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When The Sound Of Music Can Be Bad For You

Listening to music is one of life’s great pleasures. Unfortunately exposing your ears to loud music of any kind in the home or at work can have a detrimental affect on hearing according to doctors.

While loud noise over a short period can be uncomfortable for your ears, being exposed to loud noise over long periods of several hours can have a cumulative impact on ears that can actually end up damaging your hearing.

The problem for many people who end up with damaged ears is they don’t realise how much noise they are being exposed to in the home or at work until it is too late. For example, it’s natural to want to turn up the volume of music if you want to drown out other noise. This then increases the amount of damage to sensitive nerve fibres that transmit signals to the brain.

The use of headphones can be particularly problematic if they are used for several hours a day while working in the office. Any noise above 110 decibels is unsafe for the human ear.

One potential solution is to better insulate your home or office against external news so that you can listen to and enjoy your music at a level that won’t cause any lasting damage.

Posted by admin in Home Insulation, Metropolitan Insulation, Noisy Neighbours, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Commercial Property, Soundproofing for musicians
Noisy Neighbours

Noisy Neighbours

Getting The Local Authorities Involved:
Keep a Record of Disturbances

Before involving your local authority, it makes sense to gather a body of evidence which you present to them as proof of the types of disturbances you are experiencing.

Note down the time of a disturbance, its length, and its nature.

If there is a reason for you neighbours making noise at that time, for example a dog barking because it is locked outside at night, then note this down too.

Once you have a decent body of evidence to show the extent of the nuisance your noisy neighbours are causing, you can contact your local authority or council.

Contact your Council

Within most councils, the environmental health department or city living department will have a dedicated contact for antisocial noise related issues. Some councils have a dedicated staff of Environmental Health Officers, who are able to issue warnings and on-the-spot fines to noisy neighbours who do not cease making noise. Failure to pay such fines can result in prosecution and a further £1,000 fine.

What The Law Says

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, councils are obliged to take reasonable steps to investigate complaints of nuisance noise (and other types of nuisance such as littering or emissions) made by residents. The same law states that where the local authority believes that a nuisance is present, it must serve an ‘abatement notice’ on the individual responsible. The abatement notice can forbid the nuisance altogether, or restrict it to certain times of day.

If the person creating the nuisance cannot be found, the notice is served on the owner or occupier of the property from which the nuisance is coming. Failure to obey the abatement notice is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of £5,000.

In considering whether a nuisance is taking place, the council will consider (1) the nature and location of the noise, (2) the time and duration of the noise and (3) whether the activity creating the noise has any value.

‘Nuisance’
In England and Wales, ‘nuisance’ is defined legally as an unreasonable interference with the use and enjoyment of one’s property. In deciding this, consideration of the standards of the average person, and the character of the neighbourhood in question (such as whether other residents who are affected have also complained) will be taken.

Confusingly, the definition of nuisance in Scotland is not the same as England and Wales. The definition in Scotland requires that the behaviour is both unreasonable and causes discomfort. Reasonableness is judged with regard to an imaginary ‘reasonable person’ – would they be affected by the level of noise being created?

There is no level of volume which must be met for a noisy neighbour’s behaviour to be considered a nuisance. The standard is subjective and the assessment made by the local authority will be subject to the individual assessor. This is another reason why keeping a diary of noisy behaviour by neighbours is important – it can lend weight to your case.

Solutions for Noisy Neighbours

Having noisy neighbours can be very unpleasant, but if you are informed you can do something about it. We recommend the following points of advice:

  • If you feel safe enough to do so, try to make personal contact. Many times you will find that your neighbours had no idea they were causing a nuisance.
  • If you prefer to keep a distance, use an anonymous letter or note. Be amiable, and try to let your neighbour see things from your perspective – if they are reasonable people they are likely to appreciate that everyone needs sleep!
  • Collect evidence. If your efforts at informing your neighbours that they are causing a nuisance are unsuccessful, you will benefit from having a diary of their noisy behaviour when you contact the authorities.
  • Be safe. When in doubt, do not engage your noisy neighbours – if you fear that they might escalate the situation into something beyond just noise making, or you feel frightened, bullied or intimidated, then contact the police rather than putting yourself into a potentially unsafe situation.
Posted by admin in Home Insulation, Metropolitan Insulation, Noisy Neighbours, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Commercial Property, Soundproofing for musicians, Thermal Insulation

Reducing Noise From Water Systems

One of the biggest noise problems in houses comes from water systems. Specifiers can sometimes face a challenge to reduce noise from pipes in new constructions as can those who buy homes with pipes made from materials that do little to insulate noise.

