Soundproofing UK

If you feel like damp is regularly making its way into your roof, you may benefit from applying a tile sealer to reinforce your roof and protect from hairline cracks.

Feb

2016

4 Out Of 5 Spanish Homes Don’t Have Enough Sound Proofing

Here in the UK you will find that most new houses will be built with a decent level of sound proofing. In Spain, however, many people will probably be sitting with their fingers in their ears as they endure noise levels up to 65 decibels according to a new global study by Danosa on sound proofing in homes.

The lack of sound proofing is a problem in four out of five Spanish homes according to the survey, which suggests that while the country may have the benefit of a warm climate and sizzling summers, people who live in the country are more likely to be disturbed or be exposed to the effects of noise.

Spain, despite being the worst in Europe finds itself in second place to Japan, which has an even worse record for sound proofing. The problems for Spain go back several years due to a lack of any regulations on soundproofing prior to 2009. Since then the country has been required to meet European regulations on sound proofing when building new homes.

The recommended noise level in homes according to WHO is 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels during the night. The effects of noise on health are far from trivial with excess noise being blamed for a number of health problems as well as lack of sleep if noise levels are excessive during the night.

Jan

2016

Why Soundproofing Your Loft Conversion Is Important

Spending on how much space you have in the loft you may be considering a conversion this year. Soundproofing it may not be the foremost thing on your mind but there are several reasons why you should consider it.

One of the main things to consider before you carry out your loft conversion is the amount of privacy you will have. This is particularly true if your loft is large enough to be used as an entertainment or music studio.

If you happen to have neighbours close by they may not be happy with the noise leading to problems. You might also need to soundproof your loft to reduce noise from your neighbours too so in this case it is wise to start considering what type of insulation you will need to make your loft conversion a success.

Soundproofing your loft requires stud walls that are placed on top of existing walls with insulating material such as mineral wool being placed in between. If you are using timber batons to support the walls in your loft it is important to ensure they are fixed to the floor and ceiling rather than the walls to get the maximum benefit of soundproofing.

If you are unsure about anything to do with soundproofing your loft, contact us for help and advice.

Jan

2016

Imagine If It Was Possible To Turn Soundproofing On And Off

Now You Can!

It is now possible to soundproof rooms in your home at the mere flick of a switch thanks to advances in soundproofing technology.

The innovative new solution for people who may need peace and quiet at certain times of the day involves the use of elastic tubing that is built into a wall and controlled by remote control. The new technology could see a variety of uses, not least in the bedroom where people who are light sleepers could benefit.

While having a completely soundproofed room 100% of the time may not be practical, having the ability to let sound in during the day and then prevent noise during the night could catch on in a big way. It would come in particularly handy for people who live in busy cities where noise is a factor 24 hours a day.

Being able to switch on sound proofing is also useful if you want more privacy in the bedroom or if you don’t want your neighbours listening to what you watch on TV. The new material works by interfering with sound waves as it is stretched and squashed. When the sound proofing is switched off, sound is allowed to pass through the tubes. When it is turned on the openings are closed to prevent sound passing through.

Nov

2015

How to Achieve A Better Sound Experience In At Home

There have been some tremendous strides taken in the development of digital technology in recent years – not least in technology that is available in the home. It is now possible with the right insulation to not only have a dedicated theatre or music room or even a recording studio (assuming of course that you have the space to accommodate one!)

So if you do happen to like the idea of turning your home into a centre of entertainment and musical excellence then you will need to consider a few elements to make the dream a reality. The first one is your location in the house.

There isn’t much point setting up in a place that is hard to get to or that doesn’t have enough room to fit all of your equipment. You may also be spending a lot of time in the room perfecting your art so you also want that room to be reasonably comfortable and warm.

Sound insulation is also just as important. Windows should be double glazed to keep out noise and keep in heat. The door too should be well-insulated to prevent sound leakage. Adding carpet can also help prevent echoes as can acoustic panels.

If you want to find out more about sound proofing and insulation please contact one of our advisors.

Sep

2015

Top Tips to Prepare Your Property for Autumn

Autumn is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness as the Romantic Poet John Keats wrote. It is also the season to review your insulation to make sure it is ready for the onset of winter with its shorter days and frosty nights.

One of the first things to look at when you are preparing your home for the winter is the level of loft insulation you have. Having good insulation in your roof space can of course save pounds on energy bills making it worthwhile getting the ladder out to carry out an inspection or calling out an insulation professional to come and have a look for you.

Having less than 10cm of insulation could cost you an extra £150 a year which would buy a few extra presents at Christmas time. Other measures which won’t cost the earth include draft proofing. You can insert rubber draft excluders in the windows of each room and thicker curtains which can really make a difference.

You should also be thinking about getting your boiler serviced to avoid any breakdowns just when you don’t need them. The temperature of a house can soon drop when the heating is off so it’s worth spending a bit to make sure everything is in working order.

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.

Aug

2015

Is Low Noise Tolerance Bringing An End To Nightclubs?

Smoking bans and cash-strapped youngsters are all factors being blamed for the slow death of the nightclubs we know them but could it be as much to do with a lower tolerance for noise pollution?

The Guardian recently put together an article on the decline of nightclubs following news that more than half of all nightclubs in the UK have closed in the past 10 years.

The article looks at a variety of factors including the smoking ban which has significantly reduced the number of people going out to pubs as well as nightclubs and a simple lack of cash among the demographic most likely to be populating nightclubs.

However noise pollution cannot be discounted as a major reason for the decline. As one nightclub owner commented, a single noise complaint can lead to a licence being put in jeopardy. So when more people are living in city and town centre apartments than before the possibility of complaints can only increase.

Efforts to limit noise pollution include only allowing clubs to open until midnight so as not to disturb local residents and moments of calm where DJs stop playing music. All of these measures of course are extremely restrictive to nightclubs that were once open until the early hours of the following day.

Jul

2015

The Importance Of Fitting The Right Type Of Thermal Insulation

Depending on the time of year, having a large amount of thermal insulation can be either a good or a bad thing. The issue was reported by the Daily Mail this month when they highlighted how some homes are actually too hot in the summer.

Experts are now suggesting the drive towards greener homes may be putting people’s health at risk in cases where insulation has been overdone. This can be the case in modern flats where developers keen to display their eco-friendly approach have ended up making some areas of buildings uncomfortably hot during the summer months.

The issue was raised to the fore as a result of the recent heatwave where temperatures soared into the 30s and people were left sweltering indoors with temperatures rising above the healthy limit of 25 degrees.

Ironically, heat related deaths caused by global warming are expected to triple to 7,000 people a year. The problem is particularly likely to affect the elderly, the obese and people with chronic illnesses and it is unlikely that anything can be done to reverse the drive towards better insulation for homes.

In the future there may need to be some balance restored between creating houses that don’t use more fuel than they need to during winter, yet still be cool enough to be comfortable to live in during the summer months. Fitting the right type of thermal insulation is the obvious solution to this particular problem.

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.

Jan

2014

Soundproof Studios launched in Manchester

The Uk’s first fully soundproof studio suite has been launched in Greater Manchester. The suite of 4 soundproof studios was funded by Manchester council.

The green screen studios mean that they can be used for virtually any filming, voice overs, photography, adverts etc. Project Director Sue Woodward said;

“There is increasing demand for dedicated green screen studios complete with cycloramas and sound proofing, triggered by the growth of digital content production and the need for bite-sized snippets of digital media in many formats for use across all business sectors in the modern world.”

Metropolitan Insulation Blog