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.

Sep

2018

Spray Foam Insulation or Rigid Foam Insulation – Which is Best?

Spray foam and rigid foam both have their advantages and disadvantages depending on the insulating project. In this article we group together some of these to help you with your decision.

Which is the easiest to install
9 times out of 10 spray foam is going to be the easiest form of insulation to install as long as you use a professional company to do the work for you. You won’t have to do any measuring with spray foam and it will naturally pour into cracks and seal everything so there are no leaks and gaps.

With rigid foam insulation you may have to rip out existing insulation and measure out the material to ensure it covers everything. Rigid foam isn’t going to expand leaving more potential for draughts.

Which is more efficient?
Both have similarly high R values and in theory there may be no difference in the level of insulation. However, if there are any gaps left while installing it can dramatically reduce the thermal efficiency and this is more likely with rigid foam insulation.

Which is cheaper?
If we take rigid foam and spray foam in isolation the former is likely to be cheaper but what this doesn’t consider is the extra work that may be required to install it. Using spray foam is a lot faster and will involve less disruption.

Aug

2018

Can Fitting Insulation Reduce Noise As Well?

When most people fit insulation they do so to keep homes and other buildings warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Another benefit however is the additional soundproofing you can gain from certain types of insulating material.

The benefits are particularly felt if you live in the city where there will be a constant barrage of noise from traffic and so on. For example, a well-designed and insulated modern apartment building with will see a significant reduction in noise over older buildings that may not be insulated to the latest standards set in building regulations today.

There are of course different types of insulation and effective sound insulation that actually absorbs sound requires more specific materials and modifications fit for this purpose. Fitting thermal insulation alone will not eliminate problem noise and there are some types of insulation that don’t reduce noise at all such as reflective insulation which tends to be installed in attics underneath the roof.

Insulation that reduces noise comes in the form of material that is able to form a barrier between the source of noise and the interior living space. The vibrations that cause noise are absorbed by the insulating material and this creates the extra benefit of having insulation installed.

To gain the full benefits of sound insulation it is often necessary to insulate all areas where sound can be easily transmitted through walls ceilings and so on.

Jul

2018

Is Spray Foam Insulation Right For Your Home?

There is no doubt that insulation improves your home both from the point of view of its value and the comfort of those who are going to be living in it. Naturally if you have decided on insulating your home, then you will want to choose the right type of insulation and spray foam is definitely something to consider.

There are of course plenty of options when it comes to insulation but with spray foam you gain a number of advantages.

Not only is it quick and involves less disruption while the work is being done, it can also improve the quality of insulation over comparable materials. Spray foam is one of the best insulating materials you can get and it is also light weight and easy to work with.

Also using a spray foam means the foam will expand into all the small gaps you may have in areas such as your loft. So rather than have little holes that other types of insulation fails to cover, the foam will completely fill the space even down to tiny cracks and prevent heat from escaping.

When 30% of a home’s energy can end up lost through the roof walls, windows and so on, spray foam insulation can prevent these leaks and ensure a house is not only warm in the winter but also cool in the summer.

Jul

2018

Areas Where You Can Use Spray Foam Insulation In Your Home

When most people think of insulation, they think of either loft or cavity wall insulation but there may be other spaces in the home or office that could benefit from spray foam insulation. Besides the loft, here are some other areas that can benefit from spray foam insulation.

Use spray foam insulation in cinema and media rooms
If you have a home cinema or media room then may want that room insulated to ensure sound doesn’t escape and disturb the rest of the household. Spray foam is perfect for this purpose because it disrupts the transmission sound. Depending on where the room is in the house it will also make it more energy efficient.

You can use spray foam in a crawlspace
Not every home will have a crawlspace but you may find them in some blocks of apartments and offices. Adding spray foam to your crawlspace means you will reduce the build up of moisture around heating and cooling systems which will help improve air quality.

Extensions
If you are building an extension, spray foam can help here too by ensuing the correct balance of insulation with the rest of the house.
If you are looking to get your home insulated, why not give us a call for an inspection and a quote?

Jun

2018

How To Soundproof A Garden Room

Garden rooms are all the rage at the moment and whether you are a musician or someone running a business from home, you will no doubt be interested in how to insulate your room.

Good sound insulation starts with the construction of your garden room. Many people opt for timber but this is actually one of the worst materials you can use. Not only are timber garden rooms and sheds noisy to walk around but they are pretty useless if you want to use one as a garden studio to practice the guitar. At least they are if you don’t wish to annoy your neighbours!

Keeping a structure insulated is all about adding mass to walls and ceilings. At least 2 layers of breeze block should be used with a cavity in between. This will perform considerably better than using timber.

Once construction is complete all you need to do then is install extra soundproofing onto the internal walls to further reduce the amount of noise escaping from the walls.

The weakest areas where sound is likely to escape are windows. As most of us like to have a window to gaze through, this should be double glazed and sealed correctly to stop sound escaping through.
The best solution is to have no windows but this often isn’t practical for other reasons.

May

2018

When Does Asbestos Become Dangerous To Health?

