Metropolitan Insulation Blog

If You Don’t Like Noise Avoid These Jobs

Sound insulation can be an effective barrier to noise in the workplace, however the nature of some jobs means exposure to excessive noise is inevitable.

Noise exposure can increase the risk of acquiring all sorts of health problems, particularly if noise levels are high in a work environment where most of us spend the majority of our time. Some noise in buildings can be reduced by fitting adequate sound insulation and individuals can wear ear protection such as ear plugs or ear muffs.

Some of the noisiest jobs include:

Teaching
Noisy classrooms are often just a part of the job for most teachers. It is also not possible to wear ear protection for obvious reasons, so it is important to fit effective sound insulation in schools to reduce the effect of being exposed to noise levels of 85dB.

Factory work
Depending on the industry, factories can be exceptionally noisy environments leaving employees at risk of hearing damage from the 105dB they will often be exposed to. An assessment should be carried out to see if noise can be reduced by fitting sound insulation.

Even the above is nothing compared to working as a construction worker or formula one driver. Noise from hammer drills can reach 120dB and if you thought being a race car driver was glamorous, consider how you would cope with 135dB of noise on a regular basis.

Posted by admin in Metropolitan Insulation

Acoustic insulation against noise from loud machinery

If your office building contains noisy mechanical equipment then there can be a problem not only with internal noise but also complaints from neighbouring properties. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the volume of noise from machinery if you fit the right type of sound insulation measures.

Build an enclosure
This may be one of the more expensive options to insulate against sound from loud machinery but it will be the most effective.

Erect barriers or a partial enclosures
If you fit barriers at double the height of the machinery producing the noise then this can be an effective step towards reducing the amount of sound that escapes.

Fit sound insulation and absorption materials to walls behind the machinery
If fitting barriers and enclosures proves to be difficult or expensive, insulating the wall behind the machinery will help bring a small reduction in sound travelling. The key is to reduce the sound being reflected.
If noise is becoming a problem in your workplace and you need further advice on fitting sound insulation or ways to reduce noise in particular circumstances, then please contact one of our experts who should be able to help.

Posted by admin in Commercial Property, loud machinery, Metropolitan Insulation, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Commercial Property

Soundproofing Party Walls

One of the most common questions you get in the soundproofing business is how do I stop noise coming through my party wall?

Noise coming from next door in terraced or semi-detached properties is something countless people are left to put up with on a daily basis. From flushing toilets to people walking up and downstairs, loud music and voices, if you own this type of property you will hear them all at one point or another.

So what’s the solution, can you stop this noise travelling through the walls altogether?

The answer to this is a simple no if you are only dealing with part of the problem by treating a party wall itself.

Much can be done of course to add sound insulation to a party wall and this will help reduce sound proof panels made from materials which absorb sound better. Part of the problem with noise transfer between houses lies in the construction, which is designed to meet minimum standards.

Noise can also travel around walls and through roof spaces so it is difficult if not impossible to eliminate noise entirely unless changes are made to the structure which often isn’t possible. If you are adding sound proof panels then this will also require compromises on space.

However, if you have particularly noisy neighbours, losing that space can be a price worth paying for some peace and quiet.

Posted by admin in Soundproofing Party Walls

3 Ways To Soundproof Your Home Cinema

If you’re planning to introduce a home cinema room into your home then you will naturally want to achieve that real cinema experience. Unfortunately, the challenge with most homes is to insulate a room enough to reduce or ideally eliminate any external noise and also prevent noise escaping and disturbing the people living around or close to you like the neighbours.

Soundproofing is a difficult and complex subject to understand so we’ll just cover the basics of soundproofing a home cinema here.

Building a room within a room
One of the best ways to sound proof a home theatre is to build a room within a room. This is technique is often used when modifying an existing home for the purpose.

The importance of air mass and distance

Air, mass and distance are the 3 important things to consider when you want to block sound waves entering a building. For example, a 6 inch thick concrete wall for example will prevent a lot of sound entering a room due to its mass and weight. An exception to the light materials rule is fibreglass which is effective at absorbing sound when used to fill cavities between walls.

Replace hollow-core doors
One of the biggest challenges with soundproofing is to reduce the level of sound travelling through less well insulated areas. Doors can be a particular problem if they are hollow. Replace the door to your home cinema with a solid wood door and the passage of sound will reduce considerably.

Posted by admin in Insulate Your Home, Metropolitan Insulation, Noisy Neighbours, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Apartments

Bad Acoustics In Restaurants Could Be Putting People Off Their Food

How many times have you been to a restaurant and been put off your meal by all the noise? Well studies indicate that noisy restaurants can have a much wider impact on the enjoyment of your meal than simply not being able to hear your fellow diner across the table.

Unless the owners of busy restaurants think carefully about acoustics the chances are most will have a problem with excessive noise. The nature of restaurants with hard surfaces such as tables and flooring means owners need to think creatively about how to reduce the impact of noise even if it might be welcome where the occasion demands a bit of celebration.

The problem when mixing excessive noise with food however lies not only with the eardrums but also the taste buds according to studies. A University of Manchester study in 2012 discovered that found that food was more enjoyable when there was pleasant background noise.

This is perhaps not surprising but if the noise level hit 80 decibels and many restaurants regularly top 100 decibels, then the perception of flavours was dulled. This isn’t an ideal impression to leave guest with.

If you would like to find out more about how sound insulation can help your business give us a call.

Posted by admin in Bad Acoustics

How To Cut Down Noise In An Open Plan Office Environment

Most large corporates have equally large open plan offices that can be great to work in if you enjoy the collaboration, hustle and bustle and space. But what happens if you’re the kind of employee who gets easily distracted from work or you’re more productive working in the peace and quiet?

