Insulation Reduce Noise

Insulating your home is the best home improvement you can make for the environment.

Dec

2023

4 Ways to Make Your Roof More Weatherproof

Weatherproof your roof to protect your home’s structure and keep dampness at bay.

Your roof is your home’s first line of defence against the elements. Wind, rain, ice and snow will all batter your roof over the years, so it’s important to take measures to ensure that your roof is as weatherproof as possible.

Taking precautions with your roof will help it to effectively protect your home from the weather and save you money and hassle in the long run.

Here are four ways to get started with weatherproofing your roof.

Maintain gutters

One of the commonest causes of roof leaks and damage is blocked or broken guttering. Your gutters protect your roof by directing water away from it. If your gutter becomes blocked or broken, then it will need immediate attention to stop water from overflowing onto your roof. Regularly inspecting, clearing and cleaning your gutters helps to prevent problems occurring.

Lead flashing

Roof flashing is sheet metal applied to your roof’s joints and edges to seal it and prevent water from leaking in. Flashing plays a very important part in protecting your roof from the rain so it’s important to ensure that it is applied in all the right places and remains in good condition. Flashing comes in a variety of materials including copper, steel and aluminium, but lead flashing is the most durable and long-lasting option.

Repair and maintain tiles

Any cracks or holes in your roof will allow water to seep in, potentially causing expensive damage to your belongings and your property’s structure. Ensure that any cracked or missing tiles are repaired or replaced quickly to avoid further damage occurring. If you feel like damp is regularly making its way into your roof, you may benefit from applying a tile sealer to reinforce your roof and protect from hairline cracks.

Spray foam

Applying spray foam to the underside of your roof is extremely effective at sealing and reinforcing your roof to prevent the ingress of rain, snow and dirt. As well as weatherproofing your roof, spray foam also acts as an excellent thermal insulator, keeping your home warmer and lowering your energy bills.

For more information about our spray foam or to request a free consultation, give our team here at Metropolitan Insulation a call on 0333 006 9933.

Dec

2020

Why it is important to insulate your house

Insulating your house is of paramount importance for various reasons. It not only contributes to energy efficiency and cost savings but also enhances comfort, reduces environmental impact, and improves overall well-being. Insulation acts as a barrier against heat transfer, preventing the loss of warmth during colder months and minimizing heat gain during hotter months. Here are some key reasons why it is important to insulate your house:

Energy efficiency: Insulation plays a crucial role in maintaining a consistent and comfortable indoor temperature. By reducing heat transfer through walls, floors, and roofs, insulation helps to minimize the need for heating and cooling systems, thereby lowering energy consumption and utility bills. A well-insulated house can significantly improve energy efficiency, leading to substantial cost savings over time.
Comfort: Insulation creates a thermal barrier that helps to regulate indoor temperatures and reduce drafts. It keeps your home warm in winter and cool in summer, ensuring a comfortable living environment for you and your family. Insulation also helps to minimise noise transmission, providing a quieter and more peaceful indoor atmosphere.
Environmental impact: Insulating your house is an effective way to reduce your carbon footprint. By reducing energy consumption, insulation helps to lower greenhouse gas emissions associated with heating and cooling systems. It contributes to sustainable living by conserving resources and promoting environmental responsibility.
Moisture control: Insulation acts as a moisture barrier, preventing condensation and dampness from entering your home. It helps to control humidity levels, reducing the risk of mold growth, mildew, and associated health issues. Proper insulation safeguards the structural integrity of your house by protecting against moisture-related damage.
Health benefits: Insulation not only improves physical comfort but also promotes better indoor air quality. By minimizing drafts and air leakage, insulation helps to prevent the infiltration of pollutants, allergens, and outdoor contaminants. This is especially beneficial for individuals with respiratory conditions or allergies, as insulation contributes to a healthier living environment.
Property value: Insulating your house enhances its market value and desirability. Energy-efficient homes with proper insulation are increasingly sought after by homebuyers due to the long-term cost savings and environmental benefits they offer. Insulation is considered a valuable investment that can pay off in terms of increased property resale value.

In conclusion, insulating your house is a vital step towards energy efficiency, comfort, and environmental sustainability. It provides numerous benefits, including reduced energy consumption, cost savings, improved comfort, moisture control, enhanced indoor air quality, and increased property value. By insulating your house, you contribute to a greener future while enjoying a more comfortable and healthier living environment.

Nov

2020

Should I Insulate my Loft?

