Noise Management

The most important thing to consider when installing soundproofing and insulation is experience.

Oct

2022

Soundproofing in Cheshire: Creating Serenity in the Heart of the Countryside

Nestled amidst the idyllic countryside of Cheshire, finding peace and tranquility in your home is essential. However, external noise from roads, neighbors, or even wildlife can disrupt your serenity. That’s where soundproofing comes to the rescue. In this comprehensive blog, we will explore the benefits of soundproofing in Cheshire and provide valuable insights and tips to help you create a serene and quiet haven in the heart of the countryside.

1. Embracing the Benefits of Soundproofing in Cheshire: Living in Cheshire offers the charm of rural living, but it also means encountering noise challenges specific to the countryside. Soundproofing your space provides numerous advantages, including reduced stress levels, improved sleep quality, increased privacy, and enhanced focus. Whether you reside in a picturesque village or a bustling town, soundproofing allows you to enjoy the tranquility that Cheshire offers.

2. Identifying Noise Sources: Understanding the primary sources of noise in your Cheshire home is crucial in developing an effective soundproofing strategy. Is it the distant hum of traffic, the nearby railway line, or the chirping of birds that disrupt your peace? Identifying these sources will help you target the right areas for soundproofing and choose the appropriate materials and techniques.

3. Soundproofing Techniques and Solutions: a) Acoustic Insulation: Enhancing the insulation of your walls, ceilings, and floors with acoustic materials can significantly reduce noise transmission. These specialized materials absorb and dampen sound waves, preventing them from entering or escaping your space. b) Soundproofing Windows and Doors: Upgrading to soundproof windows and doors can create a substantial barrier against external noise. Double or triple-glazed windows, along with specially designed soundproof doors, minimize noise infiltration, maintaining a peaceful indoor environment. c) Noise-Reducing Materials: Utilise noise-reducing materials such as acoustic panels, soundproof curtains, and carpets to absorb and dampen sound within your space. These materials are available in various styles and designs, allowing you to enhance the aesthetics of your Cheshire home while achieving effective noise reduction.

4. Seeking Professional Assistance: While soundproofing can be a DIY project, seeking professional assistance ensures optimal results. Soundproofing experts in Cheshire possess the knowledge, experience, and access to high-quality materials to deliver effective soundproofing solutions tailored to your specific needs. They can assess your space, recommend the most suitable techniques, and carry out the installation process efficiently.

5. Revel in the Serenity of Soundproofing: Once your Cheshire home is soundproofed, you’ll experience the transformative power of tranquility. Embrace peaceful evenings, undisturbed sleep, improved concentration in your home office, and a heightened sense of privacy. Soundproofing creates a haven within the serene surroundings of Cheshire, allowing you to fully enjoy the beauty and calmness of the countryside.

Conclusion: In the picturesque countryside of Cheshire, soundproofing your space ensures a harmonious and serene living environment. By recognizing the benefits of soundproofing, identifying noise sources, utilizing effective techniques and materials, and seeking professional assistance when necessary, you can create a peaceful oasis in the heart of the countryside. Embrace the tranquility that Cheshire offers and reclaim your space from external noise with soundproofing solutions tailored to your Cheshire home. Enjoy the serenity and harmony you deserve in the captivating surroundings of Cheshire.

Jul

2020

Negative Effects of Sound Pollution

Every sound in a structure can be traced back to its acoustical roots. Creaky door hinges are rusty, too tight or in need of a good oiling. Floorboards squeaking or groaning are either incorrectly fastened or not plumb or true.

As for ominous loud ticking clocks, either you’ve been watching too many scary movies or you have very thin walls with no acoustical insulation and thin drywall layers. This too can be easily solved with a variety of wall types from traditional staggered stud to new high-performance ultra-thin ZR walls.

Unintended Negative Effects of Noises

The impact of subway noise on surrounding neighbourhoods shows that increased cardiovascular disease is related to sleep disorders caused by rail noise in urban areas. While most spooky sounds are low frequency noise, subways do create a wider variety of noises than wind turbines or deep footsteps, thereby having a wider and deeper range of effects. These are similar to having a spooky bad dream including, but not limited to:

Increased heart rate
Lack of deep REM sleep
Increased blood pressure
Elevated anxiety and stress levels

Last, but not least, is our favorite means of long-distance travel, airplanes. Because of new engine designs, noise from aircraft is getting better with each generation. Nevertheless, there is still a significant impact on local environments and the people living there. Similar to subway noise, physiological issues include:

Cardiovascular issues
Cognitive issues in children
Elevated anxiety
Decreased attention spans due to sleep deprivation.