Manufacturers can often fool specifiers when it comes to acoustic levels in pipes by disguising their actual performance levels. Add to this the drive to reduce building costs and the level of soundproofing around pipes can be less than ideal.

Plastic based systems are the worst culprits for noise and ironically the old cast iron pipes they replaced still offer the best sound insulation than their cheaper alternatives. Moreover, opting for plastic based systems can end up costing more in extra insulation costs where additional materials need to be purchased to compensate for the extra noise.

According to those in the industry current standards of testing sound insulation in water pipes are not stringent enough to replicate the sound generated under normal usage conditions.

Reducing noise from pipes in an existing house is a different matter of course. It can be a major job to replace a water system therefore one option is to use acoustic heavy sound proofing in the ceiling, which can reduce noise by up to 25 db. By using glass wool and an enclosure constructed from gypsum board, it is possible to reduce the level of noise by up to 30 dB(A) in walls.

Posted by admin in Home Insulation, Metropolitan Insulation, Noisy Neighbours, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Commercial Property, Soundproofing for musicians

Should I Buy A New House If I Want Good Sound Insulation?

If the predicted fall in house prices becomes a reality following Britain’s exit from the EU, it may soon be a good time to go out looking for property at reduced prices. However before you do have you considered how good the sound insulation is?

Few people think about noise until it becomes an irritation after moving in. By this time it is usually too late too late to change your mind and you will be left with two options, move house or install sound insulation.

There are many factors of course which can cause excessive levels of noise entering your home. Age of the property can be a big factor in this. Older houses will usually lack the modern sound insulation you get in new houses unless someone thought to install it beforehand.

So if noise could be a problem for you, then buying a new house could be a better option in this regard. The problem is new houses generally cost more than the equivalent older property so you will be paying an extra premium anyway.

One way to solve the dilemma of buying new or old is to weigh up how much you will need to invest in sound insulation and other alterations to bring a house up to today’s standards.

Posted by admin in Home Insulation, Metropolitan Insulation, Soundproofing

How Can I Reduce Noise Using Environmentally Friendly Materials?

This is a question that is often asked about sound insulation when people are concerned about the types of materials used.
The good news is technology has come a long way in recent years towards making materials that are kinder to the environment and less expensive to produce. There is also a growing movement towards using wholly natural materials, though their potential when compared to the equivalent man-made products are questionable when they can end up costing more.

One of the best ways to reduce noise in larger properties is to fit a green roof. It is no coincidence that we are starting to see more and more green roofs when there are some obvious advantages.

From a sound insulation point of a view, a green roof can reduce interior sound levels by as much as 40 decibels, which makes it ideal for buildings where peace and quiet is important such as university buildings.

A green roof also provides excellent thermal insulation which saves on heating costs as well as a home for wildlife. A green roof can be installed on most buildings and it can be combined with other sound insulation materials to create a greener environment.

Posted by admin in Environmentally Friendly Materials, Home Insulation, Noisy Neighbours, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Commercial Property

Survivors UK Commercial Property Soundproofing

We have successfully completed the design, build and installation of soundproofing at Survivors UK in Wapping.

This project involved taking down a side of external walls and dividing walls for the purpose of improving acoustic integrity and privacy in a highly sensitive environment. We also sealed existing fire doors without having to replace these, with acoustic/ smoke seals.

The system we used was the MetroSoundGuard system for the walls. This combines reduction for airborne and impact noise aswell as giving it high thermal conductivity. The result has been another outstanding bespoke solution in the City.

Airborne conversation has been reduced to a whisper and the clients are delighted with the results. Once again Metropolitan demonstrate they can deliver ‘sound’ solutions for your commercial and domestic needs/property.

