It can be difficult living in a busy city centre or noisy neighbourhood when trying to sleep at night. Constant noises from traffic and people outside of your home can really affect your mind-set which in turn can greatly affect how you operate the following day.

PhoneStar is an acoustic insulation material available from Acara Concepts which reduces such noises from airborne and impact sounds. Soundproofing walls, ceilings and floors is now a common process on many new build homes, projects and conversions, however older builds may not contain these materials. The PhoneStar sound board is only 15mm thick, therefore will leave you with more space in your rooms. With the winter months and cooler nights fast approaching, the soundproofing boards hold heat and slowly releases heat throughout the day (unlike other boards), which can help to reduce your electrical and gas bill costs over the winter. As well as the technical aspects, PhoneStar acoustic insulation offers health and well-being benefits; the boards are produced with 100% sustainable and natural materials and they are breathable allowing condensation and humidity to pass, making it the perfect choice for any room in your home.

If you are thinking of soundproofing a house, here are a few customer questions which Acara Concepts receive now and again.

• What are airborne and impact sounds?

Impact sounds are noises which are usually heard from the floor above, so if you live in a flat, town house or home with a few floors you will usually hear footsteps or furniture being moved around. Impact sounds send vibrations into the floor deck, concrete floor or joists and then through the plasterboard. Using acoustic insulation such as PhoneStar can help reduce such noises and it contains a compacted yet soft filling which won’t lose its structure over time.

Airborne sounds are noises which travel through waves such as music, television, traffic and people talking. The waves travel and vibrate on to the walls and floors through to the other side (inside your home). The sound insulation product from Acara Concepts is heavy and dense but contains a soft sand filling which includes fluted cardboard carcass, which is an essential characteristic to reduce airborne sounds.

• Tell me some tips for soundproofing walls?

Some tips when soundproofing walls are you need to ensure that nothing passes the bridge across the wall linings and twin walls, there are no connections between the two leaves except what the ties are for structural purposes. You must ensure that all gaps are sealed in the original walls before you start the soundproofing process including the perimeter edges (sound travels through gaps!).

• And some tips for soundproofing floors?

Again all gaps in the floor should be sealed before work starts as sounds travels through gaps. The acoustic flooring should be arranged in a brickwork pattern tightly together, there is no need to tape, glue or caulk joints. If you find that there is only an issue with impact noises (footsteps and moving furniture), consider using 12mm or 19mm Pavatex Wood fibre insulation.

If your question has been answered and you are interested in installing PhoneStar acoustic insulation boards in your home or want to use them in your projects, visit Acara Concept's website today. The highly skilled team at Acara offer expert advice to a range of customers including architects, specifiers, construction trade and the general public, dealing with any requests or requirements in an efficient and effective manner.