Effective acoustic insulation is important in any residential or commercial building, to help create a comfortable and safe environment.
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:
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.
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.
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:
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:
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.
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.
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.
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:
This case study bundle includes:
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.
Tax incentives and other schemes encouraging noise pollution reduction may be available in your country. For further information, contact our local offices.
[1] https://www.who.int/docstore/peh/noise/Comnoise-1.pdf
[2] https://www.who.int/pbd/deafness/activities/MLS_Brochure_English_lowres_for_web.pdf
[4] https://www.rockwoolgroup.com/why-stone-wool/acoustic-capabilities/
[5] https://www.rockwoolgroup.com/why-stone-wool/
[6] https://www.rockwoolgroup.com/why-stone-wool/circularity/
