Soundproofing your Home

As the owner of a commercial property, you should ensure that a survey is carried out to assess whether there is any asbestos present in your building.

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.

Oct

2018

How Long Can You Expect Your Insulation To Last?

Most people will ask about how long things like roof tiles and flooring will last but few people consider insulation. One thing is certain, no matter what insulation you use, it won’t last forever and certain types of insulation are known to last longer than others. So let’s look at the different types of insulation commonly used and compare their lifespans and durability.

Spray foam insulation
Spray foam insulation has increased in popularity due to its excellent durability and ease of application. It is also much better at resisting mold growth and sealing any air leaks than alternative forms of insulation. You can also look forward to low maintenance over its lifetime. The only drawback is that its lifespan is around 80 years but this is a minor one unless you expect to still be around 80 years from so you can still technically say it will last you more than a lifetime.

Fiberglass Insulation
Fibreglass is the type of insulation you will find in most homes. The material is also extremely durable and provides an excellent defence against humidity. It is also cheaper than most alternatives which is why you will still find this type of insulation in most homes. This type of insulation is expected to last 100 years but wear and tear can take its toll and reduce lifespan if it isn’t inspected regularly.

Recycled Paper Insulation
Recycled paper is another excellent choice and the main thing it has going for it is its limited impact on the environment. This type of insulation can last for 100 years although it is less commonly used than other materials such as fibre glass and spray foam.

Oct

2018

3 Signs Your Home Isn’t Insulated Properly

Insulating your home is more important today than it has ever been. In the past the only consideration was for the comfort of the occupants but now a home must reach a certain standard for energy efficiency to be let to tenants or receive a fine. So it pays to be aware of these 3 signs of an uninsulated home.

Draughty rooms
Draughts can come from all sorts of places in the home but the most common sources of drafts are windows and around gaps in doors. Replacing windows and doors is the best way to resolve this issue.

Walls, ceilings and floors feel cold to the touch
If lofts are not insulated properly you may be able to tell by touching walls and ceilings and checking to see if they feel cold. If upstairs bedrooms feel cold it could be a sign that radiators are not working as well as they should or the insulation above needs replacing.

Hot in the summer cold in the winter
One of the biggest giveaways of a poorly insulated room is marked fluctuations in temperature. An extreme example is when you have an unheated uninsulated conservatory that is virtually unusable in the winter and on hot summer days. While rooms within the house are unlikely to be as bad as this, you will still notice that temperatures in the room are not as comfortable as other rooms.

Sep

2018

The Challenges Of Insulating A Barn Conversion

Barn conversions can make the most attractive homes but they can also be challenging projects not only from a build point of view but also when it comes to thermal efficiency.

Nowadays thermal efficiency is a much more important consideration than it has been in the past. Property owners must now include Energy Performance Certificates when advertising a property for rent or sale and this obviously influences the decision to rent or buy a property. Few people are going to pay their hard earned cash to live in a poorly insulated property or one that scores poorly on its EPC.

So one of the main challenges when converting a barn is making sure it is conforms to modern building and energy efficiency standards. Insulating high vaulted ceilings can be difficult as attractive as they are, but there is a way to cut the cost and achieve those all important efficiency scores. That is to use spray foam insulation.

This can be applied quickly and easily and dramatically cuts down the time it takes to apply insulation so that your barn conversion ticks all the boxes for your prospective buyers. If you require more information on insulating your property give us a call today.

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.

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.

Jun

2018

Could Your Fireplace Be The Source Of Your Noise Issues?

If you are noticing that noise from your neighbours is worse during the evenings when they are watching TV then the culprit could be thin walls around your fireplace.

This was the case recently when we were asked how to advise on this issue.

TV’s are often placed above TVs in terraced housing with the chimney breast providing an ideal area to hang a tv from the wall. Of course this wasn’t the case in the old days when people simply sat their TVs on a stand which was usually a few feet away from the wall.

To exacerbate the problem, some older terraced housing may have alcoves which were once popular places to display ornaments and so on. These areas will not have the extra layer of brock you see around the chimney breast therefore sound can more easily find its way through.

So often the way to reduce noise levels is simply to add soundproofing to the areas where the wall is at its thinnest to improve insulation against your neighbour’s noisy TV and any other noise that may be coming through the wall.

For more advice on sound insulation and sound proofing in your home, contact us today.

Metropolitan Insulation Blog