A quarter of heat is lost through the roof in an uninsulated home. Insulating your loft, attic or flat roof is a simple and effective way to reduce heat loss and reduce your heating bills.

Loft insulation is effective for at least 40 years and it should pay for itself many times over.

Choosing loft insulation

If your loft is easy to access and has no damp or condensation problems, it should be easy to insulate – and in most cases, it is possible to do it yourself.

If access is easy and your loft joists are regular, you can use rolls of mineral wool insulation. The first layer is laid between the joists – the horizontal beams that make up the floor of the loft – then another layer is laid at right angles to cover the joists and make the insulation up to the required depth.

Here’s what to consider when installing loft insulation:

1. Storage space

If you plan to use the loft or attic for storage, you will want to lay boards over the joists. Unfortunately, if you only insulate between the joists before doing this, the insulation won’t be thick enough.

To get enough insulation, you can raise the level of the floor so you can fit enough mineral wool beneath the new floor level. You can do this by fitting timber battens across the joists, or you can buy purpose-built plastic legs that fit on the joists and support the new floor. It’s important to leave a ventilated air gap between the insulation and the boards to prevent condensation on the underside of the boards.

Make sure you don’t squash the mineral wool when you fit the boards on top as this this will reduce its insulation value.

2. Warm loft

An alternative way to insulate your loft is to fit the insulation between and over the rafters – these are the sloping timbers that make up the roof itself. You can use rigid insulation board, carefully cut to size, or you can have foam insulation sprayed between the rafters.

Whichever approach you use, you will need a specialist professional to insulate your roof – this is not a DIY job.

Advantages:

The roof space will be warmer than with standard loft insulation, so you won’t need to worry so much about freezing tanks and pipes.
You can board the floor for storage without having to raise it to create extra depth.

Disadvantages:

Insulating at rafter level is considerably more expensive than most standard loft insulation.
As well as insulating the roof, you will have to insulate any gable walls, party walls and chimneys in the loft space. If you leave these uninsulated, then the heat will bypass your new insulation making it largely ineffective.

3. Inaccessible loft spaces

If your loft is hard to access, you can have blown insulation installed by a professional, who will use specialist equipment to blow appropriate insulation material into any awkward space. They may use mineral wool fibre, treated cellulose or polyurethane foam.

Sep

2020

New Trend for Soundproofing Your Home

The average city dweller spends his or her time surrounded by noise– traffic, television, cell phones, and unwanted office gossip. But people who want a quieter life are finding ways to outfit their homes with sound-proof accessories, such as curtains that mute noises from outside. This is one of several ways to make staying home much more peaceful and reap the health benefits of silence.

Noise pollution affects many people and homes, causing health effects such as stress and anxiety. There are many fancy methods to isolate yourself from sound, but soundproofing is expensive and typically reserved for technical uses, such as for a recording studio.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is only safe to be exposed to loud noises for a maximum of 8 hours. Many of us who live in urban areas or noisy towns receive a lot more noise than recommended. Because of this, there has been a significant rise in home soundproofing through the use of soundproof curtains and other methods.

However, there are several simple home hacks you can use to significantly reduce the amount of noise you hear.

One popular way to achieve a quieter living space is through your furniture. When you have an empty room, sound bounces off the walls a lot easier since there is nothing to absorb it. These bouncing waves reach your ear and you perceive ‘sound’, but the simple addition of heavy and soft furniture can absorb a great deal of these waves. Add heavy tables and sofas with a lot of cushion to absorb the most amount of sound. Books also help and look great on your coffee table!

If you want to get fancy with your soundproofing you can add acoustic panels to your walls and ceiling. These are used mostly in studio sound booths during music recordings, but many manufacturers craft these panels for use in your home. These panels work much in the same way as furniture works– by providing a thick, soft and permeable surface which effectively absorbs sound waves.

Don’t Forget Your Doors!

You’d be surprised at how sound finds its way into our homes through the smallest cracks and spaces. One place we often ignore when we think about sound leakage is our doors. Gaps beneath doors let a considerable amount of noise through, but there is an inexpensive solution. Sealant tape can easily block these gaps without hindering your doors from opening or closing. A more expensive but permanent solution is a mounted seal that uses metal and rubber and lasts a lot longer than tape.

Reducing noise in your home will not only give you peace of mind, but is also attributed to many health benefits. Some of these include lower stress levels, better concentration, increased brain function, and greater focus for self-reflection. The benefits of good rest are also widely studied, and the solution is as simple as installing a set of soundproof curtains.