Jul

2020

Commercial and Domestic Soundproofing

What does soundproofing typically cost?

We charge per square meter, to keep our costs as low as possible from the outset. Many of our customers choose to stage their soundproofing room by room, ranging from utilising high-density acoustic sealant and wall panels to installing soundproofing walls, to ensure our soundproofing solutions provide them with satisfaction. Whatever your sound insulation choice is, we endeavour to make it as cost-effective as possible.

Whether it is for peace and quiet in your home, reducing loud noise in your office or meeting rooms or for new building regulations, we offer wall soundproofing, floor soundproofing and soundproofing solutions that are second to none in quality using the latest soundproofing foam technology.

We listen to what you need and want from a soundproofing project. We are able to provide full sound insulation with high-density wall panels for soundproofing installations in walls, floors and ceilings, all while still maintaining the beauty and aesthetics of your home or office designs with a minimum loss of room space and mess.

Metropolitan Insulation Soundproofing use state of the art methods and materials to deal with all of your noise issues. We know our business and have soundproofing solutions for all your needs. If we don’t have an immediate answer for you, we have the resources to get you the answer as well as the products to get the job done right the first time.

Metropolitan Insulation takes pride in the services and materials we supply to customers and will work closely with you to make certain that noise intrusion throughout your home is no longer a part of daily life. We have been focusing on delivering the very best in soundproofing London throughout our establishment and are proud to be your first choice for service.

May

2020

QUIET, PLEASE!

ACOUSTIC DESIGN FOR NOISE CONTROL.

State-of-art acoustic design can dramatically reduce sound transmission through shared walls and street-facing windows.

Today’s new homes, with their open-concept designs, quartz countertops, tile and hardwood floors, high ceilings, TVs mounted on walls and large floor-to-ceiling windows, are being embraced by builders, architects, renovators and homeowners alike for their clean, modern and minimalist ambience. But while these designs are pleasing to the eye, they are not necessarily pleasing to the ear.

A few decades back, heavy drapes on windows, carpeting on the floors and bulky furniture did much to deaden echoes in large rooms and suppress noises from other parts of the house. By contrast, modern open-concept design and bare floors promote echo-y spaces and room-to-room noise, with little regard for acoustics.

Sep

2019

What are thermal bridges?

Understanding thermal bridges can help you to strengthen your building’s insulation and minimise heat loss.

When insulating your home, you may hear the term thermal bridge, or cold bridge, thrown around a lot.

Thermal bridges are generally considered bad, so it’s important to understand what one is, so that you can minimise the risk of thermal bridges occurring in your home.

A thermal bridge is a weak point in your building’s insulation that causes heat loss. They are usually caused by a gap or hole in building materials, but also occur at areas made from highly conductive materials like wood, metal and steel.

As well as causing heat loss, thermal bridges can also cause condensation, mould and damp problems.

Types of thermal bridge

Construction– Construction thermal bridges are caused by a piece of construction material or a gap that runs through the building’s insulation.

Geometric– Geometric thermal bridges aren’t formed by physical materials or gaps; they can occur even when insulation is continuous. They are caused when the geometry of the thermal envelope causes increased heat loss and can be either two or three-dimensional.

Combined– Often thermal bridges will combine elements of both construction and geometric thermal bridging.

Repeating– This type of thermal bridge repeats at regular intervals throughout the thermal envelope. Examples of areas where repeating thermal bridges may occur include ceiling joists, ground floor joists, and steel wall ties.

Non-repeating– These are usually one-off thermal bridges caused by discontinuities. Examples include gaps around windows and doors or in internal wall or floor junctions.

Spray insulation is an excellent material for improving thermal insulation as it moulds to the shape of your building, effectively filling and sealing any holes or gaps in your building materials.

For more information about spray foam insulation, or to book a free consultation, give our team here at Metropolitan Insulation a call on 0800 028 4042.

Apr

2019

Asbestos encapsulation versus asbestos removal: which is best?

If you find asbestos lurking within your property, it’s important to consult an expert before deciding what to do with it.

Asbestos was a popular building material until it was found to be a dangerous substance and subsequently banned in 1999. It was discovered that fibres of airborne asbestos posed a significant health risk when breathed in.

If you discover asbestos in your property, then it is your responsibility to ensure that it is safely managed.

A couple of options available for managing asbestos include complete removal and encapsulation.

Encapsulation involves covering the asbestos with an impervious material that protects it from damage and prevents any fibres from becoming airborne.

Asbestos removal or encapsulation: which should I choose?

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) any asbestos in your property is safe unless it becomes damaged. Damage can be caused by drilling, sawing, sanding, tearing down, or otherwise disturbing the material so that fibres become airborne.

