House soundproofing uk: What is the cost of soundproofing v’s moving house?

What is the cost of soundproofing v’s moving house?

Is soundproofing your home cheaper than moving house?

According to a survey by Halifax Homes in March, nearly 1 in 10 people claim to have moved to a new house because of poor relations with their neighbours. The survey also highlighted that people living next door were a bigger influence on a decision to move house than schools.

The types of behaviour behind most of the decisions to move house include (53%) being attributing to the noise from their neighbours, such as; loud voices, music, and Television noise. If you are having to deal with unwanted noise from your neighbours, then you are not alone. A survey from
Which? discovered over 3 million UK adults suffer with noisy neighbours.

Should I stay, or should I go?

Many customers contact us at their ‘wits end’ due to the unwanted noise of noisy neighbours. The unwanted noise can be so bad that anxieties around noisy neighbours can mean in some instances, people start looking exclusively at detached properties. All of which come at a premium and in 90% of cases are cost prohibitive.

Latest figures from
Gov.UK report the average price of a detached property being £438,145, compared to the average price of a semi-detached property of £296,207, or terraced property £233,644.

If you currently live in a semi-detached property, on average it will be an extra £140,000 for a detached house. This doesn’t include the actual cost of moving, such as; solicitors fees, valuation fees (some lenders don’t charge for this), stamp duty, surveyor’s fees, estate agent fees, removal costs and higher mortgage costs on a more expensive home. There are also more expensive running costs, or higher council tax costs to consider.
On average, the cost of moving in the UK is just over £10,000, or just under £25,000 if moving to London (Halifax 2022)

Average house price by property type for England

Average price by property type (July 2022)

Average soundproofing costs for walls, floors and ceilings (July 2022)

Will Soundproofing stop all noise from noisy neighbours?

If you are very sensitive to sound, you’re not going to find a better solution than a completely detached property. Soundproofing can greatly improve the sound transference of an attached property. However, it can be difficult to determine exactly what kind of results will be achieved.

Why soundproofing isn’t an exact science

The difficulty with sound is that it’s extremely complex, as sound is an energy and a vibration. The vibration travels very easily through solid material and can transfer from one surface to another if in direct contact. So once the sound energy gets into a structure it can easily spread through different surfaces. As sound isn’t visible, it is often difficult to know exactly what surfaces the sound is travelling through. Every property is different and the way sound travels through it is unique to that property. This is why, for soundproofing to be successful, it is advisable to speak to an expert who can discuss your particular noise issue in more detail, learn about the types and levels of noise being soundproofed against and importantly the type and structure of the property.

Different property structures and soundproofing

If you have noisy neighbours and the sound is coming through the party wall of the house, you would be correct to soundproof the wall of your home. However, in some properties, some of the sound could also be leaking through the floor, or the ceiling or the adjoining walls. It could even be travelling out of the neighbour’s windows and back in through yours. (Or potentially all of these!).

There are also many different types of party wall that all perform to different levels. Along with lots of potential flaws and weaknesses that can occur in party walls. Therefore, if the noise from next door is excessively bad and the construction of the party wall is incredibly poor, then even a very high performing soundproofing system can only do so much. It would certainly improve things greatly but doesn’t mean it will block out 100% of the noise.

It is rare that a lot of sound will be leaking through other areas, but it certainly can happen. And if it does, realistically the only way to combat it, would be to soundproof the wall, floor and ceiling in that particular room. Like you would if you were building a soundproofed music studio.

Will soundproofing an attached house make a difference?

In all likelihood it is possible to soundproof an attached house to a level that would make a huge reduction in soundproofing against the unwanted noise from noisy neighbours and the thousands of extremely satisfied customers
The Soundproofing Store have helped is certainly testament to this. A detached house means no noise from neighbours can directly pass through any part of the structure but comes at a premium cost.

If you love your home and the location, but don’t enjoy living there due to noisy neighbours, then soundproofing can certainly help to improve the soundproofing capabilities within your home. Many soundproofing solutions can be installed by a competent DIY’er or local tradesperson and are far less hassle than moving house. Soundproofing your existing home also comes at a fraction of the cost of moving to a detached property.

Click the buttons below for different performing soundproofing solutions for walls, floors and ceilings:

• Walls

• Floors

• Ceilings

How to soundproof walls, floors and ceilings videos

Highlighted below are videos of three wall soundproofing solutions:

1. The ReductoClip™ Independent Wall Solution

2. ReductoClip™ Direct to Wall Solution

3. The SoundBoard 4™ Direct to Wall solution

Also shown is a video for soundproofing floors:

4. SoundMat™ 3 Plus floor solution

Finally, a video showing how to soundproof ceilings:

5. ReductoClip™ ceiling system

The wall, floor and ceiling systems vary depending on the levels of noise needing to be soundproofed against. They do demonstrate the alternative to having to move house and are much cheaper alternatives.  