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

How To Reduce Noise From Upstairs Flats

Living in flats often means putting up with noise from neighbours above if you happen to live on lower floors. There are times however when noise such as footsteps, and the sound of TVs can become unbearable. At this point you may be wondering what can I do about it?

First of all, if you flat or apartment is part of a block, then the first thing to do if your property is leasehold is to check that there is any provision for quiet enjoyment. If it is mentioned in the terms of the lease that flat owners fit carpet and underlay, then this will usually be enough to win any case which goes to court.

Before things get that far, it will need the involvement of either the freeholder or management company in any legal action which may not always be as easy as it sounds.

If there is no provision for noise from people walking above you or having their TV too loud then you can go to the local authority, however this can be particularly slow and time consuming.

If there appears to be no prospect of fighting your case without big legal bills, then acoustic insulation slabs fitted inside your ceiling cavities could be the answer. This option will require professional installation but at least it will reduce those annoying sounds to a minimum.

Posted by admin in Home Insulation, Metropolitan Insulation, Noisy Neighbours, Soundproofing

How To Combat Noise From Within

When people talk about sound insulation they often refer to noise from the outside like street noise, cars and noisy neighbours but in the modern world there is likely to be just as much if not more noise coming from within the home.

So here are some practical solutions to making your home quieter.

Open plan living and hard flooring are just two aspects of the modern home that have conspired to create noisy environments in the very places we go to get away from noise. Of course noise in the home isn’t avoidable altogether but there are a lot of ways to balance out the extra light and space with good sound insulation techniques.

Flooring is one area to start particularly if you are planning to open up a space by knocking out a wall. Opt for flooring that helps reduce noise such as vinyl. Higher quality brands are particularly effective at helping to reduce noise compared to hard wooden floors or stone tiles.

Introducing a rugs or textured wallpaper can help reduce noise to a small degree in the home and even a painting or two can add to the insulating effect. One of the most effective changes you can make is fitting acoustic panelling which is often included in office designs but can just as readily be used in the home.

Posted by admin in Home Insulation, Metropolitan Insulation, Noisy Neighbours, Soundproofing

Soundproofing A 1930′s Property

You will often hear people say that older properties have better insulation due to the superior quality of building materials used but this isn’t necessarily the case.

Older properties from the 1930s can often have areas that allow noise from next door to penetrate and impact on quality of life. Problem areas can include fireplaces cracks and holes in walls, alcoves and crumbling mortar and plaster. All of these can have a serious impact on soundproofing in the home and often people who live in a property have no idea that any cracks and crumbling mortar is hidden away behind thin plaster board.

If you happen to want to sell a house or let it out to tenants then it is vital to soundproof your home to modern standards. Potential solutions that don’t cost the earth include Spray-applied foams which have unique sealing qualities.

These will reduce airborne sound significantly which makes it ideal for soundproofing interior walls and floors and the area around plumbing stacks to reduce noise from water pipes. If your 1930s property happens to be in London you may also benefit from secondary glazing, which will help reduce external noise.

One piece of Laminated glass 6.4mm thick will stop as much sound as a piece of ordinary glass twice as thick.

Posted by admin in Metropolitan Insulation

Reasons Not To Ignore Soundproofing In Your Hotel

One of the big priorities for guests staying in hotels is peace and quiet but how many large hotels pay attention to all aspects of their comfort?

Comfy mattresses, supportive pillows and corridor acoustics are one thing but when it comes to true peace and quiet, it is important to make sure outside noise is kept to a bare minimum or removed altogether.

The main areas of a room where noise can be reduced are the walls ceilings and floors. While most hotels pay some attention to soundproofing walls, many don’t consider their floors. If it’s a period hotel the problem of sound coming through creaky floorboards can be even worse.

Staying in this type of hotel can soon result in the charm of that old building wearing off when you are forced to endure the sound of noisy guests arriving late in the night.

Hardwood flooring can be much more attractive and easier to clean than carpet but unfortunately it isn’t great for soundproofing. Carpet with good quality underlay can be an important part of overall soundproofing in hotel rooms because they reduce noise from foot steps and things being moved around.

Customers are only to happy to complain about noisy hotel experiences online today. So make sure you do all you can to at least give them a quiet room.

Posted by admin in Construction, Metropolitan Insulation, Soundproofing