The right course of action will depend on the condition and extent of the asbestos in your property and a risk assessment should be carried out by an expert prior to any work being carried out.

Advantages of encapsulation

If encapsulation is deemed to be an appropriate course of action, then it has several advantages over removal including:

Can usually be completed quicker than removal.
Causes less disruption.
No need to dispose of hazardous material.
Affordable.
Minimal risk as asbestos is disturbed less.

If you discover asbestos in your property you should never attempt to remove or encapsulate it yourself. The Control of Asbestos Regulations require this work to be carried out by a trained and licensed professional contractor.

To find out more about how asbestos can be safely encapsulated using our spray foam solutions, give our team of experts a call on 0800 028 4042.

Feb

2019

Points to Consider When Soundproofing A Historic Listed Building

If you own a listed building then you will be well aware of the constraints this puts on development work and even basic maintenance. Even soundproofing will require a certain degree of planning so as not to alter the character of the building. So how do you best approach insulating and soundproofing your listed building?

The first place to start is a survey of the building. This will give you all the technical details you need so you can plan the project and adhere to building regulations. The survey will also tell you what materials to use.

Once you have gained this information you can then put together a plan of the work you intend to do and submit it in order to get planning consent. This is critically important as anything that alters the character of a listed building or replaces existing materials with materials of inferior quality or that will cause deterioration in other parts of the building will be deemed unsuitable.

If you are not confident of managing this process yourself it is highly advisable to seek expert help even if the soundproofing you are installing will be largely hidden from view.

Feb

2019

3 Simple Sound Insulation Ideas

These simple sound proofing ideas will be ideal for most properties and in some cases even for historic listed buildings if you don’t wish to go through the planning permission process.

Acoustic blinds or curtains
If your building is poorly insulated against noise from outside, then acoustic blinds or curtains can go some way to reducing the amount of noise entering rooms. It is important to remember however that insulating your room this way will be good at reducing echoes in a room but only when they are closed which is ok at night but you will need other sound proofing measures for daytime.

Synthetic grass
Fake synthetic grass is popular with gardeners that like the low maintenance aspect of it but it is also being put to use as a form of insulation. Whether it is laid on floors or walls it has proven to be a good soundproofing material if you like your spaces green and natural looking.

Acoustic panels
The beauty of acoustic panels is they are effective at insulating sound coming through walls and they can be decorative. But if your property is listed you may still need planning permission to install them.

Nov

2018

Tips to Consider When Choosing Insulation

Once you have decided you need insulation for your home or other type of property the next step is to consider which type of insulation is best.

There is certainly no shortage of choice in stores and online making it difficult to decide which way to go. Some types of insulation will be better at absorbing sound while other types offer better thermal properties.

So, if you are having problems deciding on the best material here are some handy tips to help you.

Cost
The cost of insulation will vary widely. Some materials may seem cheap but as we will explore in the next point, the cheapest insulation isn’t always the easiest to install.

Ease of fitting
Insulation can come in a variety of different forms. Most commonly you can buy it in a role but it is also manufactured as solid boards and can come in spray form too. Some types such as spray foam will require specialist equipment and breathing apparatus to install and is usually applied by a professional.

Environmental impact
Often overlooked the environmental impact is an important consideration when choosing insulation. While you will save energy installing insulation it is worth finding out what the impact is to the immediate environment as well as externally.

Nov

2018

The Relationship Between Climate and Insulation

Most of us know that insulation is an important part of any building we occupy and increasingly so now that we are being forced to consider how much energy and consequently money we are wasting.

Money is also a factor in the type of insulation people choose for their homes. Often there are attempts to go it alone and do a DIY job to save even more. After all there are plenty of helpful videos available on Internet or advice from friends to teach you. What often cannot easily be gained from watching other people’s experiences is the insulating materials and methods you’ll need for different types of climate.

Climate is one of the key considerations when choosing insulations and depending on where you live in the UK some insulation types can be better than others. If you live in western parts of the UK the climate is often wet and windy for a large part of the year as this part of the country takes the brunt of weather coming from the stormy Atlantic. That said, temperatures don’t usually fluctuate too rapidly.

The east side of the UK can get very cold with temperatures fluctuating wildy at times as the cold North sea often exerts its influence. Weather in the east is also drier than the west.

In the South East, the weather is particularly dry through summer and also warmer with hotter summers.

So if you live in a colder climate keeping out cold will be the priority whereas in the warmer parts of the country keeping out heat while also protecting against the cold will be the priority.

Metropolitan Insulation Blog