Bramming

Guests no longer have to cover their ears when visiting the elegant home of the Højlund family near Bramming, West Denmark. Troldtekt panels installed on top of the plastered ceiling absorb the high-pitched sounds which, earlier, would bounce off the numerous hard surfaces in the house and cause a din. Additionally, the rustic, natural material provides a pleasant contrast to the many white walls.

In 2010, the competition for a Troldtekt ceiling caught Elise and Per Højlund’s interest – and for a good reason. The family, including a small daughter and a happy farm dog, experienced considerable problems with the acoustics in their newly-constructed dream house at Bramming, which they moved into in 2007. The baby yelling, the dog barking, clanking cutlery and ordinary friendly chatter when entertaining: eventually the sound of family life began to shatter domestic peace and quiet. With its high, plastered ceiling, stone-tiled floors, expanses of steel surfaces in the kitchen and several floor-to-ceiling window areas, their home contains many hard surfaces which will bounce the sound freely around the room.

Marked improvement
– We had to move our phone out of the kitchen-dining room, because it sounded as if we were standing in a warehouse when chatting with family and friends, says Per Højlund.

Along with the rest of the family, he notices a marked improvement after workmen have finished installing a Troldtekt ceiling on top of the existing plaster. The ceiling which the family won by sharing their story about bad acoustics is a Troldtekt akustik Plus ceiling where a layer of mineral wool contributes to correct and perfectly controlled room acoustics.

– The reverberation time is now much shorter than before – and the guests no longer have to cover their ears when visiting us. It is much easier to hear one another clearly, and the whole environment has just become much more pleasant. Even when the television is on or we are working in the kitchen, says Elise Højlund and adds:

– We also think that the Troldtekt ceiling has a warmer feel to it and provides a nice setting.

From shock to ’bow-wow’
Per and Elise Højlund agree that the four days of building mess in connection with the installation was a small price to pay for a pleasanter and quieter home.  Their small daughter, too, has welcomed the new ceiling. Earlier, she jumped every time the dog barked.

– Now she just says ’bow-wow’, Elise Højlund explains.