Let’s face it — there’s no way to stop the noise of barking dogs. The only way to achieve a quiet dog kennel is to install proper dog kennel soundproofing.
Dog kennels, with their concrete floors and cinderblock walls, are perfect for creating unwanted echoes and amplifying noise. Because the surfaces are hard, sound waves bounce off them and back into the space. However, hard surfaces are easy to clean, which is vital in your business.
Dog owners want to make sure their dog is happy. If they visit your kennel and hear a cacophony of barking, they might pick up their pup and run.
Another common problem of dog kennels is complaints from neighbors. Barking dogs can disturb nearby homes and businesses.
Many dog kennel owners come to Soundproof Cow to fix their noise problems. Most don’t realize how much of a problem the barking was until after they install dog kennel soundproofing products.
If you’re ready to experience the magic of soundproofing materials in your kennel, we’re here to help. Keep reading to learn about the benefits of a soundproof kennel, and ways you can make your business much more comfortable for customers, neighbors, staff and of course, the furry babies who spend a lot of time there.
Dog Kennel Soundproofing Products
Dog Kennel Sound Absorption Products
Benefits of a Soundproof Dog Kennel
When dog owners bring their dogs to your kennel, they want to know their pets are in good hands while they’re away. While it’s true there’s only so much you can do to keep pups from barking, you can improve the kennel’s sound quality by installing sound-absorbing products that reduce reverberations and echoes. By creating a quieter kennel, you show dog owners you genuinely care about the well-being of their pets. There are many advantages to soundproofing your dog kennel.
- Keep the noise of barking dogs within your building: Barking can be loud. Just a single dog bark can reach 100 decibels (dB). Soundproofing a dog cage will help you avoid noise complaints from neighbors, and keep everyone in your community happy and supportive of your business.
- Prevent hearing damage for dogs: Dogs have a sharper sense of hearing than humans, but have similar auditory systems. That means, just like humans, dogs can experience hearing damage if they experience excessively loud noise levels. Exposure to sound levels greater than 90 dB for eight hours or longer can lead to hearing damage. Considering the sound level in kennels can range between 85 and 122 dB, it’s critical to soundproof your kennel to protect the hearing of your four-legged guests.
- Reduce stress for dogs: Exposure to loud noise may also lead to distress and physiological responses such as a suppressed immune system and intestinal problems in dogs. You can help keep the pups in your kennel healthy and happy with soundproofing, and you’ll also help them and their owners sleep better at night.
- Attract customers: Dog owners will be more likely to leave their dog in your care if your kennel is quieter than others, and your business will improve as a result. Some pet parents may even pass your kennel by if there is excessive barking when they arrive, as they may take this as an indicator that your kennel is not top-quality.
- Provide a safe working environment for your employees: Reducing the noise volume goes a long way. Excessive barking can stress out not only other dogs, but also humans working with those dogs. Ear fatigue can be a genuine problem for individuals working with dogs every day, and effective sound control can help reduce this fatigue and make things a little easier on your staff.
What to Consider When Choosing Materials for Soundproofing a Dog Kennel
Two of the top things dog owners look for when choosing a kennel are cleanliness and quietness. It’s crucial to keep the kennel clean and sanitized to prevent disease outbreaks, and it’s also vital to reduce noise levels as much as possible. Since our furry friends can be a little messy sometimes, you need to consider soundproofing materials that can stand up to the challenge. Here are things to look for in soundproofing materials for your kennel:
- Water-resistant
- Easy to clean
- Mildew resistant
- Effectively reduces noise
- Fireproof
- Durable
How to Soundproof a Dog Kennel
The key to soundproofing a dog kennel is to focus on reducing reverberations and echoes. You can’t eliminate noise, but you can soften the sound in the kennel and make it a much quieter and more comfortable place to be.
Here’s how it works: When sound waves hit a hard surface like a concrete wall or floor, they reflect into the room and continue to bounce around until they dissipate. This effect is called reverberation. The time it takes for reverberations to fade is reverberation time. The goal of soundproofing your kennel is to reduce the reverberation time as much as possible. So, for example, if it takes three seconds for barks to fade away, and you want them to fade in a second or less, soundproofing will help you achieve that.
To reduce reverberation, you need materials that absorb sound waves instead of reflecting them. Materials like foam and fiberglass are examples of sound-absorbing materials. Since you need to soundproof a kennel, which can get messy, you also need sound-absorbing materials that are easy to clean. For this reason, we don’t recommend putting down a carpet to reduce noise, but you can add sound-absorbing materials to the walls and ceilings.
