ROCKWOOL UK has launched a new technical bulletin that is, set to transform how rainscreen cladding is specified for its acoustic performance.
Unique to the sector, the Rainscreen Acoustic Reference Guide looks at the rising impact of noise in urban environments and explains how rainscreen cladding with sound insulation can minimise this problem.
The guide gives reliable acoustic test data on a range of ROCKWOOL products, enabling the right rainscreen cladding solution to be selected with complete confidence that it will perform in its selected application.
Greater urbanisation is seeing our living spaces becoming crowded. The increasing need for space has meant that buildings are being built too close to major sources of noise, including road traffic, railway networks, air traffic and even other construction sites.
While the industry understands that noise pollution is a problem, finding acoustic test data for rainscreen cladding systems has not been easy.
In meeting the need for data, ROCKWOOL has carried out a number of acoustic tests and produced this technical document to show information on the sound reduction performances that can be achieved by using stone wool insulation solutions.
The test results show that by using 100mm of RAINSCREEN DUO Slab, outdoor noise can be reduced from 68dB to 9dB, the equivalent of rustling leaves. These acoustic levels show that there is no need for additional, costly mass layers.
In fact, even when reducing this system to a single layer of acoustic plasterboard, a good performance level is still achievable. This is reassuring for building occupants, as it means that as long as ROCKWOOL is specified, they can benefit from a comfortable and healthy living and working space.
ROCKWOOL has included this new data into its acoustic calculator, which gives contractors, specifiers, and distributors a simple and effective way of working out the acoustic performance of insulation installed on walls, floors and roofs.