Is the Container Renovated House Noisy?
If the container-renovated house is not soundproofed, it can be quite noisy, but significant improvements in sound insulation performance can be achieved through targeted renovations. Here is a detailed analysis:
Insufficient Original Sound Insulation Performance
The sound insulation capacity of the walls of a standard 20-foot steel container is only 28-35dB, which is far below the minimum requirement of 45dB for partition walls between office spaces as specified in the 'Design Code for Sound Insulation of Civil Buildings'. Its structure has three major weaknesses: Thin Steel Plate Walls: With a wall thickness of only 1.5mm-2mm, sound transmission is almost unobstructed, allowing external noise (such as traffic and construction sounds) to easily penetrate the walls and enter the interior. Structural Sound Transmission: The metal frame is rigidly connected, making it easy for vibration noise (such as footsteps and equipment vibrations) to be transmitted through the frame to the entire container. Poor Sealing: There are usually 3-5mm gaps at the joints of the container body and around the doors, resulting in severe airborne sound leakage. For example, a user who renovated a container into a studio was unable to concentrate on work due to traffic noise and eventually spent an additional 8,000 yuan on soundproofing renovations.
Significantly Improved Sound Insulation After Renovation
Through professional materials and renovation techniques, the sound insulation performance of container houses can approach that of traditional buildings: Wall Sound Insulation: Using a combination of sound insulation felt with a density of ≥80kg/m³ and sound-absorbing cotton can achieve a sound insulation capacity of up to 45dB. Falila containers are pre-installed with 30mm closed-cell thermal insulation and sound insulation boards, which can reduce ambient noise from 72dB to 33dB (library level). Door and Window Sealing: Double-glazed windows with sealing strips can reduce noise from 55dB to 35dB, while single-layer 5mm glass only provides about 22dB of sound insulation. Material Selection: High-density polyester fiber sound-absorbing boards (density of 120kg/m³) have a noise reduction effect of about 38dB, which is superior to ordinary rock wool (density of 60kg/m³) with a noise reduction effect of 25dB. Actual Measurement Case: Chengdu Maike Polymer Materials Co., Ltd. increased the sound insulation capacity of the container body by 12.1dB by installing Jingyue polymer flexible sound insulation rolls, equivalent to reducing mechanical impact noise from 'deafening' to 'muffled background noise'.
Comprehensive Noise Reduction Recommendations
Material Selection: Prioritize the use of sound insulation materials with a closed-cell structure (such as PE closed-cell foam materials) and avoid simple materials like newspapers and foam boards. Sealing Treatment: Use sealing strips or foam agents to fill gaps around doors, wire holes, and other openings. Layout Optimization: Place rest areas away from noise sources and add soft furnishings such as curtains and fabric sofas to disperse sound waves. External Barriers: Plant greenery or install fences as sound barriers.
