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Sue,

We have used strip-doors, but not for sound bleed, we've used them for light
control.  They do work well for that purpose - and we've used full-length as
well as shorter ones.  Anecdotally, they don't make visitors feel odd,
unless they are young visitors (who have a fear of entering closed off
areas.  Most people open them with one arm before deciding to enter anyway.
One down-side is the possibility of people barreling through without looking
(resulting in banged up heads.  Of course that depends on how opaque the
strip doors are and how big the space is they're "guarding."  Last but not
least, they do tend to stick to each other - particularly at first, so they
need occasional attention so they don't "bunch up" a bit.
The upside about strip doors is that they don't require the same amount of
space as hinged doors do, and they automatically close.

-William Katzman

William Katzman			[log in to unmask]
Director of Exhibits			(828) 322-8169 x307
Catawba Science Center		(828) 322-1585 (fax)
"Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of value"
-A. Einstein





Does anyone have experience with the use of strip-doors (hanging plastic =
strips) for reducing
sound bleed on the floor?  We're using them to help create quiet spaces f=
or individual exhibits. I'd love to know anything about people's experience
with them, but in par=
ticular: 

* What are your criteria for when to use them, as opposed to a hinged=
door? 
* Have you always used full-length ones, or shorter (which seem to work=
nearly as well acoustically)?
* Do you know whether they tend to discourage visitors from entering th= e
space, or whether vistiors feel weird, as if they're in a meat locker, etc?

Thanks for any responses to the list or offline.
Sue Allen


William Katzman			[log in to unmask]
Director of Exhibits			(828) 322-8169 x307
Catawba Science Center		(828) 322-1585 (fax)
"Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of value"
-A. Einstein



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