Noise complaints from gyms - Acoustic solutions

Did you know there is a growing number of conflicts with neighbours or, even worse, noise control orders? As a gym owner, this could lead you to face legal actions if you don’t find a way to keep the noise down. And this is more challenging than simply suggesting to your members to keep the loud sounds down…

Why are so many gyms having noise issues? Is soundproofing the answer? Keep reading to find the answers… And the solution.

Why is sound such a problem for fitness facilities?

The main reason is the close proximity of a gym to living, working or retail spaces. Nowadays, gyms can be located anywhere, and the experience you have of sound inside a gym can be completely different to the noise your neighbours can hear, whether they occupy a space below, above or to the side of the gym.

The noises and vibrations produced when exercising, such as weight impacts, jumps or trade mills, can be really annoying for neighbours.

In general, all fitness activities, but specially weights being dropped on the floor, generate a high level of structure-borne vibration and noises, particularly at low frequencies, that can be transmited throughout the building structure, resonating through the ceilings, floors and walls.

So, what can you do about noise issues?

Acoustic problems can be a real nightmare for fitness facilities, but the good news is that avoiding them can be easy if you choose the right solutions.

A careful selection of the final flooring is essential when designing the fitness facility in order to kee away from noise and vibrations. Therefore, before choosing your flooring solution, take into account the effective control of noise and vibration to avoid damages on the building structure, as well as legal problems with the neighbours and next-door businesses.

Pavigym Acoustic range has been designed to fulfil all the needs of fitness facilities, regardless of the type of activity or building. The best part? Unlike other acoustic solutions, Pavigym products are designed to guarantee user’s safety and ensure the best comfort for the athletes while protecting the building and the subfloor

To take into account: frequencies

For a person with normal hearing, when it comes to pitch, the human hearing range starts at a low level of around 20 Hz. That is about the same as the lowest key on a pipe organ.

Between 0 and 20hz the humans cannot hear any sounds. But even low frequencies out of the hearing rage can also cause vibration problems. Therefore, the key to reduce noise and avoid vibrations is to absorb low frequencies before they appear one way or another.

Low-frequency noises are the main nightmare for gym owners, so these are the ones our products act on.

Pavigym solutions start absorbing from 10 Hz, even before the noise became perceptible… So the sound becomes silence!

Every gym is different

Every fitness facility has a unique challenge with noise reduction: it is important to distinguish the frequency of the sounds. There will be different activities, e.g. weightlifting, cardio, Group-X… and therefore, different sound frequencies to avoid.

That means each gym area has its particular acoustic isolation needs and within the same facility there are usually different zones of activity. For that reason, we recommend different solutions according to the specific activity and use that the area will have.

Nevertheless, an acoustic isolation will not work if installed with the wrong flooring. We have developed 360º solutions that are designed especially for fitness facilities. Check out our Acoustic flooring solutions.