This is something that can often leave employers puzzled over what to do and how to please everyone. Of course, everyone knows that pleasing everyone in a large office is unlikely when even small things like air conditioning settings can cause open conflict.

The temperature can get even more heated of course when the environment turns noisy. People can often become very irritated by their fellow staff members when phones are going off every 10 minutes or the sound of lunches being eaten at desks.

This results in a bit of a conundrum for bosses. How can noise be reduced to a level that keeps those who like a bit of noise happy and those who don’t like distractions equally at peace?

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to reduce noise in an open plan office. One of the easiest is to add carpets if you don’t have them already. While the trend is all for solid wood floors, these will only add to the noise.

A further way to bring down the volume is to add plants and soft furnishings not just for how nice they look but also for their sound absorption properties.

You can then think about more advanced measures such as reconstructing walls so that they have larger air gaps.

Posted by admin in Building Trade, Commercial Property, Metropolitan Insulation, Sound Absorption, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Commercial Property

How Is Excessive Noise Bad For Your Health?

We’re all exposed to noisy environments from time to time, be it in the workplace or even at home.

Unfortunately, evidence has shown that too much of it can be bad for your health but how is this so? Let’s explain further how noise impacts on your health and wellbeing.

Let’s take the example of someone who works in a city centre office in an old building without adequate sound proofing installed. This person will be exposed to traffic noise as well as noise from phones and other staff members. The general hustle and bustle associated with city life will also add to this cocktail of noise the person will be exposed to on a daily basis.

In modern office buildings, architects should automatically factor in the level of noise a building’s occupants will be exposed to and install adequate sound insulation to reduce noise from internal and external environments.

If noise isn’t considered then that city centre office can soon become a health hazard, particularly to someone sensitive to its effects. It may surprise you to learn that exposure to noise of just 65Db on a daily basis can be enough to have harmful effects on your health.

The importance of sound insulation is now much higher on the agenda when architects are designing buildings because of the effects excessive noise can have on health and well-being. The level at which sound becomes potentially bad for your health is 65Db.

To put this measurement in perspective, 65Db is the level of noise you get from someone having a conversation or a phone ringing.

Exposure to this level of noise in people sensitive to it will raise levels of adrenaline which over time will have an effect on general health and wellbeing.

Posted by admin in Excessive Noise

Why Control Sound?

When we talk about soundproofing we often think of shutting out sound altogether, but this isn’t what most people want. So a lot of work labelled as soundproofing actually involves controlling sound because by its nature sound doesn’t just disappear. It’s only be controlling sound that we get the desired effect in our buildings.

Take for example a busy church where a preacher needs sound control to enable his or her congregation to hear a sermon or an airport where important announcements need to be heard.

Controlling sound at a different level may be required for a busy restaurant where people like to be able to experience the atmosphere as well as be able to communicate with each other during a meal. Eating a meal in a noisy pub isn’t most people’s idea of a nice experience particularly if you are having to shout to be heard.

If there is no sound proofing or treatment then sound will simply echo from walls ceilings and floors particularly if the latter is a hard floor. Ina room full of competing voices the people in that room will soon get ear fatigue.

Controlling sound is important because it not only contributes to better health by reducing stress levels, it also allows us to create effects and control the way sound is produced as in a recording studio.

The importance of sound control should never be underestimated.

Posted by admin in Control Sound, Metropolitan Insulation

Steps To Getting An Accurate Soundproofing Quote

At Metropolitan Insulation we pride ourselves on helping customers find the right sound proofing solutions for their needs whether it’s in domestic dwellings or commercial buildings.

Over the years we have seen our fair share of soundproofing challenges and sometimes clients who have been unsure about what type of soundproofing they need until they came to us for advice.

Most people naturally assume that soundproofing means just that and Google it accordingly to find a supplier but finding the right kind of supplier is important, if you want more than just a bit of extra insulation in your walls and ceilings.

You also need to have answers to questions such as, Is noise coming from the walls, the ceiling or both? Does your space echo or does sound reverberate? Having answers to these questions before you request a quote can help you get a more accurate price and give your soundproofing technician a more accurate idea of what you need.

If you own a commercial building then the likelihood is you will be dealing with bigger problems such as the restaurant where noisy footsteps and background noise become a real issue for customers who might be put off.

The important thing to remember is only you will know how big a problem noise is and once this is established then we will help you find the right solution.

Posted by admin in Metropolitan Insulation, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Apartments, Soundproofing Commercial Property

What Is The Difference Between Sound Proofing And Sound Absorption

It is common for people who don’t have knowledge of the science of acoustics and sound to get confused about what is meant by sound proofing and sound absorption. The two are actually very different and have very different purposes so it is important get basic understand of both before deciding what’s required.

So let’s start with sound insulation. Sound insulation is all about blocking sound waves and preventing them travelling from one room in a building to another. If for example you imagine a fish tank, the water in that fish tank is kept inside by some strong glass.

Now if that same fish tank was made of cardboard, then water would soon start leaking through. Sound behaves in a similar way to water so the materials you choose for sound proofing should be aimed at preventing sound coming through altogether.

Sound absorption material on the other hand converts sound into friction. It also tends to be lighter in weight and has properties that act to prevent sound reverberating around a room. If a room is fitted with sound absorbent material, people in the room will be able to hear what other people in that room are saying better. In other words sound quality will be better.

Posted by admin in Insulate Your Home, Metropolitan Insulation, Sound Absorption, Soundproofing