high performance noise reducing wall systems. These systems are especially important for commercial projects with stringent acoustical requirements such as hospitals, schools and hotels, as well as for residential homes with media rooms, nurseries and home offices.”
The dBstation acoustic simulator features a catalogue where residential and commercial systems can be compared under equivalent settings and a scenario application to experience acoustical performance in real-life situations. The scenario application demonstrates how specific noises — such as ringing telephones in an office, watching television at home, or multiple conversations in a busy hospital corridor — can impact interior spaces. Wall system configurations apply to both wood- and steel-stud assemblies for residential and commercial construction. In addition to a Sound Transmission Class (STC) performance based on the wall systems’ ASTM E 90 testing, each system includes links to the SilentFX website, www.certainteed.com/silentfx, where additional information can be accessed.
Offering a broad range of gypsum and finishing products for interior and exterior needs, CertainTeed Gypsum has served the North American building industry for more than 80 years and is a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s leading producer of gypsum products. This, in combination with the full range of affiliated CertainTeed Corporation building products, provides architects, contractors, builders and dealers one partner to provide service and support for commercial and residential building projects.
To download dBstation, which is designed for use on the 2nd-4th generation iPad and Android mobile devices, visit iTunes® or Google Play. For more information on CertainTeed gypsum products, visit www.certainteed.com/gypsum.
About CertainTeed
Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, foundations, pipe, insulation, gypsum, ceilings and access covers.
A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building products company, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 5,700 employees and more than 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. Recognized as a 2009 and 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CertainTeed earned the 2011 and 2012 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. The group had total sales of approximately $3.3 billion in 2012. www.certainteed.com
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