Aug

2020

How to soundproof an apartment door: Painless DIY Solutions

Why soundproof a door and who should do it?

If you’ve recently moved into a new apartment and discovered that on some nights you’re wide awake as you listen to your neighbours’ conversations in the hallway, your flimsy doors may be to blame.

As a light sleeper myself, loud noises from the hallway have kept me up on countless nights.

With the recent trend of people working from home, you may also be looking to dedicate a space for your new home office with optimal sound-proofing properties so you can work in peace.

If those situations sound familiar to you, it might be time to think about how you can soundproof your doors to get a good night’s sleep.

How they work and if they can be effective

Soundproofing a hollow door works just like soundproofing a room does.

The problem usually arises because most doors have hollow cores, often trapping air inside.

The trapped air then acts as an excellent medium for noise or sound, but a terrible choice if you want to keep the noise out.

Hollow core doors are the most typical interior doors used nowadays in houses.

Beneath its surface is an inner cardboard honeycomb core surrounded by a softwood frame.

Considering this thin surface and the air-filled core, there just isn’t much to block the transmission of sound.

However, you can minimize the sound transmission by adding sound-insulating material on the door, which will significantly help in creating a more peaceful environment in the comfort of your own home.

Continue reading to find out how you can soundproof an apartment door. Here are a few products readily available on Amazon for you.

Note that these methods will allow you to minimize the noise transmission but will not completely block out noise.

If you wish to get rid of any outside noise once and for all, you might want to look into getting a solid core door.

We will explore that option at the end of this article.

Acoustic foam

A reliable go-to product when it comes to soundproofing is acoustic foams.

When installed on your door, these foams block noise while absorbing sounds.

As a result, they can eliminate any echoes from the house.

Since they are originally designed to improve the acoustics of a music room, you can count them to reduce the amplitude of noise level.

The best part is, they don’t require any special skills to install.

Because they are self-adhesive, it will be a hassle-free process for you.

Aug

2020

Loft Conversion – Is it worth the investment?

Certain features such as garages or porches have solid research behind them indicating the overall value they add to a home, but it can be difficult to assess less common features, such as a loft conversion, when deciding whether they’re worth the investment. As a homeowner, it can be easy to decide whether a renovation is worth it because personal value for the project comes into play. However, as an estate agent or landlord, you must consider how much value the project will ultimately add to your property and whether the cost is worth the investment. Take a look at whether a loft conversion is worth it in the long run.

Is a loft conversion worth the investment?

Renovating a loft can quickly add up to a major expense for your latest investment, which may lead you to question whether it’s worth it. If a loft conversion is done well — and especially if you are converting it into a bedroom or bathroom — it could provide a 50% to 75% return on investment (ROI). Not terrible when compared to low-ROI projects like adding a pool. Adding an ensuite bedroom and bathroom does cost about twice as much as simply enclosing the space into a room that could be used as a home office or storage space, but you are essentially adding a room count to your investment. Your two-bedroom, one-bath home can now be considered a three-bedroom, two-bath, adding a lot of value to its sale potential or rental desirability.

It is important to consult not only a licensed architect and contractor to create a functional space but also your local realtor to determine whether the market demand is there. Keep in mind that loft conversions are usually, but not always, smaller spaces, so demand in urban settings will probably be higher since space is already at a premium. A loft conversion is likely only worth the investment if done appropriately, but ultimately, you will need to do market research to ensure your investment is worth the returns.

Jun

2020

Block Noise From Neighbours

Metropolitan Insulation Soundproofing Guide

Plant Some Trees along your fencing

Planting trees around your yard can make a bit of a difference when it comes to blocking out your neighbour’s noise. Over the long term, trees can also help keep your back garden cooler and more private during the summer months.

Soundproofing the walls in your home

If you have a shared wall with your noisy neighbour, then that’s most likely how the loud noise is getting to you.

One of the most common ways to soundproof a shared wall is by using acoustic soundproofing panels or spray foam insulation. You mainly see these in recording studios, but they can be used in apartments and houses as well. Acoustic foam is a great substitute if you don’t want to cover your walls with wallpaper.

If you don’t want to spend any money on soundproofing a shared wall, you can simply rearrange pieces of furniture inside your home. First of all, you’ll need to fill the room that contains your shared wall with more furniture, as this will prevent unwanted noise from bouncing off of the walls.

