We know that there are environmental benefits to people living in cities. Public transportation and walking is more easily utilized and general efficiency of having things close together can reduce a lot of issues that sprawl creates. Cities also hypothetically leave more space for nature to exist on its own without people building roads and houses in every open space available. There are also a lot of negatives as a person living in a city, one such element being noise pollution. I have to admit after having lived in New York for 4 years, I am more disturbed by total silence at night than by fire trucks and honking cabs. That being said, not all ambient noise is welcome. Luckily I live on the top floor of my building, but my downstairs neighbor frequently reminds me how annoying it is when I play ball with my dog at 2am, or when I march around my apartment in heels in the morning. In order to entice more people to switch to city living, sound transmission needs to be controlled.

Green Glue.

Green Glue was developed by a home theater builder who went to great lengths to sound proof a home theater and still wasn’t happy with the results, especially in the lower frequencies. A research and development firm specializing in specialty coatings and viscoelastic materials was consulted and the resulting product was Green Glue. Green Glue is ideal for home theaters because it reduces noise transmission by 90% with a focus on low frequencies which are typically hard to dissipate. When used in conjunction with the company’s mechanical clips, Green Glue can provide a 95% reduction in sound transmission. The company website offers extensive information on the science of sound and testing information on Green Glue that I recommend looking into further for those interested.

Green Glue is water based, non-toxic and non-carcinogenic although it does emit minimal VOC’s. If you’re a home movie buff or a budding musician, the benefits far outweigh the consequences.

via Treehugger