Metropolitan Insulation

Don’t make it easy for thieves to access your roof. Remove ladders, bins, or garden furniture.

10
Sep
2017

Acoustic insulation against noise from loud machinery

If your office building contains noisy mechanical equipment then there can be a problem not only with internal noise but also complaints from neighbouring properties. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the volume of noise from machinery if you fit the right type of sound insulation measures.

Build an enclosure
This may be one of the more expensive options to insulate against sound from loud machinery but it will be the most effective.

Erect barriers or a partial enclosures
If you fit barriers at double the height of the machinery producing the noise then this can be an effective step towards reducing the amount of sound that escapes.

Fit sound insulation and absorption materials to walls behind the machinery
If fitting barriers and enclosures proves to be difficult or expensive, insulating the wall behind the machinery will help bring a small reduction in sound travelling. The key is to reduce the sound being reflected.
If noise is becoming a problem in your workplace and you need further advice on fitting sound insulation or ways to reduce noise in particular circumstances, then please contact one of our experts who should be able to help.

Posted by admin in Commercial Property, loud machinery, Metropolitan Insulation, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Commercial Property
12
Aug
2017

3 Ways To Soundproof Your Home Cinema

If you’re planning to introduce a home cinema room into your home then you will naturally want to achieve that real cinema experience. Unfortunately, the challenge with most homes is to insulate a room enough to reduce or ideally eliminate any external noise and also prevent noise escaping and disturbing the people living around or close to you like the neighbours.

Soundproofing is a difficult and complex subject to understand so we’ll just cover the basics of soundproofing a home cinema here.

Building a room within a room
One of the best ways to sound proof a home theatre is to build a room within a room. This is technique is often used when modifying an existing home for the purpose.

The importance of air mass and distance
Air, mass and distance are the 3 important things to consider when you want to block sound waves entering a building. For example, a 6 inch thick concrete wall for example will prevent a lot of sound entering a room due to its mass and weight. An exception to the light materials rule is fibreglass which is effective at absorbing sound when used to fill cavities between walls.

Replace hollow-core doors
One of the biggest challenges with soundproofing is to reduce the level of sound travelling through less well insulated areas. Doors can be a particular problem if they are hollow. Replace the door to your home cinema with a solid wood door and the passage of sound will reduce considerably.

Posted by admin in Insulate Your Home, Metropolitan Insulation, Noisy Neighbours, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Apartments
20
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.

Posted by admin in Building Trade, Commercial Property, Metropolitan Insulation, Sound Absorption, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Commercial Property
24
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.

Posted by admin in Control Sound, Metropolitan Insulation
10
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.

Posted by admin in Metropolitan Insulation, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Apartments, Soundproofing Commercial Property
29
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.

Posted by admin in Insulate Your Home, Metropolitan Insulation, Sound Absorption, Soundproofing
21
Apr
2017

Another Commercial Success – The Radisson Blu

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

Post Install 1

Post Install 2

Post Install 3

Posted by admin in Commercial Property, Construction, Environmentally Friendly Materials, Hotel Soundproofing, Metropolitan Insulation, Radisson Blu, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Commercial Property
15
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.

Posted by admin in Commercial Property, Common Soundproofing Myths, Environmentally Friendly Materials, Home Insulation, Insulate Your Home, Metropolitan Insulation, Noisy Neighbours, Soundproofing
11
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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Posted by admin in Hotel Soundproofing, Leicester Square, Metropolitan Insulation, Radisson Hoetl, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Commercial Property
15
Mar
2017

New Generation Of ‘Super Materials’…

…Have The Properties To Bend Sound Waves

There is a sense that we have only just begun to scratch the surface of 3D printing technology and it will no doubt end up being another giant leap forward in technology. One exciting area currently attracting a lot of interest in the press is the production of super materials that are able to bend sound waves and create audio hotspots.

This technology will not only help you get on better with your neighbours it could also revolutionise the sound insulation industry. 3D printing will play an important role in producing bricks the size of fingers that are then formed into a sheet which can control sound in a variety of different ways such as letting in sound at certain times of the day and keeping it out when the occupants of a building need a bit of peace and quiet.

The new super material referred to as meta-material which is finely engineered and produced using 3D printer technology. The material is designed for various purposes using a computer and this is then fed into the printer.

Each brick or slab that is produced by the printer has a labyrinth structure which forces sound waves to slow down as they enter.

Engineers have even produced plastic tubes using meta material which can be used to block out noise simply by pressing a button.

Posted by admin in Insulate Your Home, Metropolitan Insulation, Sound Waves, Soundproofing, Super Materials