We recommend that you place bookshelves, couches, dressers and such in front of your shared wall, although you should keep in mind that this method won’t bring about dramatic results.

If you need sound insulation make it Metropolitan Insulation. For a free consultation please contact our friendly team now. Tel: 0800 028 4042 Or email your enquiry

May

2020

The chicest innovations in soundproofing

Aside from your typical spray foam insulation, the quest for a quieter environment is no longer in vain. Design has caught up with sound-absorbing tech, offering stylish solutions so that you can enjoy the (almost) silence.

Anyone in an open office environment can appreciate eliminating incessant reverberation of voices and movements, but our relationship to sound is not static—some ambient noise is a good thing. And while many of the latest innovations might seem most appropriate for contract and hospitality settings, a craving for quiet seems universal, and the norms that define the workplace are shifting further away from the strict desk-job narrative.

According to Rodrigo Gomes, of Bose, noise canceling can help you focus and be more productive. If a host of acoustically smart design products can create a physical environment that’s just quiet enough, maybe we can actually think for a minute.

To see a range of ultra modern ways to reduce sound travelling in your office take a look HERE.

Feb

2020

Can you replace the tiles on a foam insulated roof?

Spray foam insulation bonds the tiles on your roof together, but replacing a damaged tile is still simple enough when you know how.

When spray foam is applied to the underside of a property’s roof it bonds the roofing materials to each other and to the structural timber, holding everything securely in place.

As well as sealing all gaps and cracks in the roof to make the property warmer and more energy-efficient, spray foam can also help to protect and support your roof’s structure and increase its lifespan.

Whilst spray foam will make your roof stronger and more durable, it won’t make it invincible and it is still possible that tiles on your roof may become damaged.

If a tile on your foam insulated roof cracks or breaks then don’t worry, replacing it may be simpler than you think.

Removing a tile on a spray foam insulated roof

If a tile on your roof becomes broken, then it’s important to get it repaired as quickly as possible to prevent water leaking into your property and causing expensive damage.

To remove one or more tiles from a spray foam insulated roof you are likely to need to remove the insulation first.

You may wish to begin by using a saw or utility knife to cut away the majority of the foam that you need to remove. With the bulk of the foam gone, you should be able to scrub away the rest with a strong wire brush or sponge. It may help to apply a small amount of acetone before you scrub the foam to help to loosen the bond.

Once the foam has been removed, the broken tile can be replaced, and the spray foam will need to be restored to ensure that the insulation keeps working efficiently.

For further help or advice with repairing damaged tiles on a spray foam insulated roof, get in touch with our team of experts here at Metropolitan Insulation by calling us on 0800 028 4042.

Jan

2020

Benefits of spray foam insulation for historic or listed buildings

Spray foam insulation is an ideal solution for securing tiles on the roofs of listed and historic buildings.

Spray foam insulation is applied to the underside of roofs to bond slates and tiles together, providing effective insulation and structural support.

Whilst spray foam insulation can benefit buildings of all different shapes, sizes and ages, it can be particularly useful for securing tiles on the roofs of historic or listed buildings, here’s why:

Preserve appearance

It is very important to preserve the appearance and original character of historic and listed buildings by retaining original features and materials where possible. Securing and sealing the existing roof with spray foam can help to bond the existing roof and tiles together to cure nail fatigue and avoid the need to replace roofing materials.

Protect roof tiles against theft

Very old and listed buildings are also more likely to have valuable tiles on their roofs, including lead tiles, which are frequently targeted by thieves.

Bonding your roof’s tiles together and to the roof’s structure using spray foam will help to protect valuable roof tiles from being stolen.

Further benefits of spray foam insulation

As well as protecting and preserving the outer appearance of historic and listed buildings, spray foam insulation provides a whole host of other benefits including:

Affordable solution to re-roofing.
Makes the roof weather-resistant.
Seals the roof to get rid of air leaks and draughts.
Improves the building’s energy efficiency.
Keeps the building feeling warm and comfortable.
Prevents condensation build-up.
Reduces the risk of pipes and tanks freezing.

The spray foam we install at Metropolitan Insulation prevents interstitial condensation, whilst also allowing the roof’s battens to ‘breathe’. It also meets Class 1 Surface Spread of Flame when tested to BS 476 Part 7:1997.

For more information about our spray foam insulation, or to request a free consultation, get in touch with our team by calling us on 0800 028 4042.

Metropolitan Insulation Blog

Insulation Reduce Noise

4 Ways to Make Your Roof More Weatherproof