Reduce noise in your home with Quiet Mark and ROCKWOOL

Introduction

Any unwanted sound can be classified as noise - from the vibrations of a construction site or the roar of traffic to the whirr of your washing machine or raised voices next door. Environmental noise is all around us and not only is it annoying, but exposure to high levels is bad for our health, too.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), noise pollution is a disease burden only second in magnitude to air pollution^[1]. It impacts people’s daily activities and can disturb sleep, cause heart disease, hypertension and reduced cognitive development in children^[2].

In the UK, nearly half of people say their home life is spoilt by noise. Noise is the single biggest cause of complaints made to local authorities, the majority of which are in relation to residential noise^[3]. 

Effective acoustic insulation is important in any residential, commercial or public building. It will help protect inhabitants and users from the detrimental effects of unwanted sound, and create a comfortable and safe environment to live and work in. ROCKWOOL has developed a range of Quiet Mark-approved acoustic insulation products which help reduce noise.

The importance of acoustics

Reducing the impact of noise on our day-to-day lives is more important than ever, especially in our homes and places of work - which today are sometimes one and the same. Paying attention to building acoustics and taking noise-reducing measures can have a positive effect on people’s health, wellbeing and quality of life. 

Controlling noise levels in schools for example can impact the quality of learning. In hospitals, it can create the right environment for recuperation. While in homes, it provides the peace and quiet needed for restful sleep and a more productive home office. 

Choosing the right materials, products and appliances for our homes, workplaces and public buildings can help improve acoustic performance and reduce the negative impacts of noise pollution in our indoor environments.

The impact of noise

Noise between dwellings, such as noise from upstairs in an apartment, or next door in a terraced or semi-detached house, is just one type of noise that affects us. Many of us are also exposed to road, rail and aviation noise if we live near to roads or transport hubs. And inside our homes and offices, we are subjected to electrical noise - the constant hum of everyday appliances and the pings of connected devices. 

Some people are more affected by noise than others; children, the elderly and the chronically ill for example, as well as nightshift workers. But long-term exposure to noise can have negative effects on even the healthiest people. The European Environment Agency estimates that environmental noise contributes to 12,000 premature deaths across Europe every year, and that 6.5 million of us are suffering from chronic sleep disturbance[4]. 

For all of us, taking sound-reducing measures will help alleviate the stress and annoyance associated with unwanted sound.

ROCKWOOL and Quiet Mark

Quiet Mark tests construction products by assessing sound absorption or impact noise using BS EN and ISO standards. The Quiet Mark team includes specialist acoustic consultants and product professionals. These experts put complex information together to determine those materials or solutions that deliver optimum acoustic performance for their specific purpose.

Three of our products - ROCKWOOL Rainscreen Duo Slab, ROCKWOOL Sound Insulation Slab, and ROCKWOOL Steel Frame Slab – have all been awarded the coveted Q logo.

ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation has been used to reduce noise in many buildings, including the O2 Arena and the 2012 Olympic Stadium. And we’re proud to be the only insulation manufacturer awarded Quiet Mark certification.

Article History

Our experts continually review and update our articles when legislation changes or new information becomes available. 

Current version: 1

First published: 23/12/2022