There’s one more aspect to soundproofing your kennel — blocking noise transmission. While sound-absorbing materials can improve the sound quality and reduce noise within a space, sound barriers block sound. That is because sound waves reduce in decibels as they pass through mass. So, for example, if a dog bark is 80 dB on one side of the wall, and you hear 30 dB on the other side of the wall, the sound wave lost 50 dB as it passed through. By adding mass, you can reduce the noise that moves between rooms, and make the space outside noisy areas much more peaceful. Here are some ways to soundproof your kennel.
- Hang sound baffles: One of the best ways to soundproof a kennel is to hang acoustic baffles from the ceiling. Sound baffles are panels that can either mount to a ceiling or suspend from the ceiling. Hanging baffles make an excellent choice for indoor play areas or rooms with high ceilings. When they hang vertically, they offer a broad surface area to absorb and deflect sound. They’re usually made of a sound-absorbing material like foam or mineral wool, and may be wrapped with a fabric covering. Hanging baffles also stay out of the way of puppy paws, and they shouldn’t interfere with air circulation or fire sprinklers.
- Increase mass: You can control noise in your kennel by increasing the mass of the surrounding walls or ceilings and isolating the noise. To do this, you need to apply wall materials that effectively dampen noise and have a high sound transmission class (STC) rating. The higher the STC, the better. Our IsoTrax® Sound Isolation System is an example of increasing mass and isolating sound.
- Check for sound leaks: Look for any holes or cracks in the walls and around doors, windows and duct penetrations, as these will allow sound to leak through. At Soundproof Cow, we offer a range of products to plug sound leaks. For example, you can install a Quiet Door™ Automatic Door Sweep, which extends to the threshold, to keep sound from leaking out or coming in.
- Install acoustic panels: You can install acoustic panels to the upper walls in the main kennel area, or you might use acoustic panels to effectively reduce noise in rooms with lower ceilings like exam rooms and waiting areas. Like hanging baffles, acoustic panels consist of sound-absorbing materials, and you may wrap them in fabric. They help absorb sound waves to reduce noise, and they are available in a range of sizes and fabric colors.
When you’re ready to start your soundproofing project, keep these tips in mind.
- Spread soundproofing materials out as much as possible rather than concentrating them all in one space, as this is the most effective way to reduce noise.
- If you install hanging baffles, hang them front to back and left to right to block noise and prevent reverberation between the walls in the room.
The best way to get started with your kennel soundproofing project is first to contact a soundproofing expert for help. Reach out to our team today, and we’ll be happy to help you choose the right materials to meet your needs.
How to Soundproof a Dog Crate
If you’re a dog owner yourself or want to provide soundproofing tips for your customers, know you can create a soundproof cage for dogs in a couple of ways. One option is to buy a dog crate cover. Look for covers that are breathable, machine-washable and don’t completely black out the cage. A heavy-duty cover will help block out noise.
Another option to make your dog crate soundproof is to cover the crate with a moving blanket. A moving blanket helps absorb sound better than a regular one. You can use one to form a bed inside the crate too, which will also help reduce sound. Whatever you choose, make sure there’s good ventilation, and the temperature doesn’t get too hot inside the crate. If you want help finding the best solution for soundproofing a dog crate, give us a shout.
Dog Kennel Soundproofing Products Available at Soundproof Cow
From acoustic panels to hanging baffles and everything in between, we can help you create a much quieter kennel in no time. Here are some of our recommended products at Soundproof Cow to help you create a soundproof kennel.
1. IsoTrax® Sound Isolation System
Our IsoTrax® Sound Isolation System is our premier soundproofing product. We designed IsoTrax® for builders to install inside walls during the construction phase. So, if you’re building a new kennel or are about to start a remodeling project, IsoTrax® is a highly effective way to incorporate sound control into the new assembly.
IsoTrax® reduces vibrational and airborne noise by separating materials like drywall from their supports. With the addition of sound-dampening pads, you’ll further reduce sound transmission. With IsoTrax®, you can expect superior performance and an STC rating of up to 61.
2. Quiet Barrier® Specialty Composite
Our Quiet Barrier® Specialty Composite uses four layers to block sound. The top polyester film layer blocks high-frequency noise, and resists heat and tearing — perfect for puppy paws. It’s also easy to wipe down and clean.