1. ReductoClip™ Independent Wall Soundproofing Solution

2. ReductoClip™ Direct to Wall Clip Soundproofing Solution

3. SoundBoard 4™ Direct to Wall soundproofing boards

4. SoundMat 3 Plus™ Floor Soundproofing

5. ReductoClip™ Ceiling Soundproofing

Effective soundproofing provides a much cheaper alternative to moving house

The correct soundproofing solution for walls, ceilings and floors depends on the structure of the home, the type of noise (airborne, impact, or a combination of both) and how loud the noise is.

It is certainly possible to soundproof a home against noisy neighbours, rather than having to move to a detached property. As a rough guide, based on the average figures mentioned earlier, the cost of soundproofing an average sized wall, floor AND ceiling would be more than 97% cheaper than the cost of moving house to a detached property.

Soundproofing Semi-Detached House From Noisy Neighbours

This particular case study looks at the option of soundproofing a semi detached house against noisy neighbours where a client is suffering from specific noises such as; kids running around next door, TV noise, conversation, coughing, plug sockets and light switches and doors banging. Our client like many that contact us everyday can even make out words from next door and recognise songs and TV programs through their party wall. Our objective is to eradicate these noises and also give our client some privacy in their own home.

In this noisy neighbours blog we will consider the floors, ceilings and walls to be treated when soundproofing semi detached

Floors

If you are hearing plug sockets, light switches, running around, banging, thumping and can make out words or TV programs, it is highly likely your floor joists are running into the party wall. This means vibration is being transmitted through floor joists, and sound energy is building up under your floor between the subfloor and the floor boards. In some case’s when you disconnect the floor joists “you can no longer hear the neighbours front door slam” Quietco are called in to investigate many soundproofing DIY attempts or where a builder has attempted to soundproof the alcoves of a party wall. It is always the floors are that have been overlooked, floors are one of the most important parts of any soundproofing project. On this particular project in Gloucestershire, it was really disappointing to find out that a well-known popular soundproofing company from London had done nothing to the floor. Even worse, immediately under the floor boards the Quietco team could get their arm through to next door and tap on the neighbour’s floor.

The London company did not treat the flanking walls, floor or ceilings or loft, only the chimney stacks and alcoves. When soundproofing semi detached properties with suspended wooden floors that have the joists running into the party walls, it is quite common for us to find that there are bricks missing where the joists enter the party wall. Theses gaps are allowing the sound from next door to come straight through into the clients lounge dinner.

For most semi detached properties, it is a far more effective soundproofing technique to disconnect the floor joists from the noisy neighbours wall. This means the vibration from next door will no longer transmit through your joists. @quietco we have our own unique way of disconnecting the floor joists, isolating the suspended floor joists from the noisy neighbours wall then offering our clients a floating floor further isolating the floor from the structure. Please see TPSE and TPSP our floating floor range.

Disconnecting the floor joists is best suited for clients with semi-detached homes and  extremely noisy neighbours or those clients with impact noise problems. Quietco manage the whole project including building applications and inspections from the local building control.

Chimney stacks

A frequently asked question with this age of property is “Do my chimney stacks need to be treated as part of any soundproofing investment” the answer is YES we would always recommend soundproofing the chimney stack on the party wall. However; have you ever thought of having the chimney stacks removed if you do not use them? It is more effective to run a complete soundproofing system across the entire party wall compared to going around the flanking chimney stack.  Check out our video for the latest advice.

Ceilings

Soundproofing semi detached houses will always involved soundproofing the lounge or dining room ceiling. The sound insulation commonly used is acoustic mineral wool and various acoustic barrier matting together with adding mass to the living room side. Treating this flanking area will not only prevent noise from next door coming over any soundproofing investment, it will also give you privacy and reduce your noise going next door. The ceiling should be treated as part of any living room noisy neighbours soundproofing investment.

Window walls

Soundproofing window walls are always missed but treating the window wall really makes a successful soundproofing investment, “Are you saying the window wall has to be treated too?” Simply put your ear on the window wall, the wall perpendicular to the neighbours party wall. Looking at the window wall the reveal connected to the party wall in particular. See if you hear your noisy neighbours on this wall section? It is highly likely you do, in which case we need to soundproof this flanking area as part of any party wall soundproofing investment. The space loss for window walls soundproofing is normally 3cm see out TPS30W.

Party wall

Quietco has 5 different soundproofing wall systems suitable for soundproofing semi detached homes. As well as cost, space loss is a major factor for some clients and can limit the level of noise reduction achieved. Each wall system tackles different frequencies of noise. The price ranges from £350/m² to over £700/m².

So what was the soundproofing result….

