Panels are made 54″ wide and to custom length depending on the height of your fence or structure. You can provide the dimensions for you court to us and we will happily figure the amount of product you would need to fill the space and solve your noise problem.
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Pickleball Soundproofing
Pickleball courts in communities are becoming more popular and residents are flocking to them to enjoy the growing, low impact sport. As fun as the game is to play, it can create a lot of noise from the hard paddles hitting the large type of wiffle-ball. This noise can be unpleasant to neighbors and is typically where complaints come from. Thankfully, DDS Acoustical Specialties has pickleball soundproofing solutions for any court in any community.
The Sounds of Pickleball
The noise problem that the sport of pickleball has is that people are more annoyed with high frequency sounds such as screeching tires and car alarms. The sound of the pickleball hitting the racket is higher than that of a tennis ball or other common sports which is why we hear more complaints from neighbors.
Pickleball sounds sit around 70 decibels (dB) at about 100 feet away from the strike of the ball. This means that neighbors in a quiet neighborhood who are use to noise levels of 40dB are now experiencing 30 more db. This equates to an environment 8 time louder than they are use to (because every +10dB is a doubling of sound). That is a significant increase in noise.
What to do for Pickleball Soundproofing
When it comes to acoustic solutions for existing pickleball courts, you want to consider a sound barrier and absorption on the fencing or walls. Based on the needs and budget we often recommend two different options for pickleball soundproofing:
Sound Barrier
Sound barrier is the first step to reduce the transmission of sound moving out of the court. This will make neighbors and the community happy. With a high STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating and easy installation on surfaces like fencing and concrete our sound barrier is a great option for courts looking to save some money and reduce noise.
Barrier and Absorber Composite
To go the extra mile and reduce sound from pickleball courts even further, we work with composite acoustical products. Our products consist of both barrier and absorber. This means that sound is absorbed rather than reflected, then hits the barrier to reduce transmission. Fashioned into curtains for easy installation and coming in select color options, our composite products are second to none.
Both options listed above withstand the test of time. Barrier and composite products have UV protection and are heavy enough that wind or water will not impact their integrity.
Bringing Color to Outdoor Noise Control
New Barrier Backed Composite materials are bringing more color options to your court. Setting itself apart from the traditional black, gray, and tan color facing, there are now twelve additional color options for the quilted fiberglass absorbers. The mass loaded vinyl barrier backing is still only available in black, gray, and tan
Mounting Options for Pickleball Panels
Recommended mounting options for pickleball panels include an exterior-grade velcro seal along the vertical edges to connect panels. Stainless steel grommets are then installed across the top, and bottom if desired. Additional grommets can be applied with requests.
Once on site, the panels should be applied to the fence or other structure so that the bottom of the panel touches the ground and eliminates any air gap. Industrial strength or stainless steel zip ties should be used through the grommets to secure the panels to the fence.
Benefits of Pickleball Court Soundproofing
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Reduce noise complaints from neighbors and community
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Reduce echo from hard surfaces around the court
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Custom Panel Sizing
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Lifespan of 10+ years in the harshest exterior environment when properly installed
FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
How many panels do I need?
Is an 8ft Fence Tall enough for Barrier to solve the noise problem?
Depending on where noise readings and the source of an issue is coming from, your 8ft fence could be sufficient. The general rule of thumb for noise is that if you can see the noise source, you can also hear it. We generally recommend a noise barrier to be double the height and length of the source. For pickleball hits this could the 3-6′. In an ideal world using a 10-12′ fence with barrier would be best.
However, we see a lot of complaints coming from neighbors who live on second stories and above. Again, if they can see the noise source, they can also likely hear it.