Noise Management

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

Jul

2017

Bad Acoustics In Restaurants Could Be Putting People Off Their Food

How many times have you been to a restaurant and been put off your meal by all the noise? Well studies indicate that noisy restaurants can have a much wider impact on the enjoyment of your meal than simply not being able to hear your fellow diner across the table.

Unless the owners of busy restaurants think carefully about acoustics the chances are most will have a problem with excessive noise. The nature of restaurants with hard surfaces such as tables and flooring means owners need to think creatively about how to reduce the impact of noise even if it might be welcome where the occasion demands a bit of celebration.

The problem when mixing excessive noise with food however lies not only with the eardrums but also the taste buds according to studies. A University of Manchester study in 2012 discovered that found that food was more enjoyable when there was pleasant background noise.

This is perhaps not surprising but if the noise level hit 80 decibels and many restaurants regularly top 100 decibels, then the perception of flavours was dulled. This isn’t an ideal impression to leave guest with.

If you would like to find out more about how sound insulation can help your business give us a call.

Jun

2017

How To Cut Down Noise In An Open Plan Office Environment

Most large corporates have equally large open plan offices that can be great to work in if you enjoy the collaboration, hustle and bustle and space. But what happens if you’re the kind of employee who gets easily distracted from work or you’re more productive working in the peace and quiet?

This is something that can often leave employers puzzled over what to do and how to please everyone. Of course, everyone knows that pleasing everyone in a large office is unlikely when even small things like air conditioning settings can cause open conflict.

The temperature can get even more heated of course when the environment turns noisy. People can often become very irritated by their fellow staff members when phones are going off every 10 minutes or the sound of lunches being eaten at desks.

This results in a bit of a conundrum for bosses. How can noise be reduced to a level that keeps those who like a bit of noise happy and those who don’t like distractions equally at peace?

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to reduce noise in an open plan office. One of the easiest is to add carpets if you don’t have them already. While the trend is all for solid wood floors, these will only add to the noise.

A further way to bring down the volume is to add plants and soft furnishings not just for how nice they look but also for their sound absorption properties.

You can then think about more advanced measures such as reconstructing walls so that they have larger air gaps.

Jun

2017

How Is Excessive Noise Bad For Your Health?

We’re all exposed to noisy environments from time to time, be it in the workplace or even at home.

Unfortunately, evidence has shown that too much of it can be bad for your health but how is this so? Let’s explain further how noise impacts on your health and wellbeing.

Let’s take the example of someone who works in a city centre office in an old building without adequate sound proofing installed. This person will be exposed to traffic noise as well as noise from phones and other staff members. The general hustle and bustle associated with city life will also add to this cocktail of noise the person will be exposed to on a daily basis.

In modern office buildings, architects should automatically factor in the level of noise a building’s occupants will be exposed to and install adequate sound insulation to reduce noise from internal and external environments.

If noise isn’t considered then that city centre office can soon become a health hazard, particularly to someone sensitive to its effects. It may surprise you to learn that exposure to noise of just 65Db on a daily basis can be enough to have harmful effects on your health.

The importance of sound insulation is now much higher on the agenda when architects are designing buildings because of the effects excessive noise can have on health and well-being. The level at which sound becomes potentially bad for your health is 65Db.

To put this measurement in perspective, 65Db is the level of noise you get from someone having a conversation or a phone ringing.

Exposure to this level of noise in people sensitive to it will raise levels of adrenaline which over time will have an effect on general health and wellbeing.

May

2017

Why Control Sound?

When we talk about soundproofing we often think of shutting out sound altogether, but this isn’t what most people want. So a lot of work labelled as soundproofing actually involves controlling sound because by its nature sound doesn’t just disappear. It’s only be controlling sound that we get the desired effect in our buildings.

Take for example a busy church where a preacher needs sound control to enable his or her congregation to hear a sermon or an airport where important announcements need to be heard.

Controlling sound at a different level may be required for a busy restaurant where people like to be able to experience the atmosphere as well as be able to communicate with each other during a meal. Eating a meal in a noisy pub isn’t most people’s idea of a nice experience particularly if you are having to shout to be heard.

If there is no sound proofing or treatment then sound will simply echo from walls ceilings and floors particularly if the latter is a hard floor. Ina room full of competing voices the people in that room will soon get ear fatigue.

Controlling sound is important because it not only contributes to better health by reducing stress levels, it also allows us to create effects and control the way sound is produced as in a recording studio.

The importance of sound control should never be underestimated.

May

2017

Steps To Getting An Accurate Soundproofing Quote

At Metropolitan Insulation we pride ourselves on helping customers find the right sound proofing solutions for their needs whether it’s in domestic dwellings or commercial buildings.

