Improve your acoustics with our soundproofing

In today’s increasingly noisy world, the need for good acoustic performances from the buildings in which we live and work has never been greater. Noise and poor room acoustics can have a significant effect on us, but often in ways which we’re unaware of. They can affect our ability to concentrate, they can tire us and they can even make us irritable, yet noise and room acoustic are something that few people ever consider.

At home we expect to be able to relax in peace and quiet if we choose to. The importance of a quiet home environment is underlined by the emphasis that the Building Regulations places on limiting both airborne and impact noise.

Good Room Acoustics are Vital

In the working environment, and other places such as schools, colleges and public buildings, low noise levels and good room acoustics are equally vital. We need to be able to understand things like speech and music as well as just hearing them, and if a room is performing poorly on the acoustics front that’s unlikely to happen.

In places such as sports halls and swimming pools where speech communication may not be so crucial, a room that has poor acoustics will allow the level of sound generated within it to rise to unacceptable levels by adding thousands of reverberations to the original sound. Even rooms such as theatres and concert halls where some degree of reverberation is desirable will not perform satisfactorily if the reverberation times are not properly controlled and limited.

How to Reduce Noise?

Fortunately there are many ways to address this situation. There are many hundreds of noise reduction products that can be used to tame the acoustics in a room or building. Acoustically absorbent panels can be added to walls and floors, acoustically insulating doors can be installed, and floors can be treated with many types of underlays and boards. Products also exist to prevent the transmission of sound through partitions or party walls, and even through the plug sockets in those walls.

All of these noise reduction products can normally be added to existing buildings where noise has been identified as a problem. However the best approach is to design the premises so that noise never becomes an issue in the first place.

Always Ask the Experts

Acoustic consultants and acoustic contractors are the ideal first port of call. Their experience in reducing noise and technical knowledge can be invaluable in helping prevent any noise or acoustic problems before they arise. The complexities of early reflections, reverberation times and standing waves can be overwhelming to anyone not familiar with the concepts involved, but a good acoustic consultant can guide you through these. Adopting the measures they recommend at an early stage can eliminate the cost and time penalties that may be incurred in trying to remedy a problem at a later stage.

Don’t forget the acoustic supplies product manufacturer either. Their intimate knowledge of the products they offer and the performance those products provide is usually borne of long experience. They are often happy to pass that knowledge and experience on to customers via a technical support and advice service, so a phone call can be all it takes to start moving towards a building or room where noise is not a problem. Once a project is up and running some manufacturers will also make site visits to advise on acoustic insulation matters and will also provide an installation service which makes sure that the products they provide are able to deliver maximum performance.

There is a wealth of experience, advice and specialist products available on today’s market. No matter what type of project you are involved in, making use of this tremendous resource can prevent noise being a problem before it becomes one.

JCW Acoustic Supplies provide the latest Floor Soundproofing, Wall Soundproofing, Ceiling Soundproofing products, materials, installation and advice for noise reduction in industrial and domestic environments. Find out more – visit: www.acoustic-supplies.com or telephone 01204 548400