Maintaining an active lifestyle through exercise and sports is a great way to improve your mood and longevity. Trudging to the gym, especially during Minnesota winters, on the other hand can be less than ideal. Not only that, but even the nicest gyms can have dangerously high noise levels. Over the last several years, in-house fitness has become a booming industry. Today, home gyms and athletic courts are a must-have for people renovating or building a new home. Providing convenience, custom design and huge value for homeowners, a home gym is a great idea. But like all great ideas, it’s important to execute it the right way. Because gyms and athletic courts create a lot of noise, that means building with sound in mind.
At Gordon James, we build home fitness and recreation facilities that are attractive, effective and quiet for your family and neighbors. Here’s how we do it.
1. Build Quiet From the Ground Up with Acoustic Flooring
Whether you’re running on a treadmill, dribbling a basketball or playing a game of pickleball, the impact vibrations on the floor create a significant amount of noise. This doesn’t just impact your ear drums, but can irritate your family members and neighbors. It’s important to minimize this impact noise by using sound absorbing materials in your flooring. When building a new home, install mass-loaded vinyl between the subfloor and gym or court flooring. This will sharply mitigate the amount of vibrations caused by impact, and make your home gym or athletic court much quieter. If you’re renovating a space, particularly in the basement, as a home gym, acoustic mats can be installed over the existing flooring to achieve the same results.
2. Add Acoustic Panels to Your Walls and Ceilings
Echo and reverberation are also major culprits of unwanted noise in home gyms and athletic courts. Hanging acoustic paneling on your walls and ceilings will greatly reduce noise by absorbing sound waves that would otherwise bounce around. If you have high ceilings, acoustic ceiling clouds add a strong aesthetic touch while providing the noise-minimizing functionality you need to keep the peace. If your custom home gym or court design includes natural light, it’s a good idea to install soundproof or double pane windows and skylights to prevent noise from escaping.
3. Build Outdoor Courts with Sound in Mind
A game of tennis in the summer is one of life’s greatest pleasures, so outdoor athletic courts are an excellent addition to your custom home design. To keep outdoor courts quiet, positioning is key. Build your court so that it is 50 yards away from nearby homes and set up so that gameplay is directed away from neighbors. If your housing association or neighborhood allows, stone or brick fencing provides a sophisticated and beautiful sound buffer. Sound absorbing curtains can also be installed over chain link to reduce reverberation. Large landscaping features can also create a gorgeous sound barrier.
Build a Quiet Home Gym with Gordon James
Building a new home is a chance to create a space that doesn’t just meet your needs, but satisfies your wants. At Gordon James, we love having the opportunity to transform your custom home design ideas into a reality. We partner with expert craftsmen, carpenters and suppliers to execute your new construction or renovation with the award-winning luxury home experience we’re known for. If you’re dreaming of a state-of-the-art home gym or athletic court, or have another custom amenity in mind, partner with builders you can trust. To learn more about building your home with Gordon James, contact us at info@gordon-james.com, or call us at 763-469-3117.