For reasons of energy saving, we have mainly talked about the importance of good thermal insulation of housing, often forgetting to take into account the sound insulation of the house. But what does this operation really consist of?
What is sound insulation?
It is very difficult to take full and serene advantage of the comfort of one’s home when one’s house is located in a noisy place such as a busy thoroughfare, a district located not far from an airport, a train station or a highway. But even if you live in a quiet area, you are not spared, because noise is unfortunately present everywhere, especially if your accommodation is adjoining.
Indeed, you are not immune to a noisy neighborhood that puts the music on loud, which annoys you with the deafening noises of their vacuum cleaners, the barking of their dog or their incessant disputes as a couple. What is more, suffered full time and over the long term, certain nuisances can have harmful consequences on health, to name only the degeneration of hearing, the development of insomnia, arterial hypertension and the appearance of stress. To remedy this, the only solution is to soundproof your home.
The objective of this approach will be to protect your place of residence from outside noise. In addition, you will also protect your neighbors from your fuss and din when you play the drums at home, for example. Finally, sound insulation also prevents noise from spreading from one room to another in the same building. This is especially the case if the room is intended for a particular use such as a recording studio or a home theater room.
How it works ?
Before undertaking major work which can often be expensive, the first thing to do is to identify the origin of the noise pollution. It may be necessary to call on the services of a professional if the noise pollution is diffuse. Using a specific device, the sound level meter, the building acoustician will first measure the intensity of the noises perceived in each room of the dwelling.
And for information, as soon as the figure obtained crosses the threshold of 35 decibels A, the house can be qualified as poorly insulated acoustically. Subsequently, this expert will identify the sources of noise pollution and will then advise you on the insulation devices that are best suited to the situation. With regard to noise qualified as airborne such as that of planes, a train or a truck, it is generally the ceilings and walls that need to be reviewed.
Regarding impact noise, including the fall of an object, it is rather the floors that are not well insulated. And for noise pollution from equipment such as the hum of the boiler or the rolling of the washing machine, it will be necessary to look at the doors and windows.