Noise can have a major impact on our day-to-day health, life and wellbeing and especially so when the unwanted sound is in our home. According to Department for Environmental Food and Rural Affairs, ‘noise exposure can cause annoyance and sleep disturbance, both of which impact quality of life’.
The impact of noise is something renovator Josh Williams knows all too well following experiences in his first renovation project. So when embarking on his next build, the bespoke finishing joiner considered how to create a quiet, comfortable home from the start. Josh and his family purchased a four-bed detached home in Cwmbran, South Wales, with plans for a major renovation project. As well as reconfiguring several interior walls, serial renovator Josh is building a double storey extension that includes a master ensuite, downstairs toilet, office and utility room.
“In our first home we shared a party wall and would always hear our neighbours and their TV,” said Josh. “After a while, we built a stud wall using ROCKWOOL® Sound Insulation Slab and acoustic plasterboard, so when we moved to this property and started renovation plans, noise was a big consideration.
“While this home is detached, there were other factors to consider. We’ve got a young family and one of the rooms is an office space within the house. Plus there’s an integrated sound system in the kitchen, so it’s as much about keeping noise in as it is out.”
In addition to the acoustic considerations, a major challenge for the project was time. Josh completed the renovation alongside running his successful custom joinery business. “While I’m a trade, I definitely overlooked the time pressure of doing a full time job and renovating,” said Josh. “I was working on my home whenever I got spare time so products that help me work efficiently were really important.”
Throughout his property, Josh chose to fit ROCKWOOL Sound Insulation Slab that is purpose designed for internal and separating walls and floors. Thanks to its stone wool composition that gives a non-directional fibre orientation and high density, Sound Insulation Slab traps sound waves and dampens vibrations, making it ideal for busy homes and spaces such as gaming, music rooms, as well as home offices.
Giving extra peace of mind for Josh and his family, ROCKWOOL Sound Insulation Slab also has a Euroclass A1 reaction to fire rating – the highest available – and is capable of withstanding temperatures in excess of 1000°C.
A further benefit for the time-pressured renovator however is its ease of fitting. Supplied in 400mm widths to fit standard stud wall centres, as well as a wider 600mm option, Sound Insulation Slab needs limited cutting. The product also features a Flexi® edge that enables easy, friction fitting without leaving gaps or cracks that could affect noise and thermal leakage. Where cutting is needed for cables, pipes, sockets and services, Sound Insulation Slab is quickly cut using an insulation saw or knife. For internal walls, Josh used 100mm thickness of Sound Insulation Slab.
“It was a joy to fit,” said Josh commenting on his experiences of using Sound Insulation Slab. “Because it’s designed especially for internal and separating walls and floors, it’s already in 400mm centres and pushes straight into the frame. Then the rest is just trimming which I did easily with an insulation knife. As it’s flexible insulation and 1200mm in length, it’s also easy to feed through wires and cabling without much cutting.”
Josh continued: “It’s also a really versatile product which, when you’re doing a project with lots of different room types like I am, I don’t have to use different products for each room. I can use the same in the office, kitchen and bedroom.
“From a noise point of view, you can hear but also feel the difference it makes in a space. Sound is deadened and you can’t hear traffic for example.”
Concluding, Josh added: “This is the second time I’ve used Sound Insulation Slab on my home and it’s been so easy to use with great results. I’ve also just started work on converting a single-skin garage into a gym for a customer of mine we’re using Sound Insulation Slab to help insulate and improve the acoustics.”
For more information on ROCKWOOL visit Insulation products from a leading stone wool insulation provider (rockwool.com).