On this particular project, the noisy neighbours allowed an independent acoustic company to test the sound insulation of the property. A UKAS accredited engineer from a well-known UK consultancy company carried out the sound insulations test of the semi-detached property. This means the equipment was set up on both the noisy neighbours side and our client side of the separating wall and they carried sound insulation testing in accordance with procedures following British Standards and Annex B of Approved Document Part E.

The decibel rating of the wall after the London soundproofing company left the job was 38dB down stairs and 40dB upstairs. (Required sound insulation is 43 dB(DnT’w + Ctr) )…..What does this mean: the customer could hear everything and follow conversation of the neighbours in her lounge and dining room, she could make out words and was also woken up by doors banging.

What was the result after TPS70W was installed to the party wall?

Quietco achieved a 60dB upstairs and 63dB downstairs…..What does this mean: We completed the installation in November and returned in January after the painting and decorating was completed to sign off the project. When we asked our client: “What did you hear from next door over the Christmas period?” the client said: “I did not hear anything really…. I heard a door slam….I think, though that may have come from outside… and I was sat in the silence at the time”

She kindly wrote us an email a few months later….

“I cannot praise the Quietco Team enough. From the initial consultation through to the end result meticulous attention was paid to all elements of the work.  Following on from the first consultation further detailed discussions were required to make absolutely sure that the work specification would meet my desired outcome, and deliver the peace and quiet which I was seeking. No detail was too small or too much trouble. As a result, the job of soundproofing the whole of my semi-detached party wall, putting in new floating floors and soundproofing the ceilings and flanking walls was completed on time and to a very high standard. During the actual work every effort was made to keep the disruption to a minimum, and every evening surfaces were hoovered and wiped down. The individuals in the team were a pleasure to have working on the job – totally professional. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Quietco, whatever the size of job required.”

In summary

Soundproofing semi detached houses room is not just a case of installing a soundproof wall system to the party wall. All the flanking areas of the room such as the floor, chimney stacks, ceiling, window wall and other walls perpendicular to the party wall may need to be soundproofed as part of the investment. (See our case study on TV noise from nextdoor) Although hundreds of our clients are happy with only the party wall soundproofed, we will always design a solution outlining the flanking areas. Please give us a call, or contact us to arrange a call.

How to Soundproof your house

Posted a while ago by Clare Stronge

Back to guides

Let’s face it. Unless you live in a remote part of the countryside in a house with very thick walls, then noise pollution is a part of your every day life.

Noisy neighbours, loud televisions and radios, and high level of traffic volume are just some of the typical noise pollutants which regularly invade our homes when we are trying to relax after a stressful day.

It’s a real invasion of privacy but there’s not a lot that you can do a lot about it. Right? Wrong.

Before you decide to move away from the constant racket, read our straightforward guide to soundproofing your home.

From your windows to your walls, your ceilings to your doors, our guide will ensure you won’t hear as much as a peep from outside. And if you’re on a tight budget, we have tons of helpful tips which will reduce noise in any property, without complaints from your wallet!

Why should I sound proof my property?

As well as being an irritant, UK environmental consultants believe that excessive levels of noise pollution can actually lead to ill health!

The Government is also concerned about the problem of noise pollution, and has passed legislation for all new buildings and refurbishments, known as Building Regulations Part E or, “Resistance to the Passage of Sound”.

The aim of these regulations is to improve sound insulation, not only between dwellings but actually within the properties themselves, and also between shared property such as rooms in hostels, hotels and residential homes.

How does sound travel?

In order to best sound proof your home, it is important to understand a little bit about how sound actually works.

Sound is made up of low frequency waves, which are similar to radio waves. When something makes a sound, it emits these waves which will travel in all directions from the source.

These waves will keep travelling until they meet some form of resistance, such as a wall or sofa. But they can also bounce off these items, and that can cause an effect known as reverberation, which actually strengthens the sound.

Proper sound proofing uses materials that not only absorb or block sound, but they do not allow it to reverb or echo, which keeps things nice and quiet!

How does sound proofing actually work?

In plain English, the only way to stop sound is to either reduce it or absorb it. Whether you opt to use a professional or go down the DIY route, it is still these two techniques that will be used.

The first technique is noise reduction. Noise reduction works by blocking the passage of sound waves through either the use of distance or the placing of intervening objects in the sound path.

The second way – noise absorption – operates by transforming the sound wave itself. While this might sound like a magic trick, it simply means that the wave changes when it comes into contact with certain materials.

A simple example of noise absorption is with the material lead. Lead is both a heavy and soft material so when a sound wave comes into contact with it, the wave does not reverberate as lead is soft and it begins to quiet, or dampen, as lead is heavy.

Making a sound wave transfer through different layers of material with different densities also assists in noise damping.

