Neighbors complaining already

[bob_s]

I am in a city neighborhood with small yards with a 4x8 alpha /spindle. To avoid noise problems I put rock wool insulation in the walls. 3 1/2 inch then a layer of sound deadening board called "quiet brace" for $8 per 4x8 at Home Depot We then attached the drywall to the sound brace with screws and glue. It worked well, cutting about 25 db from inside to outside. I didn't want to go with a commercial system, too expensive ,or a double wall, because I'd lose to much space. The Shopbot is in a side room to the garage so I made a large sliding door that is filled with rock wool to divide the room from the garage My dust collector is a 2 1/2hp penn state cyclone. It works well, but it's loud. About 85 to 87 db added to the Shopbot cutting with a 3/8 bit 95db total you need serious hearing protection inside but it is about as loud as a window air conditioner outside. The rock wool is very different than insulation when it comes to sound deadening and it is rated as fireproof. I did a lot of research and everyone said it's the little things that make a difference. Things like the gaps between window frames and spaces under doors can lead to a lot of sound getting out. Garage doors are a notorious problem that some people have solved with a fire resistant blanket or curtain that gets pulled across on the inside.
There is a cotton insulation made from old blue jeans that is reported to be very good at capturing sound. I heard about it after my shop was built, but the specs are impressive and it's from http://www.bondedlogic.com I heard it can be left exposed without creating a fire hazard?
Hope these ideas help

Eugene, I'd love to see the baffle design maybe it would cut some of my cyclone noise to a better level.

[genek]

Here is a rough drawing of a muffler system.. It is numbered from 1 to 5 with a center or end. This will also work for a muffler for a vacuum system.. and can act a a filter for the vacuum system.

How it works is just like a car muffler...

I did not have any 10" pvc in the shop to measure the inside diameter so this is not accurate.

The .25 holes are to put a dowel rod through to hold the parts of plywood up right and in the staggered position.. Start our with number on Through 5 then the one marked center. for more noise reduction do the same in reverse from center. each disk needs to be 4 to 5 inches apart. you can add rock wool on the one next to the center. You will need to adapt from 4" pvc to the 10" then back to 4" on the outlet. wrap with bubble wrap on the outside will help some also.

This is sort what a car muffler system looks like inside ... they bring in a 2.5 to 3 inch pipe if you ever cut one apart you will see this sort of pattern.

[gene]

Bob . I am sure that the curtains work like those in a movie theater . Sound travels in waves that is why they say that if you use a room in a room make sure that the walls are NOT parallel to each other or it will have a drum effect .

[richards]

I had to get a city business license which required permission from anyone living within 200-feet of my home. Along with the "no customers on premise" and "no employees" rules, the noise restriction limited construction type noise be limited to daylight hours. In the Summer, that was defined as 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Replacing the Porter-Cable router with a spindle greatly reduced the noise, Because I normally only cut sheet goods, I added a sheet of MDF between the base board and the the spoil board. That deadened a lot of the noise.

[propellers]

I started my company 35 years ago in my basement and had no problem with neighbors or the City and didn't even know it was against code to run a Commercial operation at a Residential site. I had a garage theft and reported it to the Insurance company and they paid for it, but when the adjuster came by he asked about my machines..not knowing any better and pride for my little company I told him I was making and selling items from my home..a week later without warning the Good Hands people at Nationwide Insurance cancelled my Home Owners Policy due to a commercial operation from my Home. I relocated and found a new Insurance Company. I've also seen Companies that have the overhead of owning a building and having the additional expenses turn in home operations when they feel they are footing the bill of a stand alone buisness and the Home operator under bids their work. If you know you are illegal...don't tell anyone about your operation..either its a re-model job or hobby...its against our pride but putting up with the reports and possible courts will make your life miserable.

[waterwheelman]

My business has operated out of my shop in a residential neighborhood for 15 years. We have a very nice neighbor hood. If someone needs a cabinet or chair or whatever repaired I do it for very little to nothing. This makes for very friendly neighbors. They all refer to my shop as their neighborhood repair shop. I do have a business license. This city also requires a home occupation permit. Anything to get more money from small businesses.
With that all said I do have one neighbor that has made life miserable for me and others within his sight. I have had to explain my business operation to many city code enforcement officers through the years. Each time I have been found to be in compliance. Every time I load up a new project to deliver and install, he comes out of his house and stands on the sidewalk to take pictures of us. I have no idea what he thinks he is going to do with them. Quit frankly I and all the other neighbors think he has a screw loose, and needs to be in an asylum.
From the curb of my property the noise my machinery makes is no louder than a house hold vacuum cleaner.

[myxpykalix]

This same neighbor that i had no problem with for 25 years till a large limb fell from their tree and destroyed my van and tore up my gutter refused to call their insurance and pay for the damage and my insurance wouldn't pay.

I asked them to at least get someone to come over and cut the big limb up (the size of a healthy tree) and they refused. Well you know the little angel that sits on one shoulder and the little devil that sits on the other? I listened to the little devil....
I called a friend who owns a tree service and I spent a few hours cutting the limb into manageable pieces and he parked his chipper in the yard and they got their limb back only in a big pile of shreds spit back over the fence in their yard.

We haven't spoken in the last 5 years. I only wish i had thought of taping it and uploading to youtube.
The morale of the story is....karma is a b!tch, and you do like others have said about being friendly but there are some people that you will never please.

[kubotaman]

Jack unfortunately your neighbor is correct! That is called an "Act of God". What a crock but I do like how you handled it. Great as far as I am concerned.

[genek]

In Kentucky if a tree falls onto someones else property and they are responsible for the repairs, you might have to take them to court but in the end they have to pay.

[gerryv]

My business has operated out of my shop in a residential neighborhood for 15 years. We have a very nice neighbor hood. If someone needs a cabinet or chair or whatever repaired I do it for very little to nothing. This makes for very friendly neighbors. They all refer to my shop as their neighborhood repair shop. I do have a business license. This city also requires a home occupation permit. Anything to get more money from small businesses.
With that all said I do have one neighbor that has made life miserable for me and others within his sight. I have had to explain my business operation to many city code enforcement officers through the years. Each time I have been found to be in compliance. Every time I load up a new project to deliver and install, he comes out of his house and stands on the sidewalk to take pictures of us. I have no idea what he thinks he is going to do with them. Quit frankly I and all the other neighbors think he has a screw loose, and needs to be in an asylum.
From the curb of my property the noise my machinery makes is no louder than a house hold vacuum cleaner.

Next time you're doing a load, try to have a kid or two with you. When he comes out to take pictures complain to the authorities that he's taking pictures of children... ohh, that's mean.