Noisy Neighbours Drive Demand for Sound Of Silence

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With millions remote-working from home, there has been a dramatic rise in noise pollution and an all-time high in the sale of sound-insulating materials.

And with the BRFC having just launched its Noise Reduction Scheme where windows and doors will be certified for their sound insulation properties, what better time to consider what else could be in demand by lockeddown homeowners.

The BFRC launched its Noise Reduction Scheme exclusively through The Installer magazine. To read the article - Click Here

Sound-insulating foam

“It won’t come as a shock that the number of people purchasing sound-insulating foam has hit an all-time high, driven mainly by residents installing products to dampen the sound of noisy neighbours. In fact, so far this year our sales of foam have increased by 240 per cent”, says Charlie Barrett from eFoam.co.uk, a custom foam manufacturer based in the West Midlands.

“Pre-pandemic, our acoustic foam was being purchased mainly by recording studios and musicians such as drummers, who were converting garages or spare rooms into practice studios to help insulate the noise. But now we are receiving enquiries from people saying they need something to insulate their home from noisy neighbours, as they haven't slept properly in weeks. There's no evidence the trend won’t continue as the work from home culture becomes permanent.”

Zoom boom

“We have a lot of clients who need to set up a dedicated meeting room at home for taking Zoom & Skype calls,” adds Barrett. “And we have found it interesting to see where our customers are based and which cities required the most soundproofing and insulation products.”

Top 20 cities

London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Bristol, Nottingham, Milton Keynes, Cardiff, Leeds, Coventry, Bradford, Belfast, Newcastle, Plymouth, Leicester, Wolverhampton.

Picture: An insulated band rehearsal space

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
16th December 2020

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