Quality of detailing

A construction can only achieve its expected sound performance if it and the surrounding walls and floors have no inherent faults in their detailing or workmanship. Performance will be impaired if:

• There are gaps or holes in the construction – hairline cracks or gaps can seriously impair sound insulation. Seal all potential gaps with a flexible sealant.

• There is bridging between elements that are designed to be separate. For example, a resilient bar being accidentally fixed back to a stud by the screw that secures the plasterboard to the resilient bar.

• There are gaps in the resilient layer within the cavity.

Mineral wool and acoustics

The sound absorption characteristics of mineral wool make it ideal for use in partitions to assist in absorbing sound within a cavity. In addition, the thermal properties of mineral wool provide a secondary benefit of minimising the heat loss between rooms within a dwelling.

Advantages

Lightweight partitions can achieve high levels of sound insulation when the correct balance of plasterboard, frame and mineral wool insulation are selected. They allow for fast subdivision of a basic building envelope to form the rooms of a house and can provide the required performance.
Often, this is achieved by simply increasing the mass by adding extra layers of plasterboard.

Using a mineral wool insulation infill layer improves the performance of a lightweight partition substantially because it absorbs the reverberated sound within the void inside the partition. This allows lighter and thinner plasterboards to be used which reduce the load on the structure and eases both site handling and the installation.

The reduction of reverberation within the voids when a mineral wool absorbent infill layer is used also helps to cut down on the hollow sound which is characteristic of partitions where plasterboard alone is used to achieve the sound insulation required.

Summary – New Build

TAP Insulation provides products for a range of sound insulating partitions, walls and floors, giving options that can comply with the Building Regulations and approved Robust Details.

Internal Partitions

Timber Frame

Timber stud partition with mineral wool between studs. No testing required.

Steel Frame

Metal stud partition with mineral wool between studs. No testing required.

Internal Floors

Timber Floor

Timber with mineral wool between joists. No testing required.

Concrete Floor

Concrete with mineral wool above suspended ceiling. No testing required.