Bloomington MN, - Until now, there have been no sound-rated access panels tested and rated to maintain the STC value desired in a wall.  JL Industries has developed and tested a new access panel with an STC rating up to 47 for use in sound-rated wall assemblies.  The patent-pending STC series can provide sound isolation wherever access to critical building components in walls is needed, and still meet the sound-isolation requirements for schools, Group R Occupancies and healthcare facilities.  

The STC panels have been independently tested to maintain an STC value up to 47, by Intertek, a nationally-recognized testing laboratory in accordance with ASTM E90-09 for sound transmission loss of building partitions.  These access doors are classified in accordance with ASTM E413-10 (rating sound insulation of partitions) and E1332-10a (outdoor/indoor sound attenuation).  

John Baker, VP of New Product Development who headed up the development of the new STC panel found that “There was a real gap in the products available for sound-rated walls.  Contractors may have modified an existing access panel as a makeshift solution, but we wanted to provide a complete panel that was ready-to-install like our fire-rated access panels.  Acoustic engineers and designers can now select this access panel for any wall up to an STC 47 requirement.”

Featuring a proprietary sound-blocking assembly and continuous gasketing, the STC panels are available in sizes from 12” x 12” to 24” x 36”. The frame and door are constructed of cold rolled steel with a durable powder-coat primer finish, heavy-duty continuous hinge and compression paddle latch for a tight gasket seal.  Options include stainless  or galvanneal steel construction, and several latch selections.

JL Industries is part of the Activar Construction Products Group (ACPG), a privately-held group of companies that manufactures products for the commercial construction industry in Divisions 7,8,10,11 and 23.  ACPG is headquartered in Bloomington Minnesota and operates manufacturing facilities there as well as in Commerce California.  Six additional warehouses throughout the US provide nationwide availability to the lines of ACPG products.

For more information on the STC sound-rated access panel, call 800-554-6077, email customer service at  sales@activarcpg.com  or visit  www.activarcpg.com-jlindustries.