Page 23 - CooperatorNews NJ Expo 2022

NJ.COOPERATORNEWS.COM COOPERATORNEWS NEW JERSEY —EXPO 2022 21 EXIT Blue Water Realty 943 Highway 34 Matawan NJ 07747 732-696-8088 • www. associationsrus .com We provide HOA and Condo management for associations in Monmouth, Middlesex, Union and Ocean counties. We use state of the art software specifically designed for HOA and Condo management. This provides online access to financial statements; owners have their own portal for access to their account. Professional references provided once we have a conversation. 943 Highway 34 Matawan NJ 07747 732-696-8088 • www .associationsrus. com We provide HOA and Condo management for associations in Monmouth, Middlesex, Union and Ocean counties. We use state of the art software specifically designed for HOA and Condo management. This provides online access to financial statements; owners have their own portal for access to their account. Professional references provided once we have a conversation. WE ADVISE, YOU SUCCEED accesspm.com NJ Offices Flemington, Edison, Paramus, Mt. Laurel 908.237.9900 PA Offices Lehigh Valley, Horsham 610.791.1600 SINCERE Est. 1989 plants. And he adds that while the annual meetings have been held via Zoom, the set- ting may change this year. “I believe the next yearly meeting will be in person, but it’s all subject to where things stand with COVID. But if levels stay low, we may have the meet- ing in the communal courtyard like we used to.” Fernandez notes the board has always adhered to all CDC, Westchester County, and state COVID regulations. As mandates change, he feels it is important to be respect- ful of individual preferences. “Now it comes down to people’s personal comfort levels,” he says, adding that there haven’t been any COVID-related confrontations with resi- dents at Tappan Court that he’s aware of, and that the sense of community in the co-op re- mains strong. “I like working on the board and helping people see others’ points of view,” says Fer- nandez, who plans to run for his seat again when his one-year term expires. “I’ll have to start campaigning again.” As Rada looks forward, he says that de- spite certain issues with a few disgruntled residents, the majority of membership came together during the pandemic, creating even stronger bonds. Conceding that life will likely never go back to the pre-COVID days, people, he feels, have become more empa- thetic and sensitive to their neighbors. “Now that they are able to hang out and socialize together, they appreciate this abil- ity much more than they did in the past,” says Rada. “What I and Taylor Management learned from this pandemic is not to take knowledge for granted, and always commu- nicate, communicate, and communicate.” n W B King is a freelance writer and contribu- tor to CooperatorNews. with a sound isolator,” Marsh says. “Exam- ples of sound isolators are a rubber gasket or a huge spring.” While footfalls and thumps can defi - nitely get obnoxious, the most problematic waves are low-end frequencies—bass sig- nals, in other words. “If you can imagine the noise transfer you hear from a closed room,” says Keith Barkman, senior project manager at Sound Management Group in Hillsborough. “If you’re in a closed room and you hear the conversation from an- other room, you probably won’t hear the mid-range frequencies; you’ll hear the lower range, bass frequencies of the voices. A lot of times, low-end frequency will be transmitted through the wall, and actually transfer into structural noise. Th at could be a system that creates that—a fridge, a com- puter, or generators. We’ve run into a host of diff erent issues that are both structure- borne and airborne.” Alan Gaynor, an independent architect based in New York, describes airborne noise as sound that fi lters in from adjacent units and outside, including things such as music from a stereo, raised voices, or the rumble of the garbage truck at 6:30 on a Saturday morning. Barkman adds that many buildings now use concrete structures that support more units and fl oors. Concrete may be more durable, but sound-wise, it can pose a chal- lenge. One of the biggest misconceptions is that people who live in units with con- crete slabs for walls and ceilings will be im- mune to any noise issues. In predominantly wooden structures, it’s the low-frequency sounds—such as heavy footfalls—that come through, whereas in a concrete struc- ture, one gets more of the higher-end, click- ety-clacking noise from heels, as well as those mechanical vibrations that resonate especially well through concrete. Solutions for these diff erent types of noise vary in ap- proach. In reality, the underlying science behind the solutions is pretty much always the same: relax the string. An Unintentional History Urban multifamily housing can be divid- ed into three basic categories as far as sound is concerned. Th e fi rst period stretches from World War I through the pre-World War II construction boom, and then on to the mid-1960s, when construction meth- ods began to change for both economic and technological reasons. Th e second period covers the years from the late 1960s through the early 1990s. Th e third period begins in the 1990s and brings us to the present. Older buildings, oft en referred to as prewar, were heavier, built with more lay- ers and solid materials. “Sound was less of an issue before World War II,” says Gaynor. “Buildings had plaster walls, used gypsum block, and \[had units with\] high ceilings. Th ey also used lots of concrete fi ll, which is like rubble, so it’s pretty quiet. Th ere are many layers.” According to Kevin White, owner of Brooklyn Insulation and Soundproofi ng, which has offi ces in New York and New Jer- sey, “Th e old buildings were soundproofed by density. Everything back in the day was built solid, and extremely dense. Th e denser the fl oor or wall, the harder it is for that sound to transmit through.” Mid-Century Change From the late 1960s onward, however, “builders went for lighter-weight materials like sheetrock and studs, so you have much more sound transfer,” Gaynor says. Th is has led to more issues with both airborne and structural noise. According to Marsh, the level of noise in a building “has to do with math. And de- velopers aren’t using math in their projects. Th ey build as they do because they can,” she says. “It’s all about the cost of the materials. A lot of developers on less high-end proj- ects won’t put in expensive materials. Con- sequently, there’s a poor quality of sound control.” White concurs. “We see how fast devel- opers are putting up new buildings, and SOUNDPROOFING... continued from page 1 continued on page 22 See us at Booth 619 NEW JERSEY See us at Booth 301 NEW JERSEY