Acoustic Insulation

Effective acoustic insulation is important in any residential or commercial building, to help create a comfortable and safe environment.

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Noise pollution can have a significant impact on people’s health. Those living and working in cities are especially vulnerable, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO)¹.

Controlling noise levels at the source is not always possible – but quality sound insulation of the building envelope can offer a valuable solution.

Outside noise from traffic or aircraft – for example – can be significantly blocked out by proper installation in the roof or building façade.

Insulation within a building, meanwhile, can improve privacy and avoid annoyance from sounds in adjacent properties, such as music or footsteps from an apartment above.

Especially useful when installed in separating floors and walls between different spaces in a block of flats or office complex, sound insulation boards, or granulate can be applied to reduce the amount of noise intruding into a living or working environment.

Read on to learn about ROCKWOOL acoustic solutions.

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Why do we need acoustic insulation?

Noise affects health and wellbeing in many ways, from accelerating hearing loss to disrupting sleep and reducing productivity levels.

According to the WHO, around 40 percent of people aged 12 to 35 could be exposed to unsafe sound levels from entertainment venues² - while noise from traffic in towns and cities is also cited as cause for concern³.

Sound insulation can protect those living and working in buildings against exposure. Whether installed in the walls and floors at a major music venue, in busy offices or between urban living spaces, it can significantly reduce problems caused by nuisance noise.

Key benefits can include:

Protection from external noise
Comfort and privacy
Reduction of sound transmission and vibration passing through building elements
Applications for both renovation projects and new builds

Relevant resources

5 facts about acoustics and stone wool

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How much do I need?

Building acoustics focus on sound transmission mainly through the building envelope (façade and roof), as well as internal walls, floors and ceilings.

Transmission loss (TL) or Sound Reduction Index (R) express the effectiveness of blocking sound, which is frequency-dependent.

This is expressed in decibels (dB). The higher the loss, the better the insulation works as a barrier to unwanted noise.

The amount of acoustic insulation roll, slabs, granulates or panels required will depend on the material you choose, the size of the area being insulated and how much direct, flanking and other sound transmission there is.

Direct sound transmission – passes straight through the wall, ceiling or floor.
Flanking sound transmission – passes around, over the top or under the primary partition separating two spaces (passing through building elements adjoining the main separating elements).
Other sound transmission – leakage through poorly sealed doors and windows, brickwork and uninsulated pipelines.

Use our local tools or consult our local experts to find the right solution for your project.

Use our ROCKWOOL RT60 Calculator to determine the acoustic performance of the building, and estimate the acoustic delay value (echo). For more details on technical specifications, visit our ROCKSPEC Specification Toolkit.

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Why choose ROCKWOOL solutions?

ROCKWOOL acoustic insulation is made from stone wool – an excellent material for blocking, absorbing and even enhancing sound where required⁴.

Thanks to its acoustic capabilities, the use of ROCKWOOL products enhances the acoustic performance of the system in which the material is installed – both in new and existing buildings.

ROCKWOOL products can be use in order to:

Absorb sound waves - improving the internal sound field quality by absorbing echo and reverberation within the room, contributing to good room acoustics.
Insulate unwanted noise (airborne, impact and rain noise) – stone wool reduces sound transmission, blocking the passage of sound from the outside to the inside of the building, and from one room to another.
Control vibration – stone wool’s resilience leads to the isolation and damping of vibration.

Durable and flexible, our acoustic insulation boardscan be fitted to walls, floors and ceilings – or installed in roofs and façades.

Reduce noise between properties within the same dwelling, adjacent properties, or from the outside environment, for quieter and calmer indoor living.

As well as its strong noise reduction properties, ROCKWOOL sound insulation also offers additional strengths.

Benefits include⁵:

Fire resilience
Robustness
Circularity
Water absorption
Aesthetics

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ROCKWOOL insulation can reduce the perceived noise level coming from floors above – including footsteps or furniture movements – up to a factor of eight.

Riccardo Gandolfi

Acoustic Knowledge Manager

Case studies

The challenge

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) is under construction to accommodate growing travel capacity – in a capital city which more than 30 million people pass through every year.

Local residents in Berlin-Blankenfelde are only a few kilometres from the runways, and many decided to prepare for the increased noise pollution created by the new flight paths.

The solution

Four families approached a local master roofer, Hartmut Quappe, to improve the sound insulation of their homes.

He proposed high-density insulation boards made from ROCKWOOL stone wool for their pitched roofs. These provide confirmed on-site sound insulation of up to 52 dB – and even higher in many cases.

The results

Residents are benefiting from improved acoustic protection, which will reduce the impact of aircraft noise.

As an added bonus, the energy efficient rafter insulation system provides effective thermal insulation – cutting heating costs by up to 30 percent.

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From the airport Schönefeld, or passing cars, you hear almost nothing. And I’m also very confident for the upcoming BER air traffic.

Annelies and Joachim

Residents at Berlin-Blankenfelde

Applications

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Installation

ROCKWOOL sound insulation can be applied using acoustic insulation rolls, slabs, boards, granulates or batts.

After building a stud wall, for example, you can easily slot products within to reduce sound transmission between adjacent spaces.

Building or renovating a suspended ceiling, meanwhile, is a good way of installing sound insulation for the ceiling, or to protect a floor below.

For flanking sound transmission, a ROCKWOOL sound insulation slab can be easily fitted around cables, pipes and sockets without leaving gaps that would otherwise reduce performance.

Key tips:

Prepare your surface – Build a stud wall or suspended ceiling first, to make sure there’s room for installing acoustic insulation boards or other products.
Measure the space – Take measurements of the wall, floor or ceiling being insulated to get the right amount of material.
Check for leakage – See if there are areas where sound escapes outside of the main wall, floor or ceiling, and if a solution is required.

Inspiration and guides for professionals

Get 16 renovation cases

This case study bundle includes:

29 pages of our best 2018-19 projects
Acoustic renovation in both public buildings and private
Bringing new life into old buildings with facade panels
Improving fire safety and wellbeing in high-rises and historical buildings
Reducing noise and flooding with innovative stone wool solutions

Sustainability and energy efficiency

ROCKWOOL sound insulation is made from stone wool – a highly sustainable source that can be indefinitely recycled⁶.

When a building is renovated or demolished, it can be easily removed and recycled into new products, such is its level of circularity.

ROCKWOOL products also help protect buildings against noise pollution. By significantly cutting the decibel level entering homes and workplaces from external aircraft, trains and traffic – as well as other intrusive sounds – our solutions can play a key role in improving quality of life in living and working environments.

8 facts about the circularity of stone wool

Downloads and resources

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Financial support

Tax incentives and other schemes encouraging noise pollution reduction may be available in your country. For further information, contact our local offices.

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