Sprayed insulation

Many people assume spray foam to be flammable but it actually contains fire retardants.

Jun

2016

How To Reduce Noise From Upstairs Flats

Living in flats often means putting up with noise from neighbours above if you happen to live on lower floors. There are times however when noise such as footsteps, and the sound of TVs can become unbearable. At this point you may be wondering what can I do about it?

First of all, if you flat or apartment is part of a block, then the first thing to do if your property is leasehold is to check that there is any provision for quiet enjoyment. If it is mentioned in the terms of the lease that flat owners fit carpet and underlay, then this will usually be enough to win any case which goes to court.

Before things get that far, it will need the involvement of either the freeholder or management company in any legal action which may not always be as easy as it sounds.

If there is no provision for noise from people walking above you or having their TV too loud then you can go to the local authority, however this can be particularly slow and time consuming.

If there appears to be no prospect of fighting your case without big legal bills, then acoustic insulation slabs fitted inside your ceiling cavities could be the answer. This option will require professional installation but at least it will reduce those annoying sounds to a minimum.

Jun

2016

How To Combat Noise From Within

When people talk about sound insulation they often refer to noise from the outside like street noise, cars and noisy neighbours but in the modern world there is likely to be just as much if not more noise coming from within the home.

So here are some practical solutions to making your home quieter.

Open plan living and hard flooring are just two aspects of the modern home that have conspired to create noisy environments in the very places we go to get away from noise. Of course noise in the home isn’t avoidable altogether but there are a lot of ways to balance out the extra light and space with good sound insulation techniques.

Flooring is one area to start particularly if you are planning to open up a space by knocking out a wall. Opt for flooring that helps reduce noise such as vinyl. Higher quality brands are particularly effective at helping to reduce noise compared to hard wooden floors or stone tiles.

Introducing a rugs or textured wallpaper can help reduce noise to a small degree in the home and even a painting or two can add to the insulating effect. One of the most effective changes you can make is fitting acoustic panelling which is often included in office designs but can just as readily be used in the home.

May

2016

Reasons Not To Ignore Soundproofing In Your Hotel

One of the big priorities for guests staying in hotels is peace and quiet but how many large hotels pay attention to all aspects of their comfort?

Comfy mattresses, supportive pillows and corridor acoustics are one thing but when it comes to true peace and quiet, it is important to make sure outside noise is kept to a bare minimum or removed altogether.

The main areas of a room where noise can be reduced are the walls ceilings and floors. While most hotels pay some attention to soundproofing walls, many don’t consider their floors. If it’s a period hotel the problem of sound coming through creaky floorboards can be even worse.

Staying in this type of hotel can soon result in the charm of that old building wearing off when you are forced to endure the sound of noisy guests arriving late in the night.

Hardwood flooring can be much more attractive and easier to clean than carpet but unfortunately it isn’t great for soundproofing. Carpet with good quality underlay can be an important part of overall soundproofing in hotel rooms because they reduce noise from foot steps and things being moved around.

Customers are only to happy to complain about noisy hotel experiences online today. So make sure you do all you can to at least give them a quiet room.

Apr

2016

Practical Advice To Combat Noisy Neighbours

It’s no fun living next door or underneath noisy neighbours but there is a lot you can do to reduce noise from people walking around above you or walking up and down stairs.

If you want your home to be a calm oasis, then you have got to seize the initiative and tackle noise before it spoils your quality of life.

To combat noise, first you need to understand it. The sounds you hear coming from next door are vibrations that are able to pass through walls and ceilings into your home. So the first thing to do is add materials that will help reduce vibrations such as carpet.

This alone won’t eliminate noise of course, you will also need to soundproof your walls and this is where it gets more complicated. Fortunately there are plenty of products available that can be added to your walls to help with insulation and lead to a reduction in the transfer of noise.

A more radical solutions will involve removing the connection between the wall or ceiling on your neighbour’s side and your wall. This will help create a barrier that will further reduce the transfer of sound.

