The average reverberation times for various spaces in the homes examined concentrated between .73-.79 seconds. In the kitchen and dining areas, higher frequencies have reverberation times between .93 and .96 seconds. This is particularly relevant, as higher frequency sounds are more disturbing. Recommended reverberation times for clear and intelligible speech for these room types and sizes are in the .4-.5 second range. Reverberation Times by Room Staff reported the presence of echoes in certain rooms, the ability to hear noise from one room throughout the homes, as well as generally loud noise levels during certain periods of the day.
Signal refers to the noise generated.
The homes have from 8 to 12 residents, plus four or more staff members present at any given time. Activities that concentrate all of these people in the same place such as eating or recreation are accompanied by other noise sources such as rattling of dishes and pots, use of appliances, television or radio noise and vocalizations and physical noises generated by the residents and staff. The combination of these factors generates much more noise than in a typical home. The amount of people alone could accommodate for elevated noise levels. During instances of shouting, screaming, or other behavioral outbursts, noise levels can rise high above the norm.