Super Materials

One exciting area currently attracting a lot of interest in the press is the production of super materials.

16
Dec
2020
Why it is important to insulate your house

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

Posted by admin in Insulate Your Home, Insulating Your Loft, Insulation Fire Rated, Insulation Reduce Noise, Metropolitan Insulation, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Apartments, Soundproofing Commercial Property, Soundproofing for musicians, Soundproofing New Homes, Soundproofing Party Walls, Spray Foam Insulation, Super Materials
27
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. 

Posted by admin in Climate and Insulation, Commercial Property, DIY Solutions, Home Insulation, How To Soundproof Doors, Improved Insulation, Insulate Your Home, Insulating Your Loft, Insulation Reduce Noise, Noise pollution, Sound Absorption, Sound Insulation for Old Houses, Sound Insulation Ideas, Soundproofing Apartments, Soundproofing Commercial Property, Soundproofing New Homes, Spray Foam Insulation, Super Materials, Suspended Ceiling Soundproofing, Type of insulation
21
Feb
2020

How to protect a lead roof from thieves

Lead has been popularly used as a high quality roofing material for many years due to its durability, resistance to corrosion and malleability.

Lead is commonly found in the roofs of schools and churches but can also be found on some commercial and residential properties too.

Unfortunately, over recent years, the value of metals like lead have dramatically risen, making properties with lead roofing a target for thieves.

As the value of lead soars, more and more people are returning to their properties to find their roofs have been stripped by thieves who will then sell the lead as scrap metal.

Here are five ways to protect a lead roof from thieves.

Remove access to roof

Don’t make it easy for thieves to access your roof. Remove ladders, bins, or garden furniture that may make it easier for thieves to scale your building and prune back any nearby trees that might provide easy access to the roof. 

Secure the perimeter

Make sure the boundaries surrounding your property are secure and always keep your gate locked to make it difficult for thieves to access the property. 

Apply anti-climb paint

Consider applying anti-climb paints to your property’s drainpipes to make it difficult for thieves to climb them. Remember, if you choose to do this, you’ll also need signs informing of the anti-climb paint for liability reasons, these also make excellent deterrents.

Install CCTV and security lighting

The presence of CCTV systems and security lighting is often enough of a deterrent in itself to stop opportunist thieves in their tracks.

Apply spray foam insulation

When you apply spray foam insulation to the underside of your property’s roof, not only will it improve your property’s energy efficiency, it can also help to prevent lead theft. Spray foam insulation works by bonding your roofing materials to each other and to the roof’s structural timbers. This makes your roof stronger and prevents thieves from easily removing materials from your roof.

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.

Posted by admin in Choosing Insulation, Home Insulation, Improved Insulation, Insulate Your Home, Insulating Your Loft, Metropolitan Insulation, Noise pollution, Rigid Foam Insulation, Soundproofing, Spray Foam Insulation, Super Materials, Thermal Insulation, Type of insulation
05
Dec
2019

How to handle noisy neighbours

Excessive noise pollution from neighbours is not only annoying, with time it can also begin to negatively impact your health and wellbeing.

Even your dream home can turn into a nightmare if the wrong people move in next door. Whether it’s all-night parties, arguments, barking dogs or musical instruments, here are your options for dealing with noisy neighbours.

Communicate calmly

In most cases, people don’t even realise that their actions are disturbing those around them. The very first thing to do if your neighbours’ noise is disturbing you is to pop round and have a word with them face to face.

Make sure that you’re polite, amiable and calm and provide examples of times when their noise has disturbed you and how it has affected you or your family. Try to avoid letting the conversation turn confrontational.

Report noise to the council or a private landlord

If you have tried speaking to your neighbour about their noise to no avail, you may wish to report their behaviour to their landlord or to the council. 

Before doing so it can be useful to keep a noise diary of all disturbances so that you have specific examples to talk about. The council has a duty to investigate activity that can be classed as a ‘statutory nuisance’, such as excessive noise.

If the property is privately rented, then your neighbour may be breaching a clause in their tenancy agreement.

Bear in mind that reporting your neighbours can raise tensions and it’s always best to try to resolve the problem between the two of you first if possible.

Mediation

Mediation is a process where parties meet up, usually in a neutral environment, and communicate to resolve a disagreement. Mediation is controlled by a trained independent third party and you may be required to pay for the service.

Go to court

Taking your neighbour to court should only be used as a very last resort. The process can be time-consuming, costly and very messy.

Install sound insulation on your home

It may not be that your neighbours are excessively noisy, it could just be that you have paper thin walls. If you can hear every cough and sneeze from next door, then the chances are that they can hear you too. If you plan on staying in the same house for the foreseeable future then installing sound insulation in your home could be a good investment for the future.

