Acoustic solutions to cut noise in the home
Enjoy peaceful nights and cosy days with Quiet Mark-certified products
Clever acoustic solutions help us to dial down the noise in our busy homes. Quiet Mark is an independent global certification programme associated with the UK Noise Abatement Society charitable foundation. It carries out scientific tests on thousands of products across dozens of categories, and those that make the grade for quiet running are listed on the Quiet Mark website, and carry the highly sought-after Quiet Mark certification. Here are some of the latest innovations for a quieter home.
In partnership with Quiet Mark
Whisper quiet doors
There’s really no need for doors to make a disturbance. Lift-sliding doors provide the perfect link between home and garden. They have an extra-low threshold that makes them easy for everyone to use, whatever their accessibility needs. Internorm’s KS 430 uPVC aluminium lift-and-slide doors come with toughened glass panes and handle-dampening to ensure that they open and close smoothly and quietly. Combine a lift-and-slide door with fixed glazing for great views and to make your room feel more spacious. They are also available with imitation sashes upon request.
Internorm’s KS 430 uPVC aluminium lift-and-slide doors
Quiet curtain tracks
Silent Gliss is the leading supplier of premium interior window treatments. Since 1952 they have been committed to developing the world’s quietest systems using state-of-the-art-technology, which have recently become Quiet Mark certified. The leading supplier of motorised and manual curtain tracks and blinds, their product range includes roller blinds, curtain tracks, curtain poles, sliding panels, roman blinds, vertical blinds, venetian blinds, pleated blinds, skylight shading, dim-out blinds, room dividers and hospital cubicle tracks.
The award-winning private residence pictured below, described as a sculptural masterpiece, was the recipient of the RIBA Manser Award. Sunken into the landscape, the house unfurls into an open-plan kitchen, living and dining room looking out through an expanse of curved-glass walls. The power and scale of Silent Gliss motorised curtain tracks was required to cater for the vast floor-to-ceiling glazing. Linked into a home control system, SG 5600 and SG 5300 systems with Wave hug the curves of the windows. Further systems are used to divide up areas to create individual rooms within the open-plan space.
Silent Gliss’ quiet motorised track system for curtains and blinds
Hushed heating
If you are looking for quiet, energy-efficient ways to heat your home, then renowned UK boiler and heating technology manufacturer Worcester Bosch has the solutions for noise reduction. A new-build or renovation project would benefit from the 7400iAW air-to-water heat pump. It uses high-efficiency, low-carbon technology to deliver warmth throughout the home. The outdoor unit is Worcester’s quietest, with a low-maintenance monobloc design housing the refrigeration circuit components.
The 7400iAW air-to-water heat pump from Worcester Bosch
Quiet boiler
Upgrading a boiler makes sense – for efficiency and a quieter home. The Greenstar 4000 combi boiler from Worcester Bosch is perfect for small-to-medium-sized homes and has a sleek, new design that will fit any modern kitchen. It runs efficiently and quietly, providing all your heating and hot water needs thanks to a wide power range. Like the rest of Worcester’s gas boiler range, the Greenstar 4000 can run on a 20% hydrogen blend, so whatever the future holds, once installed, it will be able to run on gas for its entire lifetime.
The Greenstar 4000 combi boiler from Worcester Bosch
Silent heater
Keep warm the most efficient way, with the innovative Duux Threesixty ceramic heater. This stylish compact model has a dynamic built-in fan, balancing power with efficiency to warm a 30sqm room twice as fast as conventional heaters. As well as Wi-Fi connectivity, smart app compatibility and adjustable temperature and ventilation settings, it features a tip-over safety switch and overheat protection for 24/7 heating.
Duux Threesixty ceramic heater
Acoustic panels
WoodUpp’s Akupanel is an acoustic wooden-slat wall panel that aims to bring a touch of beauty and calm into your home. The panels work especially well in rooms with hard, bare surfaces, absorbing sound waves that would otherwise reverberate throughout the space. Since it was founded in 2017, WoodUpp has focused on creating a premium noise reduction product and building a sustainable production chain. Beginning in a small workshop in Denmark, it now sells its feature walls across the world.
WoodUpp’s Akupanel acoustic wooden-slat wall panel
Acoustic ceilings
We don’t pay enough attention to ceilings when it comes to sound reduction. BASWA’s acoustic plaster products aim to change all that, using high-performance sound absorption technology to control echo and reverberation, reducing the noise caused by reflective surfaces such as tile and glass. BASWA’s new Natural Acoustic Plaster System uses sustainable, organically grown plant fibres for its smooth, seamless marble-plaster finish. It is applied by certified installers and bonded to a new or existing ceiling. The plaster finish can be factory tinted to any colour, making it one of the most unobtrusive acoustic solutions.
BASWA’s Natural Acoustic Plaster System. Photo: Rory Gardiner
Quiet tumble drying
Aim for a bit of hush in the kitchen and save energy at the same time. Because the Miele TWH780 WP EcoSpeed 9kg tumble dryer uses heat pump technology, it’s more efficient than running a condenser dryer. The EcoDry and PerfectDry programmes work together to keep energy use low, while DryCare 40 and SilenceDrum provide noise reduction. And EcoSpeed lets you dry a full load of washing quickly. Best of all, the tumble dryer has been tested for 20 years of use – that’s a whopping 7,500 hours of drying.
The Miele TWH780 WP EcoSpeed 9kg tumble dryer
More about Quiet Mark
Visit quietmark.com for further information about the organisation’s work on noise pollution. You can also find out more about the importance of managing sound by tuning in to the Quiet Mark podcast.
