Will a terrace house built in 1998 have bad noise insulation?

startingout2016

Looking at a property tomorrow that is a 2 bed terrace built in 1998.

Previously have only been looking at 50's houses and earlier which have solid brick dividing walls between neighbours.

Will the walls in a 1998 house have poor sound insulation?

Davesnave

The party walls in a 1998 house will still be solid, but beyond that, none of us can say whether they'll offer good sound insulation, or not.

The walls should meet building regulations for that time, but there are several factors which govern sound transmission, besides wall thickness. The quality of the build may also play a part.

Finally, how much one is aware of neighbours via noise, is often down to their habits and behaviour as much as the nature of a dividing wall.

I have always had quiet next-door neighbours, but I know that something like a constantly yapping dog, whether indoors or out, can be far worse than the odd slammed door and rude expletive!

davidmcn

I've lived in 1920s and 1880s houses which have had pretty poor sound insulation along the party walls, I don't think you can generalise too much based on the era.

[Deleted User]

One thing you can do is take a friend, have them go upstairs, walk around, stomp around, call out through a closed door and see if you can hear them (won't help with party wall noise query but will give you an indication of how solidly/noise proofed the rest of the house is).

You could ask the vendors if they can hear neighbours, but more importantly go to the neighbours on each side (and other people in the street) and ask them about the houses, and whether neighbours can be heard (you are more likely to get an honest answer from them lol). However, also be aware that people's sensitivity and reaction to noise differs.

TBagpuss

layout also makes a difference. Look at floorplans and windows to try to work out what will be on the other side of your party walls, as this may make a difference to the level and type of noise likely to be heard.

Hoploz

It also depends on the builder - I had a Barratt town house built approx 2000 and although there wasn't much noise from next door (neighbours were very quiet with one very nice child so I just don't think they made any noise) the noise between our rooms was much louder than in other homes I've owned with solid walls rather than cardboard ones.

casper_g

I lived in a mid-terrace house of about that age, and that particular house was OK. Airborne noise was contained pretty well, and the only time we heard the neighbours was when the children went clomping up and down the stairs.


Of course, this tells you next to nothing about the house you're looking at!

EmmyLou30

Lived in a 1995 mid terrace and for the first 5 years no issues with noise despite 5 different tenants in and out of one of the houses and 3 on the other side....then two noisy ones moved in either side at the same time and stayed for the remaining 5 years I lived there :-(
So with a normal family the noise was fine, for ones with children who scream and shout and slam doors and have parents who do nothing to discipline them or stop their behaviour then it's not fine. It's pot luck I'm afraid. But neighbours change and if you can't afford a detached house then a '90's build will probably be as good if not better than a Victorian one for example. They do have solid walls between them :-)

Shakin_Steve

We live in an end terrace built in 1906. Solid stone outside walls and brick dividing walls with chimney breasts. We can hear our neighbours television very clearly, unfortunately.
I read up on solutions and was interested to find out about the acoustics of an alcove next to a chimney breast. This is where most people put their tv's and is the worst place possible for next door.

Grenage

startingout2016 wrote: »

Will the walls in a 1998 house have poor sound insulation?

Nobody knows if the house in question will have poor sound insulation; knock on the next-door neighbour's house and ask.

I've lived in a 1977 terrace where you wouldn't hear a shotgun going off next door, and a 1905 house, where I can hear the neighbour's house ring.

House age means nothing when it comes to build quality or sound insulation.