Vibration damping – reduces vibrations in houses and homes
Limit structure-borne noise and vibrations from everyday installations
Houses and homes often experience disturbing noises that are not transmitted through the air, but through vibrations in the building's structure. When machines, installations, or movements cause vibrations in floors, walls, or ceilings, the sound can travel throughout the house and be heard in several rooms. Vibration damping is a measure aimed at reducing these vibrations and thus reducing structure-borne noise in the home.
What is vibration damping?
Vibration damping means limiting how mechanical vibrations are transmitted from a source to the building's frame. Unlike sound insulation, which stops airborne sound between rooms, and sound absorption, which reduces reverberation in the room, vibration damping focuses on reducing the actual movement in the structure. The measure is often directed at contact points where vibrations are transmitted, for example between a machine and the floor or between an installation and a wall.
Common problems with vibrations in homes
Vibrations in houses and homes are often experienced as a dull hum, shaking, or recurring disturbances, especially at night. Common sources are washing machines, dryers, heat pumps, ventilation equipment, and pumps. Movements in floors or structures can also cause vibrations that spread through the building's frame and affect several rooms at once.
How do vibrations spread in the building?
When a machine or installation vibrates, the movement is transferred to the substrate and further through floors, walls, and ceilings. This means that the sound is not always perceived where the source is located, but in adjacent or distant rooms. Since vibrations travel efficiently in solid materials, special measures are required to break this transmission.
Vibration damping in different parts of the house
In homes, vibration damping is mainly used on floors, machines, and technical equipment, and in some cases on walls and ceilings. Floors are a common route for vibrations from machines to spread, while walls and ceilings can act as transmitting surfaces. By adapting the measure to where the vibrations occur, the disturbances can be effectively reduced.
Why choose vibration damping?
Vibration damping significantly improves living comfort by reducing low-frequency noise and disturbing vibrations. This measure is often crucial for problems that cannot be solved with sound insulation or sound absorption alone. In many cases, vibration damping is combined with other measures to create a quieter and more harmonious living environment.
Well-considered advice for best results
For the best effect, it is important to identify where the vibrations occur and how they spread throughout the building. A common mistake is to treat only the room where the sound is heard, even though the source is often located elsewhere. By focusing on vibration transmission at the source, disturbances can be reduced more effectively and in the long term.
Vibration damping is therefore a key measure for reducing disturbing structure-borne noise and creating a quieter and more comfortable house and home.