Under the film facing is a thick foam that absorbs all frequencies and cushions the third layer beneath. The third layer is our high-quality sound blocking Quiet Barrier® LD™ Soundproofing Composite. The final foam layer keeps the composite from the mounting surface to further enhance its soundproofing power. This extremely durable composite is easy to install and can fit anywhere you need to block sound.
3. Quiet Barrier® HD Soundproofing Composite
Our Quiet Barrier® HD Soundproofing Composite is the thickest of our soundproofing composites. It includes a quarter-inch of our soundproofing barrier and an inch of acoustic polyurethane foam. The barrier blocks noise, and the foam reduces vibrations for a soundproofing combination that works. You can easily install this flexible soundproofing material when you need a soundproofing solution fast. For a medium-thickness composite with the same sound-blocking capabilities, consider our Quiet Barrier® MD Soundproofing Composite.
4. Acoustic Panels
Acoustic panels come in many different fabric colors and make and attractive noise-reducing addition to reception areas and other indoor rooms. You might also place them high on the walls in noisy kennel areas to reduce reverberations. We offer water-resistant panels too, which you can confidently place anywhere in the kennel. Here are just a few of our acoustic panel options.
- Art Acoustic Panels: You can add style and color as you soundproof your kennel with our Art Acoustic Panels. Our Art Acoustic Panels are made to order and include a sound-absorbing core and sturdy aluminum frame. You get to choose the fabric covering design, so why not consider adorable pics of your favorite pups or your company logo? These Class A fire-rated panels are perfect for reducing noise levels in waiting areas or staff rooms. Choose our ADAPT™ Acoustical Treatments to showcase unique art, such as an ever-changing display of paw prints, using washable skins that fit over sound-absorbing panels.
- Udderly Quiet® Acoustic Panels: Our Udderly Quiet® Acoustic Panels are among our most popular products. These panels include a glass mineral wool core and acoustic fabric covering in your color of choice and are available in a range of sizes. They’re also Class A fire-rated, and easy to apply to walls or ceilings.
- Quiet Board™ Water-Resistant Panels: Our Quiet Board™ Water-Resistant Panels make an excellent soundproofing solution in a kennel that needs to be kept clean. These panels, made with a high-quality styrofoam-like material, work wonders for noise control and are extremely durable. With a Class A flammability rating and resistance to mold, mildew and water, Quiet Board™ may be exactly what you’re looking for.
5. Acoustic Foam
Acoustic foam is a multitasker when it comes to soundproofing. As a material, acoustic foam soaks up sound waves to prevent reverberations, and it helps keep sound from escaping. Acoustic foam is also very flexible and versatile, and a cinch to install. For your kennel, consider our acoustic foam panels with an aluminum film facing which are resistant to tears and heat. You might choose our Udderly Quiet® Fabric-Covered Foam to reduce noise in waiting areas.
6. Hanging Baffles
Hanging baffles play a critical role in reducing echoes in your kennel, especially if you have high ceilings. We offer a range of hanging baffles to meet your needs.
- Udderly Quiet® Acoustic Baffles: Our Udderly Quiet® Acoustic Baffles suspend from the ceiling to stop and absorb sound waves in their path, so they dissipate rather than reflecting into the room. With a glass mineral wool core, fabric covering and lightweight yet sturdy aluminum frame, these are easy to hang from the ceiling with eye-hooks and chains.
- Echo Absorber™ Hanging Baffles: Our Echo Absorber™ Hanging Baffles are a cost-effective way to reduce reverberations and echoes in the kennel. Dog owners will appreciate the fact they primarily consist of recycled, chemical-free materials, and you’ll be glad they’re tear-resistant and mold-resistant. Our Echo Absorber™ Hanging Baffles are flexible too, and are easy to apply to walls or wrap around poles.
Contact Soundproof Cow Today for Materials for Soundproofing Dog Kennels
If you own a dog kennel, you most likely adore dogs and look forward to seeing them every day. But even though dogs are lovable creatures, they can also be noisy. We’re here to help you protect your customers and employees, both non-human and human, with high-quality soundproofing solutions.
At Soundproof Cow, we’re all about solving noise problems for our customers, no matter the situation. Whether you need our unique high-performing soundproofing products for your kennel, or a customized noise control solution, we’re prepared to help you achieve your goals. Get ready to improve the comfort and sound of your kennel, and take our Free Acoustic Analysis today!
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