Soundproofing

[Wesker]

Can anyone give me any advice on soundproofing our flat? We have trouble with noisy neighbours above us, basically its a very bad conversion, and we need to know if its worth considering paying out for soundproofing to be done to our ceilings.
How successful is it at blocking out sound and also a rough guide on the cost for an average size room.
Also is there any possibility of getting a grant towards the cost of it.
Any help appreciated. Thanks.

[dougk]

I guess you would need to install a false ceiling with an insulation material between.

Are they new neighbours - have they just moved in or is it the other way round?

You could make a complaint to the Environmental Health if the noise is that loud. Have you tried talking to the neighbours about the problem?

[Wesker]

We've lived here 13 years, the people above us have been there about 2 years. They are not the first noisy neighbours we've had tho. The problem is that although they may not think they are that noisy, the fault lies mainly with the building itself. Its a house that at some point has been converted into flats, and we found out a few years ago that whoever converted it never had permission to do so. I would imagine with proper building regulations for converting a building into flats that soundproofing would have been looked into.
We are buying this flat as is the guy below us, but the guy that owns the flat above us rents it out. We've had good people and bad up there and we have complained to him about it and he says he'll have words with them but it doesnt seem to make much difference.
Its a lovely flat and we really cant afford to move anyway, but we've put up with it long enough and need to do something about it.

[albalad]

you can buy "soundblock" gyproc which you could screw up to your existing plasterboard ceiling and then fill in the edges with acoustic sealant, which would help a bit , but as the noise would still travel through the walls you would need to consider these as well.

if you are on speaking terms with upstairs landlord(and were willing to pay for it) you could lift the floorboards upstairs and put in "deadening"

ccf are suppliers to the building industry of this type of material (nationwide)
http://www.ccfltd.co.uk/productinfo/insulation.asp?ID=1 (look under isowool)

a couple of other sites worth a look

http://www.soundproofing.org/sales/prices.html

http://212.67.202.8/~wardle/Noise_Insulation/index.php

[Getafix]

For ceilings its best to use resilient bars. Take a look at http://www.domesticsoundproofing.co....ofing/rbar.htm for an explanation.

The basic concept is to suspend the plasterboard via springs to cut out the vibrations.

[Wesker]

Thanks for all the help, am looking into it ;-)

[sophisicat1]

hi

Can anyone help me with some advise please. I have an identicle story to Wesker. Except my landlord is the local council and I have complained for nearly two years, I have had a DAT machine installed from the Envoirement health agency.
I too have no soudproofing and have a couple, an active toddler and a bull mastif upstairs!!!

So as you can imagine my partner and I are at the brink of severe depression and have split up over these conditions many times, only to come back and put up with the noise. Which I can only describe as intolerable noise abuse.

What rights do I have?

The neighbours upstairs are now trying to persuade the council to let them convert it back to a 3 bed house, by saying it will cost you less to convert back rather than soundproof at an expense. Then I get shifted on to a smaller place. It just doesnt seem fair.

My studio flat downstairs is is simply converted with one wall to there front door landing space and that is it. We have really suffered at the neglegence and lack of adequate regulations. What can I do about it. will i be compensated for the suffering.

Hope you can help.Thanks

[david39]

The OP states that he is buying his flat and also that the person who converted the original house into flats did not have permission to do so.

It is important that the OP, before he completes the purchase, ensures that the local planning office has now approved the conversion otherwise there could well be repercussions either at the time when the OP resells it or even before, should the local authority have cause to investigate further.

I'm sure that the OP's solicitor will have checked all of this and would not recommend completion of the sale if there was any query still hanging over it, but it is still worth the OP mentioning it to him/her in case it has been overlooked in the searches.

[davetrousers]

Originally Posted by david39

The OP states that he is buying his flat and also that the person who converted the original house into flats did not have permission to do

The OP posted this in 2005

[david39]

So he did - didn't spot that.

Never mind, someone else may have read it and the warning may come in useful at some time.