Sound Proofing a Terraced House

juliebunny

Has anyone ever sound proofed their home? As summer approaches, the neighbours will be having their music on Late and Loud (and it was all day today, so much for a peaceful Sunday) and I'm fed up with it. It's the house next door then the one next to them too (I suspect one puts theirs on to retaliate to the noise from the other one....). I want to move house but that will take a while to save up for...:cool:

I've seen there are specialist companies who supply it and then you do it yourself - I'm a very novice DIYer but would give it a go if necessary. I think i would rather get someone to do the work for me.

Can anyone recommend any systems or companies (Essex or Herts or North London areas.)? Im thinking it will probably involve the walls, but maybe the windows can be soundproofed to. One of the windows needs replacing anyway.

missprice

can say that for the same reason I got triple glazing all over the house.
it took a couple years but it has worked for me.
very noisy family next door (8+ kids) and now so long as the door is shut I cant hear them.
and if they drag stuff around their garden I can just hear it (they drag the shells of toys around like a plastic Wendy house and the skeleton of a swing thing)

sniggings

very very expensive and it may not even work, best of putting the money to your moving fund.

Maybe give one of these a try...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marpac-SleepMate-980A-Electro-Mechanical-Conditioner/dp/B000KUHFGM

they are not just for use when sleeping.

southcoastrgi

are you sure they aren't just turning the music up to drown out your snoring

abankerbutnotafatcat

Per Sniggings reply. Unless it's between 9pm and 8am in which case Environmental Health at your local council can get involved or moves into the street in which case our neighbourhood police said it's classified 'anti-social' any time of day but yours may have a different view.

juliebunny

southcoastrgi wrote: »

are you sure they aren't just turning the music up to drown out your snoring

Ha ha cheeky! Get thee back to the boiler thread I don't snore - well it's never been a complaint anyway! Maybe I should move down to the South coast for a quieter life.

abankerbutnotafatcat wrote: »

Per Sniggings reply. Unless it's between 9pm and 8am in which case Environmental Health at your local council can get involved or moves into the street in which case our neighbourhood police said it's classified 'anti-social' any time of day but yours may have a different view.

My council are not interested and I would have to declare any neighbour disputes when moving house too, so that is not an option. And yes, I do consider 5am anti-social. I also consider thumping base all day on a sunday anti-social regardless of what the council think. Unfortunately one of the other neighbours is retaliating by playing THEIR music loud too....:cool:

I took a lot of care to find a quiet street when I moved in and have lived there happily for around 9 years untilt his started....it was quite for a long time (except the usual noises, barking dogss, M25 etc!) Until this family's kids became teenagers!

It's not the worst place I've ever lived, and I suppose eventually the kids will naff off, but I moved out from London, and some pretty awful places, and I'm at an age now where I want some peace and quite (i.e. old fogie)

Part of the problem is that my house has been opened up downstairs so it's basically just one room - lots of space and light but the original layout would have given me an extra internal wall, so that might also be another option.

juliebunny

sniggings wrote: »

very very expensive and it may not even work, best of putting the money to your moving fund.

Maybe give one of these a try...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marpac-SleepMate-980A-Electro-Mechanical-Conditioner/dp/B000KUHFGM

they are not just for use when sleeping.

I've never tried anything like this - does it KEEP you asleep? I've used meditations to help me get back to sleep but then waking up again later. The item is OOS but I did find this on You tube so gonna try it but had it on at work at could still hear everyone yabbering around me so can't understand how it would work?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNqERBWaJeM

Still looking into soundproofing anyway, as I'm sure whoever moved into the house after me would appreciate it too. Doesn't seem that expenisve if you can do the work yourself. And a quiet home is priceless....

EDIT - wow, you can also download sounds of a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer!!

sunshinetours

Loads of threads on here about it if you search with very mixed results. problem is eliminating/minimising all areas where the houses are attached. Simply by their nature terraces and semis will always be more prone to impact noise from next door as walls and possibly beams and fireplaces etc are shared or connected

External noise in garden etc is more difficult whether attached or detached and double or triple glazing where there is none will obviously help

Have you spoken with neighbours - are they approachable?
Is a detached, smaller place an option for future property? It makes a whole world of difference

juliebunny

Neighbours are pretty vile, prefer not to engage with them plus I'm scared of repurcussions. I've read a million threads about awful neighbours. Ive had many in my time.

Detached, smaller is definitely the dream! I'm saving hard but the government makes it very hard to move with stamp duty so high and I work in London so am tied to commuting routes.

What I'm really looking for is anyone who has experience of sound proofing walls at this stage? TIA.

I've got a man coming out on Friday to give me a quote for new double or even triple glazing. (-:

sunshinetours

Sorry I meant loads of threads about sound proofing not awful neighbours!
Good luck anyway!

jc808

strip the plaster off the party walls (or leave it there, youll just lose an inch or so off your finished wall)

build a stud wall proud of the wall by a centimetre or so

fill it with insulation (loft roll type)

lift upthe floorboards, chuck insulation down there and in the loft if u havent already

puit up plasterboard and have it taped and jointed (put up a layer of ply first if you want to be able to fix to wall easily and kill more noise - plaster too if ur feeling extravagant)

this will kill a lot of noise

but its expensive