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Floor sound insulation is effective in reducing noise both within a room and from one floor to another in a home or commercial building. The amount of soundproofing material needed for floor sound insulation will depend on the type of building and its general use. In addition, there are other considerations in choosing floor insulation such as acoustical needs and the cost of the material.
Sound Proofing Insulation
Sound proofing insulation can either be a foam material, fibreglass or types of wood, rubber, or glass. The material used depends on the area to be sound proofed. For example, windows requiring sound proofing can be made of glass so that they don’t take away from the aesthetics of the view. The fibreglass soundproofing material is not as effective as say rubber or composite woods, so it would be used where less soundproofing is needed.
How Acoustics Come into Play
Acoustical engineering deals with how sound is absorbed and reflected. Engineers have come up with new materials and ways of soundproofing that are truly remarkable. For instances, there is floor sound insulation that is completely resistant to fire, mould, chemical reactions with other materials, and even helps ward off mice and insects. It is known as mineral wool and is made primarily of silicon oxide. It has densities of 45-60 mg/m(3) compared to regular fibreglass with lower densities of about 20 mg/m(3).
Sound insulations in general are for acoustical reasons. This is why theatres and auditoriums have the foam panels on the walls and ceilings. If they did not have these sound insulations, it would be virtually impossible to understand the words spoken from the stage or coming from the speakers since the sound would reverberate endlessly. Because the acoustical materials absorb the sound, it is only heard once and clearly instead of echoing repeatedly.
Sound doesn’t just bounce off walls and ceilings either. It can come through the floor. Low tones, even those bass and baritone voice, that can penetrate normal floors are captured and stopped by good floor sound insulation.
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