10 Things You Should Know About Acoustic Insulation

If you are involved in the construction industry, or have refurbished your own house, then you are likely to be aware of the importance of acoustic insulation. If you are currently not aware of acoustic insulation, what should you know?
1. People are using more noise generating products such as bigger TVs, home cinemas, games consoles and other electrical equipment than ever before, yet still want their homes to be quieter. Acoustic insulation is playing a much bigger part in construction than it used to.

2. Acoustic insulation separates external walls, floors, stairs, internal walls, stairs and reverberation.

3. Part E of the Building Regulations requires improved sound insulation for residential buildings, and sets certain standards that must be complied with. This section outlines many ways of improving sound insulation.

4. There are minimum performance criteria set down by Part E of the Building Regulations. Housebuilders will either use one of six approved solutions, which already exceed Part E, or design their own sound insulation systems, which will then need to be tested and assessed.

5. Keeping floors separate is designed to limit or insulate against airborne sound, such as the noise from talking,TVs and music; impact sound such as footsteps and washing machines, and flanking sound, sound from outside the house such as from neighbours.

6. Sound insulation can be achieved using different methods and materials, depending on the building, and the intended use of the building. A hotel may require different levels of sound insulation from an office block, or residential buildings.

7. Mass is important to sound insulation. The heavier the floor is, the more acoustic insulation it will provide. Concrete floors are excellent for sound insulation, but are not always practical. Wooden floors have less mass than concrete floors. Although they may seem to be less effective initially, they can be amended so that they are more effective.

8. The quality and fit of the floor also plays an important role in sound insulation. Poor quality flooring materials, and floors that are not laid properly can effect the effectiveness of the floor, and the insulation. Air gaps and uneven floors can reduce sound insulation performance.

9. Flexible floors provide better sound insulation than solid floors, but the floor will still need to be rigid in order for it to be used, and to provide structural stability. This is why wood is still a good choice for floors.

10. Separating floors reduces sound transmission through the structure. Using a floating floor is the usual method for achieving acoustic insulation.

Now you know a bit more about acoustic flooring and sound insulation, see how you can improve your builds and not fall foul of building regulations.

See a wide range of Acoustic Flooring products which exceed current Building Regulations, and find out more about Sound Insulation at Hush.uk.com.