Aluminum Foil’s Role in Sound Insulation
When selecting insulations, one thing that many buyers do not think about is the amount of sound protection this is going to provide. However, this is what every insulation buyer must ask him or herself, particularly if noise is a problem in the structure being insulated. This is because some kinds of insulators provide improved acoustical insulation than the remaining.
Sound Insulation of Aluminum Foil
One among the best materials when considering sound insulation is aluminum foil. Easy to install and lightweight, it is environmentally friendly as an insulation material. It can not only be recycled, but is also free of toxins and odors. Besides heat isolation and reflection, it also provides vibration shielding and superior acoustical.
Reflective aluminum foil is the most commonly used material when considering radiant barriers. A radiant barrier is a method of lessening the heat radiation falling on or coming from the surface of a material. These barriers reflect radiant energy. This reflective capability secures against heat through the hot summer months and accumulates heat through the colder winter months.
Few of the qualities making aluminum foil receptive to this process are: 1) It has no considerable mass for absorbing and retaining heat; 2) Its emittance values are very low. Also known as E-values, this tendency considerably lessens transfer of heat by radiation.
The above explains why it is a good kind of insulation, but how does it specifically relate to sound insulation?
The explanation is that similar to the way aluminum foil retains and absorbs heat, it also retains and absorbs noise, corralling and protecting it so that it becomes almost unnoticeable. Actually, as an isolate it offers noise cancellation of up to 85%.
In what particular situations is aluminum foil a better option to steel?
If the noise is usually at high frequencies (a hissing noise) then a material that is lighter like aluminum lagging could be used. Actually, only in low frequency noise cases steel is used since steel has a surface mass that is much heavier.
Besides its lighter weight, also aluminum foil is a more inexpensive noise insulation material. Sold typically in rolls, such insulation has lamination with aluminum foil. The benefits of using aluminum foil insulation don’t stop with acoustical isolation in industrial and commercial applications, although. They also extend to temperature control, fireproofing, the prevention of condensation, and the conservation of energy.
Conclusion
When lightweight and compact insulation against noise is required, aluminum foil provides business owners and other individuals all of the safety they are looking for without a huge expenditure in cost. At the same time, it also offers additional levels of protection against moisture, heat, and vapors.