If you are someone that enjoys watching movies or listening to music loudly, you will want to consider soundproofing your home.
Not only will soundproofing help to improve the quality of the sound, but it will help to prevent your neighbors from being disturbed by the noise. It is also useful if you have a music room in your home that you want to soundproof.
If you are looking to purchase new insulation, how much the materials reduce noise is something important to consider. This is because some materials are better at soundproofing than others.
Fiberglass insulation is a fairly popular insulation material, and it is only natural to wonder whether it is great at reducing noise. In this article, we discuss what fiberglass insulation is and how well it works at reducing noise.
What is fiberglass insulation?
Fiberglass is a common type of insulation that you have likely heard of. However, it is a material that many people without building experience actually know little about.
As its name suggests, it does actually contain small glass fragments. Recycled glass is typically used, and is mixed with sand.
These materials are then made into wool. As a result, a level of care does need to be taken when working with fiberglass. This is because if the small particles come away from the wool, they can enter the respiratory system, and can also irritate the skin.
This is why fiberglass should always be installed by a professional, and need to be sealed off completely in a home or an office building. On the whole, it is a fairly inexpensive insulation to purchase, and it does last for a good amount of time.
While it will eventually settle, which can cause gaps in the insulation, this will take many years to happen.
Does fiberglass insulation reduce noise?
The answer to this question is both yes, and no. While fiberglass is a great option if it is already installed, it is not the best option overall. However, if you are looking for insulation that can help reduce noise without removing it completely, it is worth considering.
What is great about fiberglass is that it is successful in absorbing sound. This helps to prevent the majority of the noise from passing through the fiberglass. While this absorption does not block the sound from escaping completely, it is still far better than not using it at all.
On the whole, fiberglass is a fairly inexpensive material to use for insulation. As a result, it is often used, especially when it comes to office or commercial buildings. It will help to reduce the noise between rooms, which is useful if you are sharing a building with other businesses.
When looking at the specifics, the noise levels are typically reduced by around 5 decibels, which is fairly good. While the noise is still present, it will resemble a low murmur, rather than someone that can be heard clearly.
Fiberglass that has been installed as insulation only typically tends to be around a few inches thick. And as a result of this, it is limited in how much noise it can reduce. If you are using fiberglass in a commercial building, this is something to keep in mind.
Fiberglass is also a material that can be used as insulation in the home, too. In comparison to the noise reduction in a commercial building, it tends to be slightly better in the home. This is because houses are less noisy in comparison to larger commercial buildings.
Even so, it does not reduce the noise completely. If you need materials to get rid of the noises completely, you will need to look at other soundproofing options.
In the vast majority of cases, people are looking for materials that will help to reduce noise, rather than removing them completely, which fiberglass is great at doing.
In addition to trapping and absorbing the soundwaves from the noise that is created, it will also help to keep in heat as well. This is why it makes for great insulation, as your home will remain warmer in the colder months.
Summary
On the whole, fiberglass is a great option to use if you are looking for insulation to help reduce the amount of noise. However, it is not a perfect option.
While it will help to muffle and absorb the noise, it does not remove it completely. If this is something you are looking for, you will want to consider other materials instead.
However, for the vast majority of cases, fiberglass provides the right amount of noise reduction. It is a great option to consider for both the home and commercial or office buildings. It is also fairly inexpensive to purchase, which is very useful.
