Sound Insulation: What Is It, Benefits & Types

Having a warm home is great, but having a warm and peaceful home is everyone’s dream. The UK is the fourth most densely populated country in the European neighbourhood, leading to crowded and noisy urban centres. In sprawling cities like London, proper sound insulation goes a long way in creating a peaceful living environment. 

But what is sound insulation? How does insulation soundproofing look? Which type is best? All these questions and more are answered in this ultimate guide by GreenMatch UK. Tackling a range of key points such as benefits and drawbacks, best materials, costs, and sustainable options for soundproofing insulation. 

Ready to get insulation for noise reduction in your home? Look no further than GreenMatch UK for your one-stop solution to all your needs. Instead of spending countless hours scouring the web, spend just 30 seconds filling out our online form to receive up to 3 free home-tailored quotes from our nationwide professional partners. No costs or obligations. Click below to begin!

Sound insulation materials are optimised to provide soundproofing to domestic and commercial properties. With a much higher density than thermal insulation, noise reducing insulation can absorb and reflect sound waves to enhance peace and privacy.

Soundproofing insulation materials range in their type, components, and applications. For example, acoustic mineral wool and cotton are best suited for roof rafters and floor joists, whilst rigid acoustic insulation boards like cork are better suited for concrete floors and walls. 

Insulation and soundproofing come with plenty of benefits that will improve your home life. From enhanced comfort to privacy, here’s a breakdown of the key perks that come with house noise insulation:

To enjoy the full spectrum of benefits that soundproofing insulation offers, it’s recommended to work with a professional installer who can assess your property and tailor the best course of action for you.

The market offers a diverse range of soundproofing materials, each with its strengths and weaknesses. While there is no single best acoustic insulation, higher-priced materials tend to offer superior noise insulation. To make the best choices, factors such as price and effectiveness have to be weighed with sustainability and environmental impact.

To help you out, let’s explore some of the most popular material options available today:

Priced between £13 - £17.5 per m2, acoustic mineral wool is a sustainable choice made from recycled glass or rock. Its high density, ranging from 45 to 100 kg/m³, makes it absorb sound effectively. This can even be installed as stud wall sound insulation from within the home.

The advantages of acoustic mineral wool are its budget-friendliness, sustainability, and ease of production. As a downside, acoustic mineral wool requires thorough protective gear to install as it can cause skin irritation and respiratory issues.

A more budget-friendly option at around £10 per m2, fibreglass is also made from recycled glass. While slightly less effective than mineral wool, it remains a popular choice for home soundproofing.

As an advantage, acoustic fibreglass is one of the most affordable materials on the market, but much like acoustic mineral wool, it’s unsafe to handle without protective gear. Failure to do so can cause mild to severe skin irritation and respiratory issues. 

Dense acoustic cotton, priced between £10 - £14 per m2, is a high-performance soundproofing material. With a density of approximately 55 kg/m³, it offers excellent noise reduction while being natural and recyclable.

Positively, acoustic cotton is one of the more sustainable, environmentally friendly, and hypoallergenic materials to handle, making it very safe to work with. As a downside, untreated cotton can quickly become a home for pests that burrow and nest in the looser portions.

MLV, priced between £10 - £20 per m2, is a leading choice for soundproofing. Its high density makes it highly reflective of sound waves, creating a barrier against noise. However, as a synthetic material, it is less environmentally friendly.

Advantageously, MLV is by far one of the most effective materials in reducing sound, however being a synthetic material, it's also very unsustainable to produce and unrecyclable. 

Priced between £17 - £22 per m2, corkboards are a natural and sustainable alternative to synthetic soundproofing materials. High-density cork boards can significantly reduce noise transmission, whilst also providing more structural support due to their rigidness.

As a positive, cork boards are highly sustainable and endlessly recyclable, making them one of the most environmentally friendly options on the market today. As a downside, however, corkboards are significantly more expensive per m2 than some other materials, on account of their high performance. 

There is no single best insulation for soundproofing, as your decision rests on several factors such as budget, effectiveness, sustainability, and many other personal preferences. However, certain materials can be considered the best for their specific niches. 

Here’s a summary of the best materials depending on cost, efficiency and sustainability:

The sustainability of sound insulation depends on the acoustic insulation materials you choose to work with. There’s a wide range of options available that are far more sustainable than their synthetic counterparts and still provide impressive results. Materials such as fibreglass, mineral wool, cotton, and corkboard are great sustainable alternatives to synthetic MLV and sound insulation panels. 

The best material choice you make will require a thorough understanding of your property and needs. Working with a professional installer can help tailor the best approach you need for your home. However, finding the right installer can see you spend endless hours researching and vetting options with no bargain in sight. That's where GreenMatch UK comes in.

Instead of spending valuable time stuck on websites and phone calls, spend just 30 seconds filling out our online form to receive up to 3 free home-tailored quotes from our network of pre-vetted professionals. No charges or obligations apply. Simply click below to begin and get the bargains delivered right to you!