Posted by admin in Home Insulation, Improved Insulation, Insulate Your Home, Insulating Your Loft, Insulation Fire Rated, Insulation Reduce Noise, Insulation To Last, Metropolitan Insulation, Noisy Neighbours, Sound Insulation Ideas, Soundproofing, Spray Foam Insulation, Super Materials, Thermal Insulation, Type of insulation
22
Oct
2018

How Long Can You Expect Your Insulation To Last?

Most people will ask about how long things like roof tiles and flooring will last but few people consider insulation. One thing is certain, no matter what insulation you use, it won’t last forever and certain types of insulation are known to last longer than others. So let’s look at the different types of insulation commonly used and compare their lifespans and durability.

Spray foam insulation
Spray foam insulation has increased in popularity due to its excellent durability and ease of application. It is also much better at resisting mold growth and sealing any air leaks than alternative forms of insulation. You can also look forward to low maintenance over its lifetime. The only drawback is that its lifespan is around 80 years but this is a minor one unless you expect to still be around 80 years from so you can still technically say it will last you more than a lifetime.

Fiberglass Insulation
Fibreglass is the type of insulation you will find in most homes. The material is also extremely durable and provides an excellent defence against humidity. It is also cheaper than most alternatives which is why you will still find this type of insulation in most homes. This type of insulation is expected to last 100 years but wear and tear can take its toll and reduce lifespan if it isn’t inspected regularly.

Recycled Paper Insulation
Recycled paper is another excellent choice and the main thing it has going for it is its limited impact on the environment. This type of insulation can last for 100 years although it is less commonly used than other materials such as fibre glass and spray foam.

Posted by admin in Home Insulation, Hotel Soundproofing, Insulate Your Home, Insulating Your Loft, Insulation To Last, Metropolitan Insulation, Sound Absorption, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Apartments, Soundproofing Commercial Property, Soundproofing for musicians, Spray Foam Insulation, Super Materials, Suspended Ceiling Soundproofing, Thermal Insulation
26
Sep
2018

The Challenges Of Insulating A Barn Conversion

Barn conversions can make the most attractive homes but they can also be challenging projects not only from a build point of view but also when it comes to thermal efficiency.

Nowadays thermal efficiency is a much more important consideration than it has been in the past. Property owners must now include Energy Performance Certificates when advertising a property for rent or sale and this obviously influences the decision to rent or buy a property. Few people are going to pay their hard earned cash to live in a poorly insulated property or one that scores poorly on its EPC.

So one of the main challenges when converting a barn is making sure it is conforms to modern building and energy efficiency standards. Insulating high vaulted ceilings can be difficult as attractive as they are, but there is a way to cut the cost and achieve those all important efficiency scores. That is to use spray foam insulation.

This can be applied quickly and easily and dramatically cuts down the time it takes to apply insulation so that your barn conversion ticks all the boxes for your prospective buyers. If you require more information on insulating your property give us a call today.

Posted by admin in Barn Conversion, Control Sound, Environmentally Friendly Materials, Hidden Noise Hazards, Home Insulation, How To Soundproof Doors, Insulate Your Home, Insulating Your Loft, Insulation Reduce Noise, Metropolitan Insulation, Noisy Neighbours, Rigid Foam Insulation, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Commercial Property, Spray Foam Insulation, Super Materials, Suspended Ceiling Soundproofing
15
Mar
2017

New Generation Of ‘Super Materials’…

…Have The Properties To Bend Sound Waves

There is a sense that we have only just begun to scratch the surface of 3D printing technology and it will no doubt end up being another giant leap forward in technology. One exciting area currently attracting a lot of interest in the press is the production of super materials that are able to bend sound waves and create audio hotspots.

This technology will not only help you get on better with your neighbours it could also revolutionise the sound insulation industry. 3D printing will play an important role in producing bricks the size of fingers that are then formed into a sheet which can control sound in a variety of different ways such as letting in sound at certain times of the day and keeping it out when the occupants of a building need a bit of peace and quiet.

The new super material referred to as meta-material which is finely engineered and produced using 3D printer technology. The material is designed for various purposes using a computer and this is then fed into the printer.

Each brick or slab that is produced by the printer has a labyrinth structure which forces sound waves to slow down as they enter.

Engineers have even produced plastic tubes using meta material which can be used to block out noise simply by pressing a button.

Posted by admin in Insulate Your Home, Metropolitan Insulation, Sound Waves, Soundproofing, Super Materials