Asbestos is a fairly inconspicuous material that often lies hidden within the structure of an old building and even if the material is disturbed you’re probably not going to see what does the damage with the naked eye. It’s important then to understand when and how asbestos becomes dangerous.

As you have probably gathered asbestos is dangerous when it is disturbed in some way and the dangerous dust and fibres are then allowed to escape into the air. If you’re close by then there is a risk that you breathe in the fibres which then pass either into your lungs or possibly your digestive tract as well.

Once these fibres enter into the lungs they can embed themselves into the lungs causing scarring which hardens the tissue and makes it difficult to breathe when the lungs are unable to expand and contract properly. Other potential dangers include rare types of cancer that are triggered by the presence of asbestos fibres in lung tissue.

The results are invariably fatal which is why asbestos has been banned in construction since 2000.

If you are concerned about asbestos in your building, we offer an encapsulation service which takes away the risk of asbestos being inadvertently broken up and leading to dangerous health consequences.

May

2018

Concerned About Asbestos Exposure?

Advice On How To Keep Yourself Safe

Most people are aware of the dangers of Asbestos exposure but few people know what to do when faced with the risk of contamination from asbestos fibres when it discovered. With this in mind, here are some tips on how to limit your exposure and keep yourself safe.

Be aware of what is dangerous and what isn’t

Asbestos is a dangerous material but only when it is disturbed and broken up. Asbestos can be presnt in the structure of a building for years without anyone knowing it is there or suffering any ill effects. It is only during refurbishment or other work is done that the asbestos is discovered. The kneejerk reaction for some people is to try and remove the material but that only increases the dangers. This leaves two safe options, get experts to remove it (expensive) or use a process called encapsulation which will add a protective layer around the asbestos so that it doesn’t present a danger.

Places where you are likely to find asbestos

Of course the best way to stay from asbestos is not to do any major refurbishment or building work on a property built prior to 2000 when the material was banned from use in construction. This isn’t always possible so if you are in any doubt contact someone who knows how and wher to find the material to check whether or not any is present in your property.

Mar

2018

SoundProofing & Complying With Part E of Building Regulations

Satisfying Part ‘E’ of building regulations relating to noise may seem like an onerous task but it is a necessary for residential buildings from general housing to student halls and care homes.

As well as being part of building regulations better soundproofing contributes to everyone having a better quality of life free from the intrusion of noise from neighbours. Unfortunately, many treat Part E of building regulations as a target rather than a minimum standard and this creates problems particularly when renting out properties. For example, if soundproofing only marginally passes the requirements of Part E, tenants may be put off and move elsewhere.

To satisfy part E it needs to be shown that the various aspects of soundproofing are present including the decoupling of floor joists from ceilings. This is one of the most effective ways to limit noise from footsteps on floors above.

Stud walls and the application of acoustic mineral wool adds sound insulation to walls to limit noise from adjoining rooms. Mass is a further consideration and if you use higher mass mineral wool this will improve soundproofing further and go well beyond the standards required for Part E.

Damping and air tight seals are further areas that will improve sound insulation and ensure that you’re not just complying with Part E but committed to creating a better environment for the people who spend their time in the building on a daily basis.

Mar

2018

Advice On Insulating Barn Conversions

Insulating a barn conversion is no easy task using conventional insulation methods. Not only do you have a large space with high ceilings, but also it is desirable to retain some of the original features to make the property more appealing. With this in mind here is some advice on approaching the insulation of your barn conversion.

Most barns will have wall made of brick or stone without the cavity you get in a conventional house. This presents the first problem. How do you insulate the wall without spoiling it appearance inside and out? To meet building regulations you will need to fit the required level of insulation. This can be done by fitting internal partitions or cladding.

When it comes to the roof things can get a bit trickier. Barn roofs are often removed so that alterations can be made which can be an expensive and time consuming process.

Fortunately polyurethane foam applied via a spray can provide a cost effective and speedier alternative to other methods of insulation. The foam can simply be sprayed onto the underside of roof tiles and this can even be done without the need for a ventilated airspace.

Feb

2018

Soundproofing for Hospitals and Clinics

Hospitals and clinics have particular requirements when it comes to sound proofing and arguably it is of greater importance than in most other buildings.

Noise can lead to stress related illness and this isn’t something anyone wants in a healthcare setting, yet hospitals are often filled with people and activity day and night and this can make it hard to sleep which is not something a patient is going to appreciate.

Creating quiet, peaceful environments for patients will not only reduce the harmful effects of noise but also potentially speed up recovery which reduces costs.

Another factor to consider is privacy. Consultation rooms must provide the utmost privacy while details are being discussed. A patient is unlikely to want to communicate in an environment where they can be heard by passers-by.

Soundproofing solutions for hospitals and clinics might include insulated ceiling tiles and the installation of other special noise control products such as insulated wall panels that not only reduce the reverberation of sound in rooms but also the transfer of noise between them.

We have several years of experience working on sound insulation for healthcare settings and understand the unique requirements of the sector. If you want to find out more about us and our services, contact us today.

Metropolitan Insulation Blog