Soundproofing

Sometimes noise can fall into both airborne and impact sound categories when sound vibrates from a surfaces.

24
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.

Posted by admin in Insulate Your Home, Insulating Your Loft, Metropolitan Insulation, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Commercial Property
05
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?

Posted by admin in Sound Insulation for Old Houses, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Commercial Property, Spray Foam Insulation
29
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.

Posted by admin in Hotel Soundproofing, Metropolitan Insulation, Soundproof A Garden Room, Soundproofing
29
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.

Posted by admin in Fireplace, Insulate Your Home, Insulating Your Loft, Metropolitan Insulation, Noisy Neighbours, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Apartments, Soundproofing Commercial Property
05
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.

Posted by admin in Asbestos, Asbestos Encapsulation, Asbestos Exposure, Insulate Your Home, Insulating Your Loft, Metropolitan Insulation, Soundproofing
22
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.

Posted by admin in Commercial Property, Construction, Home Insulation, Hotel Soundproofing, Insulate Your Home, Insulating Your Loft, Metropolitan Insulation, Soundproofing
10
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.

Posted by admin in Construction, Home Insulation, Insulate Your Home, Insulating Your Loft, Metropolitan Insulation, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Apartments
10
Dec
2017

Builders – The Cost Effective Way To Deal With Asbestos

Most builders will have come across asbestos at some point for the simple reason that asbestos was still being used in buildings up until the year 2000, which isn’t that long ago.

Asbestos was used widely in the years prior to 2000 mainly for its flexibility and magical ability to resist heat. Just as importantly it was also a cheap material which is why it remains so abundant in buildings all over the country from industrial buildings, to schools and even residential properties where it can be found in places such as behind boilers.

Asbestos continues to present a major hazard to people in the building trade when it is disturbed. The tiny fibres released can get into the lungs when protective equipment isn’t used at cause deadly illnesses such as mesothelioma.

Discovery of asbestos has often presented builders with a problem; do they arrange to have asbestos removed or find ways to contain it?

Removal requires a specialist team of people wearing the correct safety gear to ensure it is removed safely. This can take a lot of time and lots of safety procedures will need to be adhered to,, otherwise there is a risk of prosecution if people are exposed to the dust.

The solution to this is encapsulation which coats the asbestos and protects it from damage. It also happens to be a cheaper alternative to removal.

Posted by admin in Asbestos Encapsulation, Insulate Your Home, Soundproofing
15
Nov
2017

Why Consider Asbestos Encapsulation?

The dangers of asbestos are well known, yet there are still many buildings in the UK that have some of this potentially deadly material which lies hidden in roof spaces in particular. Worse still, the material is often found in schools and other public buildings, particularly those built between the 1950s to 1980s.

While asbestos that remains undamaged and in good condition is often left in place, there is always the outside risk that it could be disturbed and emit particles that can cause all sorts of lung diseases from lung cancer to asbestosis, diffuse pleural thickening, and mesothelioma. This is why it was made illegal to use the material in construction in 1999.

If asbestos is present in a building, its removal is governed by strict regulations due to the considerable health risks. If these guidelines are not adhered to and lives are put at risk, this can result in hefty penalties including jail terms for those involved.

One way to avoid damage to asbestos and the associated risks is to use a process called encapsulation, which as the name suggests involves coating the asbestos. This prevents any disturbance which might damage the asbestos.

It is also cost effective in reducing the amount of down time and the associated costs of safe removal of the material.

Posted by admin in Asbestos Encapsulation, Commercial Property, Metropolitan Insulation, Sound Absorption, Soundproofing, Soundproofing Apartments, Soundproofing Commercial Property, Soundproofing for musicians, Soundproofing Party Walls, Suspended Ceiling Soundproofing, Thermal Insulation
10
Nov
2017

Asbestos Encapsulation Methods

If you have a building which contains asbestos and you want to deal with the problem before any damage occurs which might result in fibres escaping into the air, then one method is to use encapsulation.

Encapsulation acts as a seal to prevent asbestos fibres escaping and can be a cost effective and safer alternative to removing the material altogether.

The encapsulation process involves applying a thick material which resembles paint being sprayed onto the asbestos, which then dries and hardens over the material to prevent any of the harmful fibres escaping.

There are two types of encapsulation, one called ‘bridging’ and the other ‘penetrating’. Bridging acts as a protective coating over the asbestos while penetrating as the name suggests, penetrates into the material before hardening and sealing it.

Encapsulant must be sprayed onto the asbestos with a low pressure spray and care must be taken to remove any damaged or loose asbestos before the chemical is applied. As the process involves working with asbestos, there is still the danger that the person applying the encapsulant material can be exposed to fibres, so it is essential to wear protective clothing including a suit and a respirator.

If you wish to find out more about encapsulation contact one of our experts today.

Posted by admin in Asbestos Encapsulation, Metropolitan Insulation, Soundproofing, Thermal Insulation