Over the years we have seen our fair share of soundproofing challenges and sometimes clients who have been unsure about what type of soundproofing they need until they came to us for advice.

Most people naturally assume that soundproofing means just that and Google it accordingly to find a supplier but finding the right kind of supplier is important, if you want more than just a bit of extra insulation in your walls and ceilings.

You also need to have answers to questions such as, Is noise coming from the walls, the ceiling or both? Does your space echo or does sound reverberate? Having answers to these questions before you request a quote can help you get a more accurate price and give your soundproofing technician a more accurate idea of what you need.

If you own a commercial building then the likelihood is you will be dealing with bigger problems such as the restaurant where noisy footsteps and background noise become a real issue for customers who might be put off.

The important thing to remember is only you will know how big a problem noise is and once this is established then we will help you find the right solution.

Apr

2017

What Is The Difference Between Sound Proofing And Sound Absorption

It is common for people who don’t have knowledge of the science of acoustics and sound to get confused about what is meant by sound proofing and sound absorption. The two are actually very different and have very different purposes so it is important get basic understand of both before deciding what’s required.

So let’s start with sound insulation. Sound insulation is all about blocking sound waves and preventing them travelling from one room in a building to another. If for example you imagine a fish tank, the water in that fish tank is kept inside by some strong glass.

Now if that same fish tank was made of cardboard, then water would soon start leaking through. Sound behaves in a similar way to water so the materials you choose for sound proofing should be aimed at preventing sound coming through altogether.

Sound absorption material on the other hand converts sound into friction. It also tends to be lighter in weight and has properties that act to prevent sound reverberating around a room. If a room is fitted with sound absorbent material, people in the room will be able to hear what other people in that room are saying better. In other words sound quality will be better.

Apr

2017

Thinking Of Redecorating?

Now Might Be A Good Time To Soundproof Your Walls

At this time of year thoughts often turn to redecorating projects. This may include painting walls or hanging wallpaper but before pressing ahead with any of these projects it may be worth considering sound proofing your walls, particularly if noise is a problem in your property.

Besides cutting down noise from neighbours or noise from roads outside your property, soundproofing your walls can also bring the added benefit of better insulation. Soundproofing will help reduce heat loss and reduce your fuel bills significantly particularly on older properties.

Alongside the more obvious benefits of soundproofing your walls, there are also the unseen benefits such as stress reduction. Excessive, irritating noise can be a cause of all sorts of health issues linked to stress such high blood pressure and anxiety.

If your property is old and has solid walls then cavity wall insulation won’t be an option as it is in newer properties. The cost of insulating walls internally will be higher than cavity wall insulation but the savings on fuel bills and the better quality of life you will gain from the peace and quiet will more than cover the investment over time.

Apr

2017

Another Commercial Success – The Radisson Blu

Metropolitan Insulation recently completed sound insulation services at The Radisson Blu Edwardian Hampshire Hotel:

Apr

2017

Common Soundproofing Myths

Like most other things in life that require a significant investment of cash to achieve, there are plenty of myths about how to save money on soundproofing. However, as we will show, most of them will only be partially effective at best.

Use egg cartons
One of the most common myths about soundproofing is that you can collect a load of egg cartons and use them to soundproof your walls. Using egg cartons for soundproofing will not only look unappealing they are likely to be completely ineffective because they won’t stop the transfer of energy through solid walls, which is what causes noise in the first place.

Hang some thick curtains
Having thick curtains will reduce sound coming through your windows as will double glazing but it won’t stop sound coming through walls and ceilings. To soundproof an interior, you will need to install soundproofing to all these areas.

Use mattresses
You often hear about cash strapped rock bands setting up their own recording studios using mattresses to sound proof walls. These can be partially effective in absorbing sound because they create that natural barrier and mass between sounds being emitted and walls. This kind of setup is only really a temporary fix as it unlikely you will get mattresses to shut out sound coming from all parts of the room.

Apr

2017

Metropolitan Insulation Latest Project

Radisson Hotel Leicester Square

Pictures are from our latest project in the centre of London at the Radisson Hotel located in Leicester Square.

The ground floor is being refurbished prior to new fit out. We are spraying the ceilings here with 100mm low density open cell sound absorption polyurethane, manufactured and supplied from the United States.

This application will dramatically reduce airborne noise leakage from the communal bar and restaurant areas into the bedrooms above. All our products carry BBA certification and in this instance carry a Class 0 Fire Rating.

448m2 will be carried out in 48 hours. Airtight and clean, technology can help you too.

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