There is even the possibility of adding your own white noise, which will help drown out more annoying noise coming from next door.

If you are keen to reduce noise from neighbours why not give us a call to see how we can help?

Mar

2016

How To Avoid Buying A Noisy Home

One of the best ways to reduce the cost of insulating against noise is not to buy a noisy home in the first place. This might sound obvious but many of the signs of a noisy house or flat can be missed, particularly if you are distracted by how nice it looks.

If it’s an apartment you are looking for, try and go for the top floor in a development because living at the top means you don’t have any noisy neighbours above you. The problem is the top floor is usually a penthouse and this will probably be double the price of those apartments on lower floors.

If it’s a house you are looking for, avoid living next to schools, universities and colleges. Not only will you have noisy children on the playground to contend with in the case of the former, but also the twice daily rush of parents in 4x4s desperately trying to park as close to the school gates as possible. You should also avoid buying a house on a flight path, next to a bus depot or a busy railway line.

It might also be a good idea to visit the area of the home you intend to buy at different times of the day and on weekends. The noise levels could be very different depending on when you see the most activity in a given area.

Oct

2015

Global Insulation Market Is Set To Reach $67 Billion By 2020

Having the right level of insulation in homes and office can make a huge difference to energy bills and noise levels. As governments around the world press ahead with targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the global insulation market is set to grow to more than $67 billion by 2020 according to a report released by Grand View Research, Inc.

Consumers too are becoming more and more aware of the need to insulate their homes and save energy and this is seen as one of the main drivers of growth in the market. New regulations have also been put in place by governments to ensure that homes are built to higher standards of energy efficiency and older houses are modernised to conform as much as possible to modern standards.

Of course the growth in the insulation market may see the price of materials used rise and this was seen as one of the future challenges in the report. Fibreglass is one of those materials and this accounted for 40% of market revenue. The use of fibreglass in insulation in residential homes and industrial complexes is expected to see growth in use of the material rising 9.1% by 2020.

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.

Apr

2014

Metropolitan Insulation – Specialists in Soundproofing

Metropolitan Insulation are specialist in their field including the following specific areas;

Sound quelling:
For confidentiality and privacy in sensitive office areas. Work done for KPMG and JP Morgan. This hides conversations from adjoining offices and is unobtrusive and easy to install.
Soundproofing, for industrial, commercial and domestic. Both state of the art hard-core and injected systems for airborne and impact noise pollution.

Acoustic testing:
For certification and implementation of sound insulation steps towards successful cure of existing or retrospective noise pollution issues.

Suspended ceilings:
To enhance existing spaces for acoustic and thermal purposes. Acoustic flooring, prior to or including new surfaces being laid.

Full refurbishments:
Where recording studio type of proofing is important as carried out for BBC from old existing structures.

Sprayed/injected closed and open cell systems:
For high thermal u values and acoustic purposes. Implementation and advice on depths and recommended installations.

Jan

2014

DIY Homes answer to Housing Crisis?

A new co-housing development has just been completed outside of Lancaster. Residents who formed the Lancaster CoHousing Group three years ago have reduced their environmental impact and costs by combining resources. They share a laundry, tools, kitchen facilities and a playroom.

The houses have all been designed to the Passivhaus standard. This aims to reduce energy consumption through the use of sprayed insulation, triple glazing, biomass boilers and solar panels.

Another self-build housing cooperative has been developed on the outskirts of Leeds. Packed with straw bales and sprayed with lime render, the straw keeps the heat in and the sound out.

Nov

2013

Raising funds for charity with help from Sprayed Insulation!

A surveyor from Edinburgh is to spend two month on the remote island of Rockall to raise money for Help the Heroes. He will spend his time in an eight foot water tank, sprayed with foam insulation to protect himself from the cold.

Only four people in total have ever slept on Rockall, but Nick Hancock, 30, says he is confidant that he can do it;

“The RockPod survival shelter I have constructed is almost complete. It was recently insulated with sprayed insulation, and I am now finishing it internally.”

Metropolitan Insulation Blog