It’s strange to admit, but there’s something undesirable going on in the way modern homes are made. Only just a couple of decades ago, the bulk of mass produced homes would be made to last. They would be made of brick both inside and outside. The interior walls were insulating and worked well with the floor to keep all the heat in. Unfortunately, because they were so tough, they didn’t leave much room for customisation. As central heating systems evolved and other materials entered the home, suddenly these walls were a hindrance to style. Now however with modern homes, hollow wooden walls are the norm. This means that you’re going to be colder and the house will sound like a dull tin man from time to time. Hence why, so many people buy insulation as their first purchase in their new home. But how else can you stop sound from reverberating around your home like a pinball machine?
Open plan solutions
So if you have a large open room, this can be a blessing and a burden. On the one hand, you’ve got a room that feels spacious and free. Your children can play on one side while the grown up have their conversation at the other end. But that’s the crux of it, the gap in between allows sound to bounce around the rooms in an increased volume. Yet you don’t really want to put something in the middle as this would defeat the purpose of the room. A large rug in the middle would actually bridge the gap, connecting both sides while also absorbing a lot of the sound. However, it does have to be slightly thicker than maybe you’d want. Think about wool or perhaps dense cotton. It may also be wise to consider synthetic materials as the rug will be a go-between with a lot of traffic and will need to withstand the wear and tear.
In the empty helmet
The attic is the helmet of the tin man, as it’s almost always going to be empty. Aside from the large boiler or perhaps air conditioning unit, there’s not much up there. Hence why when you’re alone at home, and no one is making a sound if you listen carefully you can hear the attic wheezing. The sound of the wind rushing through the gaps and even little pieces of stone or grit hitting the side of the roof can be heard. This can lead to a feeling that you’re not at home alone, with spooky creaking noises emanating from the attic. Acoustic access panels fix this problem because they’re able to keep the sound out while still giving you a way to the upper region of your home. A smoothly finished off picture frame and 32db acoustic shielding due to the metal door, you can also fit a lock on it too.
It’s just background noise until it can ignore no longer. It’s great to have open spaces in the home, but you’ve also got to think about how the house sounds with empty spaces. Aesthetically and physically it might be pleasing, but to the ear, it sounds hollow and cheap.
XOXO
Debbie
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