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Mats/Carpets/Something for damping rain sounds ?


Bubu

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Hi there, 

I have upcoming shoot of a movie that involves lots of rain, so I will have to deal with rain pooring down. Drains, dripping onto pavement etc.

Do you guys have any creative ideas of dealing with this.

 

All the best

Bjössi.

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gutterhelmet website

 

It’s hard to believe that the sound which this little sucker makes can make you want to tear your eyeballs out.

1. Adjust the downspout angle. Many times, the simplest fix has to do with moving the bottom of the downspout further away from the house. You can use a longer clip or a spacer to accomplish this. That way, the water doesn’t fall straight down to the bottom elbow, but instead hits the side and trickles down.

2. Swap out the bottom part of the downspout. If you take off the metal elbow where your runoff water empties out and replace it with a similar piece that’s made of vinyl or plastic, the sound of the water may be muffled instead of echoing.

3. Insulate the downspout. One of the surest ways to dampen sound is to remove surface vibrations. This can be done by wrapping foam insulators around your downspout pipe (or using spray foam to do the same thing).

4. Use a scrubber sponge. For many people, the noise comes from the sound of the water dripping or trickling onto the bottom of the downspout elbow. Attaching or gluing an old scrubber sponge to the bottom inside of the downspout may absorb the dripping water more quietly.

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“MAKE IT STOPPP!!!”

5. Use a shingle. The same concept works if you happen to have a piece of roofing shingle left over from an earlier roof repair or replacement. Though you may have to cut the piece to fit the downspout, it could be stuffed into the opening without gluing it to the metal.

6. Use artificial turf. Some homeowners have found peace and quiet by cutting a square of artificial turf and placing it like you would a sponge or shingle. If you have this material somewhere in your landscaping, you probably have a few scraps lying around somewhere.

7. Use a foam downspout insert. Then again, there are products that are created especially for noisy downspouts. They tend to be made of soft, malleable foam than can easily be pushed into a downspout opening and clipped to the opening’s edge.

8. Use rope. This utilizes a different concept: getting water to move down an object that is situated inside the length of the downspout. Nylon rope works well if you caulk it to the top downspout opening and run it to the bottom opening.

9. Buy a downspout chain. This actually replaces some or all of a gutter by hanging down from a gutter downspout opening and letting the water trickle down the chain smoothly and quietly. But this may not be suitable for heavy rainfall climates.

10. Put a downspout chain inside the downspout. Think of this as a combination of #8 and #9. Instead of rope, drape a downspout chain inside the downspout — or make a homemade one using a plastic chain, cable ties, and long pieces of plastic (like the straight portions of plastic clothes hangers).

 

 

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Those are some inventive solutions, Dalton. There were some I'm not familiar with - the use of artificial turf seem particularly worth a try.

 

The traditional remedy is to get a roll of "Hogs Hair" and use it to cover the roof or patio or drive. Hogs Hair is made to be used as an air filter in HVAC applications. It's relatively cheap and available in large rolls so one can cover a good size area at modest cost. Probably too expensive for a micro-budget project but even a low budget show should be able to acquire a roll or two.

 

A link from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Flanders-HHB25130-MERV-30-foot-Filter/dp/B000BVMZLK

 

Location Sound used to keep some Hogs Hair on hand but probably not in sufficient quantity to cover part of a roof. It's also useful to make a cover for a zeppelin to protect from the sound of rain hitting the blimp. It doesn't keep the blimp dry; it only protects from sound. But, unless you are working in a downpour, it's usually possible to shake out the water every few takes and the blimp itself will protect the microphone.

 

David

 

 

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On 8/7/2018 at 11:10 PM, David Waelder said:

Those are some inventive solutions, Dalton. There were some I'm not familiar with - the use of artificial turf seem particularly worth a try.

 

The traditional remedy is to get a roll of "Hogs Hair" and use it to cover the roof or patio or drive. Hogs Hair is made to be used as an air filter in HVAC applications. It's relatively cheap and available in large rolls so one can cover a good size area at modest cost. Probably too expensive for a micro-budget project but even a low budget show should be able to acquire a roll or two.

 

A link from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Flanders-HHB25130-MERV-30-foot-Filter/dp/B000BVMZLK

 

Location Sound used to keep some Hogs Hair on hand but probably not in sufficient quantity to cover part of a roof. It's also useful to make a cover for a zeppelin to protect from the sound of rain hitting the blimp. It doesn't keep the blimp dry; it only protects from sound. But, unless you are working in a downpour, it's usually possible to shake out the water every few takes and the blimp itself will protect the microphone.

 

David

 

Thanks David! That´s exactly what I was looking for!

 

And some pretty good ideas Dalton!

 

Cheers guys!

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