Occasionally, I have clients who hear a humming sound that comes on and off. It prevents them from sleeping, relaxing and thinking clearly. The big problem is - nobody else seems to be able to hear that sound! As a result, we might question our sanity…. but Buildingbiology is coming to the rescue :-)

Often, my clients suspect electro-pollution, but I have not been able to find anything that would indicate this to be the case.

Hearing loss can be a cause, where we hear a sound which is not actually there, like Tinnitus. - It’s the nervous system telling us fibs.

However, I recently had a client, who could turn the sound off with noise cancelling headphones. This indicates that there is an actual sound. With a good microphone and a smartphone app like Signalscope X, the frequency of the sound can be determined. - This is the easy part, as it can be quite difficult to find the cause of the vibration. The first suspect would be plumbing and any pumps that come on. If that is the cause, pumps can be better suspended on vibration absorbing high density foam, or sometimes they need replacing. This can be problematic, if it is the neighbour’s pool pump… or a suburban sewage pump, nearby.

Also, look for air-conditioning systems, fridge compressors, - anything that could possibly vibrate and create that humming sound. I recently noticed a speaker in our lounge, that emitted a constant hummmmm. Very subtle, but once you hear it, you can’t un-hear it.

Acoustics is an aspect of building that is often neglected. Listen to your home, feel the sound in the different rooms, - and change it, if need be. Walls can be covered with wall hangings, you could lay carpet or take it out, put up large artworks, wood-panel a wall, get heavy curtains, replace the windows with double glazing, - the possibilities are endless. - Create your own soundscape!

One little caveat, - be careful not to live in ‘sound-fog’ of constant music. Listen to the sounds of the world around you: Awareness of the moment.

Make the sounds in your life beautiful, just like your visual environment. There are enough ugly sounds, out there. -

Sounds good?