Are modern new builds soundproofed???

[Deleted User]

This is a question to anyone who's as recently say in the last few years bought a new build semi detached home.

I have seen some new builds going up nearby and there are some nice semi detached and semi townhouses at a reasonable price. My only fear in that living in a detached home for the last ten years I would be very annoyed if the walls are thin and you could hear the neighbours through them???

Anyone help with this question?

p.s can't afford a detached on the site brogue anyone asks me to buy a detached home...

Freecall

The simple answer to your question is "yes".

Part E of the Building Regulations covers sound insulation on new-build dwellings.

http://http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20151113141044/http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/br_pdf_ad_e_2010.pdf

You will probably find the detail a little heavy going but newly constructed buildings are now better sound insulated than at any time in the past.

Houses constructed more than about 70 years ago tended to achieve fairly good standards as a result of the way in which they were built but the introduction of light-weight construction techniques in the latter part of the 20th century caused problems. These have now essentially been addressed and the remaining sound transmission issues are really confined to problems caused by close-proximity living rather than structure issues.

kimbyanne

We bought a Persimmon two bed semi-detached in about a year and a half ago.

I think the soundproofing is quite good, we don't really hear the neighbours very often. Don't get me wrong, its not total silence but having come from living in a flat with people below and either side with walls so thin you could hear everything going on, its pretty quiet!

Our neighbours have a dog, and occasionally if it barks we can hear it through the walls. Plus, if the bloke gets a bit shouty at the TV if football is on, we can hear that.

We can hear them open and close their patio doors if we are in our living room, not loud but noticeable, but they are a bit heavy handed with it to be fair!

Other than that, I cannot say in the 1.5 years we have lived here, I have noticed any major noise due to living in a semi.

However, my parents lived in a Taylor Wimpey new build semi a few years ago, and you could hear the neighbours sneeze.....

Guess it depends on the builder!

ADJAFC

I read somewhere that as a general rule, if you're concerned about sound and you need to buy a semi-detached, go for an older property rather than a new.

Having lived in a new build flat (2006-2008) where you could hear murmingings of louder conversations, doors slamming and occasionally music, to a victorian semi detached (2008-date), where we hear absolutely nothing. I know which building method I prefer.

Good luck in your search.

pinkshoes

I lived in a 1970s semi and could even hear the neighbour on the Phone. Soundproofing was awful.

I also lived in a 2007 newbuild flat, and other than in summer when people had windows open, I hardly heard the neighbours, even though the people below had a newborn baby.

Tansy_1980

We're in a new build (2012) and it's not noisy, but you can hear certain things. I can hear next door's blender in the morning and can definitely hear music when they play it (this may be cause the guy next door likes bass-heavy dance music though). I can't hear anyone talking or hear him going in and out of rooms etc.

Wassa123

In a 2004 built semi.

Can't hear the neighbours most of the time.
But can barely hear what I think is a clarinet.
What I hear most is the closing of kitchen cabinets on the joint wall. Probably due to the vibrations though.

DRP

I think the most important thing is tolerance and deafness.

You'll always hear noise in an attached house/flat (as long as you're not deaf).

Certain people get more annoyed by inevitable neighbour-noise than others (you need to be tolerant).

iantojones40

I think it's a bit of a myth that old, stone terraces are very well soundproofed due to them being solidly built... my last house was a 1910 built stone terrace and you could hear everything from next door, luckily the neighbours were very quiet!

Guest101

Some aren't even water proof - but they 'should' have some level of noise mitigation.

bellaboo86

My 1930s terraced isn't particularly sound proof.If I'm in the bath I can hear word for word conversations from next door. The woman does seem to prefer to communicate with her kids from a separate room though and so is shouting. On the other side I have an older gentleman who has his house phone set to extra loud. Having said this, I would say it's not often I hear much and would consider them both good neighbours. Neither have complained about my dog and he barks a lot.