ASK THE EXPERT


Taking an acoustic approach to internal floors is the best way to minimise this disturbance and can be achieved relatively easily. For timber floors, simply adding a resiliently mounted ceiling with acoustic plasterboards and acoustic insulation can result in a 15 dB improvement over the Building Regulations, which is a significant jump in performance levels.


home will depend very much on the desired aesthetic.


HOW DO I REDUCE NOISE FROM ABOVE?


Unless you live on your own, chances are you will be disturbed by noisy feet in the rooms above at some point – particularly if you have boisterous kids, whose rough and tumble play can be heard throughout the house. What’s more, noise from living rooms and kitchens can easily seep through to bedrooms on the next floor.


WHAT IF I WANT A HOME CINEMA? As mentioned, part of the beauty of self- building a home is that you get to design a space that exactly meets your needs. So if you want a home cinema – or indeed a music room or a quiet space for study, work or meditation – that’s what you should have! Designing sound solutions into your plan is one way to achieve this without disturbing the rest of the family.


Essentially, this can be created by compartmentalising spaces within the home using enhanced acoustic specifications for the walls, ceiling and floor. This is a very effective means of containing sound within the space or preventing external noise from seeping in.


HOW MUCH SPACE WILL THE IDEAL


ACOUSTIC SOLUTION TAKE UP? Although this question is most pertinent to homeowners looking to retrofit sound solutions into an existing property, it is relevant to self-builders too. The answer depends very much on the chosen system but wall lining upgrades and wall solutions are typically between 50 mm and 130 mm thick. However, the very small sacrifice that is made in space can pay huge dividends in the comfort and enjoyment you will reap from a well- planned acoustic design.


The important thing is to ensure your architect knows that you wish to use enhanced acoustic specifications, so that they can be accommodated in the plans right from the outset. It’s much better to plan for good acoustic performance in the early stages, as new build solutions are far less disruptive than having to retrofit a solution when you find you have a problem further down the line.


Sarah White is residential sector manager at British Gypsum


Precision cutting and control with Hultafors


As really professional craftsmen know, Hultafors' can deliver just about anything you need for measuring, leveling and marking; striking, cutting and chopping; even prying and wrecking. That’s why they’re a range of Tools that can handle tough applications, last for ages and feel right when you're working on site. Hultafors’ HBX and HBS saws are well known for their top quality precision cuts and, to complement those models, there’s a brand new range of cutting and sawing tools that


include – Bow Saws, Short Hand Saws, Hack Saws, a Jab Saw, a Concrete Saw plus a superb Japanese Ryoba Saw which is perfect when you need a tool for the finest cuts made with minimal force.


www.hultafors.co.uk Plastering simplified with Knauf ProRoll


With its brand new roller-applied range of finishing and surface-levelling ready– mixed plasters, Knauf has introduced ProRoll, a new quick, clean and efficient way of plastering residential homes and smaller projects. Suited to both smooth and textured backgrounds, Knauf ProRoll is applied to surfaces using a 9-inch medium pile roller and extension pole as required, ensuring a quick and easy installation while reducing the physical effort required of plastering. Pre-mixed,


Knauf ProRoll can be applied directly from the tub, producing only a fraction of the mess of a traditional plaster product. In addition, any excess material can simply be removed from a surface and recycled.


info@knauf.co.uk 18 www.sbhonline.co.uk march/april 2018


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