Soundproofing a semi detached house.

PhilE

At present you can hear the neighbors talking, curtains being drawn. The neighbors have presently moved out, but they will be renting it.

Has anybody soundproofed a semi of terraced house with success? There's a company local I'll be chatting with, would be interested to hear if anyone has had much luck with soundproofing.

Cheers.

london.cidade

very interested in this. Wanna learn prices. In my opinion, at least the main bedroom must be soundproofed. As far as I`ve seen, soundproofing, in general, is really poor in England.

aneary

Can't you get plaster board that is soundproof?

If your walls are already plaster board take the current plaster board down and refit with new plaster board which is soundproof?

Not sure how good it is though?

Also if there are unfilled cavities between you and your neighbour wouldn't filling it in help?

Windofchange

As per the above:

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Knauf-Sound-Panel-Tapered-Edge-2400x1200x12-5mm/p/224657

I have just finished building a gym in my house where I have installed a pretty large sound system. Put a load of this around the walls and it isn't like you can hear a pin drop in the next room, but it is pretty darn good.

A further option would be to pad the stud wall with insulation, and I suppose if you are doing the whole house the wall on the other side with this stuff too.

edinburgher

We looked at soundproofing a tenement flat because neighbour was a 'DJ' (i.e. inconsiderate sod who liked to listen to dance music far too loud). We came to the conclusion that it would have been a total waste of money because of all of the variables involved. Sound, it seemed, can travel about a million different ways, I would be skeptical of anyone offering miraculous results without a very high price tag.

Sound travels through the void above the flat, through the floorboards, through the walls, through any unfilled cavities, through sockets etc. on the walls, through open windows (obviously)! The thickest carpet and underlay we could find helped in one of the worst affected rooms.

The approach to full soundproofing basically seemed to be building a room within a room and that would have a) done away with the lovely high ceilings and large rooms you expect in a tenement and b) made us feel a bit like we were making ourselves prisoners in our own home.

They moved out eventually and we made our own exit shortly before his replacement arrived, a folk singing coach! :rotfl:

Riggyman

I used JCW acoustics to supply and fit sound proofing to the adjoining walls of my semi. Very good, reduced sound by about 90%. Lost about 2 inches of room.

I think they'd do supply only if you're handy at plastering.

PhilE

The house next door is going to be let out; when the last neighbors where there you could hear everything.

And hearing Mr and Mrs 'Smith,' getting jiggy on a Sunday afternoon was quite disturbing.

Granted, if someone where to set up a big sound system its not going to make much difference, but even in a detached you'll hear a loud party next door.

This article might be of interest http://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/property-news/how-to-cope-with-noisy-neighbours-soundproof-your-home-28278.html

William_Frost

Low frequency sounds have a habit of travelling through walls quite easily and even the best soundproofing windows only slightly reduce the transmission of sounds. If you did fully sound proof your walls (the cost would be quite substantial) you would still be let down by sound being transmitted via the windows / window frames and the ceiling. It might be cheaper and easier to find a different property.