Hotels, restaurants and nightlife

People love to socialise and go out and enjoy themselves and gather in restaurants and cafés. Unfortunately, the experience is often ruined by poor sound conditions in the restaurant, café or bar being visited. It becomes an exhausting spiral where everyone talks louder and louder, and when you go home you are unnecessarily tired and maybe even have a sore throat. Anyone recognise this?

This leads partly to poor working conditions for employees and partly to loss of turnover and customer flight. Customers will eventually go to other places where they feel more comfortable.

In our experience, very few restaurants, cafés etc. fulfil the requirements of the Norwegian Standard included in TEK. Norwegian Standard NS 8175:2012 (updated version NS8175:2019) sets clear limits for permitted sound levels in restaurants, canteens, etc.

Noise in restaurants, cafés, etc. often comes from employees, guests, ventilation, various technical installations and from the kitchen. Together, all these "noise sources" often result in noise levels well above what is acceptable and permitted by the regulations. For many of the areas we spend time in every day, such noise should not exceed 30 dB. In many cases, the noise should be lower than 30 dB. The permitted values for reverberation and noise in these areas

A combination of sound-absorbing ceilings, sound-absorbing partitions and special sound-absorbing notice boards as well as fabric-covered furniture and pictures can always be installed, regardless of the room. Enough must be installed to create favourable conditions for both visitors and employees.

It is entirely possible to create a sound environment where guests can converse while music plays in the background and waiters can hear and be heard at the same time.

Hotels and accommodation establishments must have sufficient soundproofing to ensure that those who work there have a good working day where they are not exhausted and stressed at the end of the working day. Guests must be able to sleep well and not be disturbed in their rooms and otherwise have a good sound environment to stay in. This leads to good reviews and returning guests. In the restaurant and bar, there must be quiet technical equipment, enough sound-absorbing surfaces in the serving area and at the tables to dampen the sound so that people can talk quietly together and have a good experience.

Norwegian Standard NS 8175:2012 (updated version NS8175:2019) sets clear rules for permitted sound levels in hotels and accommodation, including meeting rooms and conference rooms.

A well-functioning conference room is not least a room where noise and echoes are minimised as much as possible. In conference rooms, it must be possible to have a good conversation and dialogue between speaker and audience. This requires that the room is sound-adapted.

Noise in meeting rooms often comes from ventilation, various technical installations and noise from outside. Together, these noise sources often result in a sound level well above what the regulations allow, causing irritation and problems for those trying to conduct a meeting. For many of the areas we spend time in every day, such noise should not exceed 30 dB. In many cases, the noise should be lower than 30 dB. The permitted values for reverberation and noise in these areas

A combination of sound-absorbing ceilings, sound-absorbing partitions and special sound-absorbing notice boards as well as fabric-covered furniture and pictures can always be installed, regardless of the room. Enough must be installed to create favourable conditions for customers and employees.

At gatherings where many people gather and speeches and presentations are made, it is important to have the right soundproofing and good acoustics. Poor sound damping can ruin the whole experience. Participants may not be able to hear what is being said, and music and sound from video playback may disappear completely in the noise. For older people and those with hearing challenges, this is particularly bad.

In our experience, very few assembly centres and course rooms meet the requirements of the Norwegian Standard included in TEK. Norwegian Standard NS 8175:2012 (updated version NS8175:2019) sets clear limits for permitted sound levels in such premises.

Ventilation and fixed technical installations should be quiet and inaudible. For many of the areas we spend time in every day, such noise should not exceed 30 dB. In many cases, the noise should be lower than 30 dB. The permitted values for reverberation and noise in these areas.

A combination of sound-absorbing ceilings, sound-absorbing partitions and special sound-absorbing notice boards as well as fabric-covered furniture and pictures can always be installed, regardless of the room. Enough must be installed to create favourable conditions for users and employees.

It is entirely possible to create a sound environment where everyone can hear and have a dialogue with the speaker or presenter. Where guests can talk to each other while music plays in the background and those serving can hear and be heard at the same time.