Office Soundproofing

You can read the full press release from the ProPG: Planning and Noise initiative here.

Sep

2015

Noise Pollution Hotspots

A programme on ITV this month highlighted Britain’s noise pollution hotsposts and what the government is doing (or not doing) about the situation in the UK.

The UK government is pressing ahead with major improvements to transport infrastructure costing £411 billion including high speed train lines, new airport runways and roads, but it appears little thought has gone into how people will be insulated from all the extra noise this will bring.

Many studies have shown the effects of noise on health, yet the programme on ITV’s Tonight titled Britain’s Noise Nuisance highlighted a worrying lack of measures taken to combat noise even in existing noise hotspots in the UK.

The government’s decision to carry on regardless is unlikely to calm those affected and looks set to bring plenty of opposition in the coming years.
The affects on the body of exposure to noise include an increased heart rate and higher blood pressure and this can be detrimental to health, particularly in those people who are already suffering from heart disease.

In some cases noise can even be a factor in the deaths of some people. 10,000 deaths are said to have been caused by noise in Europe as a whole each year as well as 43,000 hospital admissions.

Jun

2015

Why Poor Sound Insulation Can Be Bad For Your Health

Offices can be noisy places particularly if they happen to be in the city centre where traffic noise and the general hustle and bustle of daily life adds to noise levels.

Some people seem naturally immune to the noise around them and have the ability to switch off. There are plenty more people however who find themselves in noisy environments that actually end up damaging their health over time.

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.

This isn’t actually that high considering that this is the level of a normal conversation and much less than the ring of a telephone. Being regularly and continuously exposed to noise at this level raises the risk of stress related illness by 20%.

The reason sound over certain levels raises the risk of illness is due to the release of adrenalin. Adrenalin is not in itself harmful and can be extremely very useful to us humans. Too much of it released over long periods, however, can cause health problems.

May

2015

Traffic Noise Can Increase Your Waistline Says Study

The last thing you might expect to have an effect on your weight is noise. Yet this is what one Swedish study has discovered and this could force many people who work in offices near busy roads to consider installing better sound insulation.

Weight gain has traditionally been associated with inactivity and eating too much, but the Swedish study on the effects of noise found that noise from traffic had the potential to increase fat deposits around the waste due to the effects of cortisol production.

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the body in reaction to stress. Having too much cortisol in the body often leads to weight gain and the Swedish study of more than 5,000 people found that noise triggered an increase which led to weight gain in the majority of participants.

Road traffic noise contributed to a 0.21 cm increase in waist size for women compared to 0.16 cm for men which means the former is more likely to suffer the waist expanding effects of noise. The study also found a direct relationship between an increase in the sources of noise and the amount of fat carried around the waste.

Feb

2015

How To Keep The Peace In An Open Plan Office

Open plan offices can be far nicer to work in than being cooped up in smaller rooms. They can also help boost creativity and interaction between employees but there are some disadvantages, one of them being noise!

Offices can be noisy places and if you happen to have several employees all working in the same open plan environment, then things can get too noisy. Not everyone in the office will appreciate the creative noise, the buzzing of phones, the clanging of photocopiers or the sound of knives and forks as people increasingly choose to eat at their desks.

Fortunately there are things that you can do to minimise the disturbance for people who really want a bit of peace and quiet, without moving their desk into the broom cupboard. Acoustic insulation is one of them.

The key is to cut down the level of ambient noise to the point where everyone is happy. Simple things like adding carpets and reducing hard surfaces that don’t absorb noise can help. It is also worth introducing some plants and perhaps curtains and other soft furnishings.

One of the most effective things you can do alongside this is to reconstruct office walls so that theyhave larger air gaps between them. These can be constructed from various materials including mineral wool, cork and rockwool. You can even get sound proofing paint!

If you want to find out more about office sound insulation please contact us and we will be happy to advise on ways you can reduce noise.

Jun

2014

Commercial Noise Solutions

Do you have unwanted noise in your offices – are your confidential spaces NOT confidential?

We specialise in sound control ensuring that your designated confidential meeting and conference rooms remain areas where you can confidently hold private conversations and meetings. Call us now or send us your details for more information.

Do you have a shared office location but need your own private space?

We have delivered many solutions that have kept office noise through party walls to a minimum. Call us now or send us your details for more information.

Do you work from a showroom and need private ‘selling space’ without ruining the appeal of your open plan product displays?

You have no need to suffer any longer, we have solutions that will ensure your showroom areas are kept open and airy whilst providing the perfect private areas for confidential conversations.

Please do not hesitate to call us for all Commercial sound insulation needs.

Metropolitan Insulation Blog