Living in a hot country means most Australians know just how important it is to insulate our homes. Insulation in the ceiling and external walls can have a huge impact on how comfortable your home is during the hotter months. But did you know that insulation is also a good way to reduce the amount of noise in homes and commercial buildings? By adding mass and density to wall, floor and ceiling spaces, sound insulation dampens the vibrations created by soundwaves and reduces the amount of noise that gets transmitted into adjoining spaces. Based on their extensive experience, our expert residential and commercial plastering Sydney wide team have put together detailed information on insulation for noise reduction and how you can make your spaces more comfortable.
Cavity Insulation
Most of the homes around Sydney are built with hollow wall construction. That is, frames made of timber are erected, and then each side is clad with plasterboard. This leaves an air gap between the plasterboard that can be filled with insulation. While insulation around the outside of a building is good for thermal efficiency, it can also be installed in ceiling, wall and floor cavities to reduce the amount of noise that’s transmitted.
The most common types of acoustic wall and ceiling insulation are:
- Insulation batts. Insulation batts are one of the cheapest and most common types of sound insulation found in homes across Australia. Made from materials like fibreglass and rockwool, acoustic insulation batts work by adding mass to walls and ceilings to absorb vibrations from sound. Batts are easy to install during construction and perform well for reducing noise levels.
- Blow-in insulation. Mostly seen in roof cavities, blow-in insulation is usually made from cellulose or fibreglass. It’s great for thermal insulation, but in multi-storey buildings it does double duty as a sound reducer.
- Spray foam. Common in modern buildings and colder climates, expanding spray foam insulation allows each crack and crevice to be filled with insulation. By minimising the air gaps in walls, ceilings and floors, spray foam insulation ensures the maximum amount of noise reduction through walls and ceilings.
Suspended Soundproof Ceilings
In larger constructions, like office and apartment buildings, sound isn’t just transmitted through walls, it also travels through floors and ceilings. Especially in buildings that use concrete slab construction. Since there’s no room in a concrete floor for insulation, this problem usually gets addressed with suspended Soundproof Ceiling Installation.
Soundproof ceiling systems can be hung from most existing ceilings. These ceilings hang from the slab above by a framework that allows pre-fabricated tiles to be slotted into place. By creating an air gap between the ceiling and the slab above, soundproof ceilings can greatly reduce the amount of noise that gets transmitted throughout each floor. Soundproof ceilings are also a great solution for electrical and climate control installations that need additional ceiling space for conduit and ducting.
Acoustic Plasterboard
For homes and apartment buildings where you need to reduce the noise as much as possible, it’s now possible to install specially designed acoustic plasterboard. Acoustic plasterboard is made to be especially dense, adding mass to your walls that can absorb soundwaves. These products can be found in both homes and commercial buildings.
Acoustic plasterboard usually falls into two categories:
- Sound transmission reduction. With especially dense cores, sound transmission plasterboard creates a physical barrier that stops sounds from moving through walls.
- Sound absorption. Sound absorbing plasterboard is slightly less dense and features perforations that reduce echoes and improve the acoustics of a room.
Looking to Soundproof Your Home or Office? Contact Sydney Metro Plastering Today!
The Sydney Metro Plastering team are experts at reducing the noise levels around homes, apartments and in offices all over Sydney. We can tailor a sound-reduction solution that’s perfect for your space. We always work using quality acoustic plasterboards and suspended ceiling systems that can make your spaces quieter and more comfortable than ever. Get in touch with us for more information about our services such as Ceiling Repairs Sydney wide or to make an appointment!