Noisy Neighbours

So along with household appliance such as vacuum cleaners that have become noticeably quieter in recent years

Jan

2017

Sound Insulation in Older Houses

Old houses can often be better insulated for sound than some new builds when it comes to the thickness of walls. Unfortunately, there will inevitably be some areas of the house that don’t provide adequate soundproofing such as old wooden floorboards.

Some people aren’t particularly bothered about hearing noise from footsteps above while for others this can cause distress over a period of time. If a house is being converted into a HMO for example the need to insulate between floors becomes even more important.

Before starting work, it is important to gain advice from an expert on sound insulation if you have no previous experience to ensure you are spending money wisely and on the right kind of sound insulation.

A common method for reducing noise in older houses is to install a false ceiling. Plaster ceilings are best left in place if you plan to do this because removing them is messy and unnecessary. The extra layer can even help add to the insulating properties.

If you have converted a loft, then acoustic matting can be an effective form of insulation when fitting a sub-floor would reduce the amount of headroom. It is worth spending extra on higher quality acoustic matting to ensure you get value for money.

Jan

2017

Lesser Known Ways To Insulate Your Home

Whether it’s noise from a partially deaf neighbour who always has the TV on too loud at night or next door’s children learning to play the violin, noise can really impact on your quality of life over time. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to insulate your house for sound. Here are some you may not have heard of.

Paint
If I was to tell you that a coat of paint would help supress noise you might think I was mad. To be exact though a good quality rendered external wall coating can be a good first step towards peace and quiet.

Wallpaper
You might think that wallpaper is just for decoration or feature walls but if it has the right properties, it can also contribute towards sound insulation. Thermal wallpaper not only helps insulate the home by keeping heat in, those same insulating properties can also insulate against sound coming from the other side of the wall.

Curtains
Thick curtains are making a comeback and that’s a good thing for anyone wanting to insulate their homes against noise.

Large pictures
Artwork can be something more than just something to admire. A large painting placed on the wall can provide a basis for an excellent buffer against sound coming from next door.

None of the above will eliminate noise problems, but at least they are a start. If you need further advice, please contact one of our experts.

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.

Dec

2016

Are You Struggling With Noise?

If your struggling with noisy neighbours, needing to comply with Part E regulations as a landlord or
business owner, at soundproofinginstallerslondon, we design, build and supply solutions to help you.

We can offer you services from sound testing to just plain, simple advice.

Living in Clapham area? Living in flats or apartments
can prove especially challenging as lots of developers do not take into consideration acoustics and the implication of living in close proximity.

Unfortunately in far too many cases, developers concentrate on pleasing aesthetics without making provisions for adequate soundproofing. This can cause severe upset and disturbance for owners and tenants alike.

We have a reputation for providing the complete service from survey to implementation. References can be supplied. Don’t live with the stress and strain of intrusive noise.

Get the experts in and start having a quieter habitat.

Nov

2016

Some Tips On How To Soundproof A Noisy Apartment

If you have the misfortune to live in a noisy apartment life can become difficult, particularly if that noise ends up keeping you awake at night or ruining your relaxation time. Fortunately there are some things you can do to soundproof your apartment without breaking the bank.

One of the biggest problems when you live in apartment of course is the neighbours. Noises from people coming home late or in the early hours of the morning can be a particular problem if you share your floor with people who are night owls.

Noise on stairs and corridors can be cut down by installing sound absorbing carpet, however living in an apartment means won’t have the same control over what happens outside your door as with a house.

The next best thing therefore is to add tiles to walls that have sound absorption qualities. While cork tiles may sound like a throwback to a bygone age, they are coming back in fashion and if cork isn’t for you there are other materials that have similar sound insulation qualities.

Another method of reducing noise that also offers other benefits is to build yourself a library. While most people seem to do their reading on tablets these days, books are still great at muffling sound.

Nov

2016

Ideas On Isolating Your Room For Sound

While you might not want your room completely shutting out external noise unless you are building a recording studio, it is useful to have a room in the house where you can make plenty of noise without disturbing other people – who hasn’t been told to ‘turn it down’ at one point or another in their lives? Here are some ways you could isolate your room for sound.

One way to begin the process of isolating your room for sound is to use acoustic sealant. Gaps often form around skirting boards as well as ceilings so sealing these areas up first is a good place to begin.

Next you can use acoustic wedged panels to add insulation to walls. These panels are easy to install and require just a bit of glue to stick them on. Glue is often supplied with the packs. You can install as many or as few of these as you want depending on how much sound isolation you need.

If you want to be more radical then you could use a soundproof construction made up of wooden frames. Then attach your stud wall. The thicker and more dense the material you use, the more sound it will absorb.

You could even fill walls with a damping compound which makes it ideal if you are using a room as a home theatre or if you regularly play loud bass music.

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!

Oct

2016

Global Demand For Rainscreen Cladding Grows

International demand for rainscreen cladding is set to soar as research reveals that it could reach USD 14.05 billion by 2024.

The main purpose of installing rainscreen cladding is to create a clear cavity between itself and a building which serves to protect it from the environment while allowing a building to ‘breathe’. This creates a healthy and protected environment for the people occupying the building.

The growth in the market is due to a range of factors including increased demand for lightweight insulation materials globally and which in turn is driven by an expansion in residential and commercial construction activities in emerging markets.

As the world’s governments commit to tough new rules aimed at reducing consumption of fossil fuels, energy saving is once again high on the agenda. Rainscreen cladding helps prevent water infiltration as well as aid the transfer of heat within buildings.

The UK has one of the biggest markets for cladding systems in Europe with extensive usage in commercial office buildings as well as residential housing.

Our rainscreen cladding is durable for up to 60 years and is a low maintenance way to improve energy efficiency and insulation in your home or office.

Metropolitan Insulation Blog