Archive for the ‘Materials’ Category

Acoustic Sound Insulation

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Investing in acoustic sound insulation materials requires that you have a little bit of knowledge about the different types of materials that are available today.  Insulation materials are constantly changing as more materials and technologies are introduced into the industry.  Newer materials are incorporated more recycled ingredients.  You can even find acoustic sound insulation products that are made solely from recycled materials.  When deciding which type of materials will best fit your insulation needs, you should consider quality over price.  The price of a product is not indicative of its effectiveness.  To discover how effective a product is at preventing the transfer of sounds, you will need to determine what kinds of sounds you want to reduce or eliminate from a space.

Sound waves travel faster over surfaces that are flat and not dense.  If a wall is hallow, sound can penetrate the area and reach the other side without much of a reduction in speed.  If you add right type of insulation within the walls, the sound will hit the barrier and be diverted back to where it originated.  The right insulation could be acoustic foam sound insulation or batting.  Foam insulation can be installing in the form of tiles, spray on, or in rolls.  There are many different types to choose from and they come in many different sizes, materials, and thickness or density.  The level of density is the main determinant as to how effective the sound barrier will be.

You will quickly find that some products are quite thick and such products are best for preventing sound from penetrating from one space to another.  Others are thin but made of denser materials which can be just as effective.  You will need to weigh all of the options carefully to determine which product and level of soundproofing you need or want.  The acoustic sound insulation material that is right for your particular circumstance may not be what you expected.  To discover about more types of insulation options, you can contact your city’s building construction department.  Construction codes vary from state to state and city to city.

In learning about different insulation materials, you will likely also discover that some sounds are actually coming from inside of your home.  Sound can be bouncing off of the flat surfaces in your home and quickly traveling to other areas of the home.  If this is the case, no amount of insulation will help but you can fix it by adding more textured surfaces in your home.  Carpeting, rugs, wall hangings, and even plush furniture can greatly reduce how fast sound waves travel through your home.  If you know the type of noise or sound, acoustic insulation can easily make more sense and you should have no problem finding products that can successfully soundproof your home from all kinds of noise pollution.