Commercial Property

You often hear about cash strapped rock bands setting up their own recording studios using mattresses to sound proof walls.

Dec

2016

Tips For A More Peaceful 2017

Christmas is coming, which means lots of time for celebration and the noise that comes with it. While noise is unlikely to be a problem when we’re all celebrating, when the new year comes, the emphasis usually turns to enjoying a bit of peace and quiet, but what if this peace is interrupted by noisy neighbours or family members? Here are some solutions to consider.

Before moving into the solutions to noise problems let’s explain what causes it.

Sound comes from vibration and this vibration then travels through your home or place of work to varying degrees, depending on how well a building is insulated. So sound has to make its way not only through floors but also subfloors, joists, walls and so on to finally reach your ears as noise.

This why when people jump up and down upstairs, noise levels can become acute and very annoying if it’s coming from people you have no control over like the neighbours.

If it’s coming from your own home you can either stop people jumping up and down upstairs, lay carpet and add cork tiles to walls which should at least help to muffle sound.

If you want to go a step further in reducing noise from say the neighbours then the key is to create a gap within walls and ceilings using additional panels for walls special glues which create the separation in ceilings. If you would like to find out more about how we can help insulate your home better against noise please get in touch.

Dec

2016

Noise Reduction Becomes A Trendy New Design Focus In 2016

While the design world has largely ignored noise reduction, this year has brought new attention on incorporating noise reduction features, particularly amongst Scandinavian designers who are really starting to embrace it in their interior designs.

Acoustics was certainly a hot topic in Stockholm at this year’s furniture fair and efforts to make modern space quieter with better acoustics has certainly become a trend since. Various products have been launched to make rooms more peaceful including wall panels that absorb sound better and even spongy wall-mounted booths which can be used for phone calls.

One of the reasons why noise reduction has been a preoccupation amongst Scandinavian designers is the use of wood. Wooden floors and work surfaces don’t lend themselves particularly well to noise reduction. Wood in its raw state may be an effective building material but it needs the introduction of sound absorbing materials to reduce noise levels in buildings.

Despite the emergence of products aimed at better sound insulation in the design world, there remains a greater focus on the visual elements of design such as light, space colour and texture.

But when it comes to public spaces, people are just as likely to notice a room that has poor acoustics as they are to appreciate how nicely designed that space is.

Nov

2016

Soundproofing Jobs London

Acoustic doors being successfully installed at Katzenjammers Bier Keller in Southwark. We have all the skills and knowledge for entertainment venues like this. Metropolitan cover all acoustic and insulation requirements.

Installation of acoustic walls in stairwell in a domestic home in Stoke Newington. This system combines traditional and technological advances in acoustic solutions. The result on this was 80% reduction in airborne and impact noise.

Oct

2016

ROI on ‘invisible’ Home Improvements

What’s the ROI on ‘invisible’ Home Improvements Like Sound Insulation

When you fit an extension on your house or perhaps a loft conversion, the return on investment is easy to quantify, but what about invisible renovations such as sound proofing and insulation?

The answer to this depends a lot on your local environment, the amount of noise likely to affect your property and how old the property is.

Of course installing sound insulation isn’t going to add value in the same way as renovations you can see but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t install it. Often in older houses it can sometimes be essential to install soundproofing to make sure a house appeals to buyers or tenants in the first place.

Sometimes you can highlight the work that has been done as part of the sales documentation so that potential purchasers will see what kind of benefits they are getting from your soundproofing upgrades. You may even want to keep photographs of the work being done too.

If you intend to stay in your home, then having a quitter environment in which to spend time away from work can improve your health and sense of wellbeing – and who can put a price on that!

Sep

2016

Community Groups Near Heathrow Question Noise Compensation

Heathrow’s third runway has caused considerable controversy and it looks like community groups suspect that noise compensation won’t add up to as much as they were told when plans were unveiled.

Living close to a busy airport like Heathrow inevitably means much greater exposure to noise than the general population with huge numbers of flights arriving and taking off each year. According to measurements, households located within the noisiest zone close to the airport will be exposed 60 dB between 7 am and 11pm.

To compensate, those responsible for the expansion of the airport Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) have offered to cover the cost of sound insulation to reduce noise exposure from the third runway. What is unclear is just how many houses will qualify for help with noise insulation and what happens to those households that fall outside of immediate boundaries.

Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) has put aside a total of £700 million to cover noise compensation and sound insulation of homes however this is unlikely to cover all of the compensation costs and insulation package being offered to residents.

While the economic benefits of the third runway will be huge for the national economy, it appears that some locals will need to look at noise reduction measures themselves to reduce its impact on quality of life.

Sep

2016

Can Bad Acoustics Put You Off Your Food?

According to restaurant surveys, the biggest complaint from restaurant customers after poor service is noise. There is good reason for restaurant owners to take this seriously as the effect of noise on customers also works at a deeper level when it comes to the links between our senses according to a study.

Anyone who has been to a busy restaurant will understand that noise levels can get out of hand. Depending on what kind of occasion it is, noise may even help with the atmosphere, but when it comes to actually enjoying food, less noise means more enjoyment.

A recent study by Manchester University showed that bad acoustics can affect the way our food tastes. Saltiness and sweetness were detected more strongly when it was quiet than when background noise was introduced. The experiment had participants eating the same foods and it turns out people actually enjoyed the taste of their food more when they had a bit as opposed to a lot of background noise.

This may explain why a quiet restaurant is often the choice for romantic meals. Besides being able to hear what your partner is saying, the extra enjoyment they get from their food is likely to make the occasion more memorable.

Jun

2016

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.

Metropolitan Insulation Blog