This is the reason why foam in a wall is a popular sound damper. The sound waves are forced to travel through multiple foam cells which transforms and absorbs the sound.

But a word of warning – if not done properly, then foam in a wall may be undependable as a sound proofing technique. If in doubt, consult a professional sound proofer or builder.

Can I sound proof my home myself?

It is completely possible to sound proof your home yourself, although the key is to get the correct products for your particular needs.

Most sound proofing companies such as Soundstop provide sound proofing materials that need only low to medium DIY skills, but can also offer a professional fitting service in the UK if required.

Whichever route you choose, it may be worth considering that if you intend to spend a lot of money on sound proofing your home, and you possess only basic DIY skills, then it might be more cost effective to use a professional.

It would be very frustrating to fork out and then have to cover your ears!

What a din!

The first step when sound proofing your home is to work out where the sound is coming from, and what part of your property most needs sound insulation.

The problem with sound is that it will find every crack in your home in which to sneak in, so a thorough examination of walls, doors and windows is in order.

A useful way to do this is to turn everything off in your home, and listen carefully to where external sound is emanating. Try to do this at different times of the day when there will be different levels of sound in your neighbourhood.

In order to most efficiently sound proof your home, you will need to know what level of noise you are attempting to block out.

All sound is measured in decibels (dB) and the table below will give you an idea of what level of sound you are dealing with. This vital information will determine what type of materials you need for your particular property.

Common sounds measured in decibels (dB)

Type of Noise	Audibility (in dB)
Rustle of leaves	0 dB
Quiet conversation	30 dB
Ambience in a city at night	45 dB
Background noise in an office	50 dB
Average radio	60 dB
Car passing on the street	70 dB
Intercity train/loud music indoors	80 dB
Pneumatic drill at 3 metres	90 dB
Jet plane taking off at 100 metres/Rock band	100 dB
Screaming baby/Industry legal limit	115 dB
Deafening	120 dB

Materials used for sound proofing rooms are all rated for their effectiveness at dampening sound. These ratings are known as Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings. Basically the higher the STC rating, the better the sound proofing capabilities of a material. Most windows, insulation, and carpeting all come with STC ratings, even if they are not specifically for sound insulation.

Specialised sound proofing materials will not only have these STC ratings, but have additional qualities that are designed to deal with all decibels of noise pollution.

As we have already mentioned, sound proofing companies such as Sound Service (Oxford) Ltd, Noise Stop Systems, Sound Proofing R Us, Sound Stop, Sound Reduction Systems, iKoustic, or Karma Acoustic Solutions can supply you with soundproofing materials, or supply and fit your materials for an additional cost.

What are the problem areas?

What a pane!

Windows are the biggest culprit for sound entering or leaving your home – with single glass panes the worst offender of all.

The irony with single glass panes is that they are usually found on older properties, which actually have very thick walls, so if they were replaced then the difference would be immense.

Upgrading single pane windows to double glazing can reduce your noise levels by up to 20%. And if you splash out and buy double glazed windows with acrylic frames, this can reduce your noise levels by up to 50%!

How swish!

Although highly effective, if buying new windows sounds too expensive, then the next best thing can be to buy heavy curtains or drapes.

There are special kinds of drapes known as sound deadening drapes and they come in a variety of styles to suit your tastes – and they won’t break the bank.

Plug it!

Window plugs are simply soundproofing mats that are cut to the exact size of your window frame.

The plugs are normally one or two inches thick and are easy to fashion yourself.

Window plugs form a tight sound barrier around the cracks in the window frame but they will also block the light – so are only really suitable for use at night.

The Walls Have Ears!

Despite appearances, the walls in a room can be the least solid barrier for noise. Standard thin drywall can be ineffective for hampering travelling noise but there are solutions!

Adding Drywall

Simply adding more layers of drywall to a wall can improve sound resistance. The basic rule of thumb is: the thicker the drywall, the better.

Simply apply silicone caulking – a sealant which will close up joints and gaps – to the stud side of the wall. Attach the drywall with screws or nails. Then apply a second layer of caulking and another sheet of drywall.

Insulation

Adding insulation to your walls can help improve sound absorption.

This is especially handy if you are moving into a newly built home as you can apply fibreglass insulation to the wall before both sides of drywall have been put up.

Again, the rule of thumb is: the thicker the insulation, the better sound absorption you will have.

But don’t worry if your walls have already been built, you can still apply insulation by cutting holes in the drywall between the wall studs.

You then blow in foam or paper insulation, which will deaden sound.

Wall coverings

If you are renting, or you simply don’t want to go inside your walls, then you can apply wall covering material with soundproofing capabilities on the outside of your walls.

These materials are available from any professional soundproofing company and can be painted to match the style of your room.

Look up!

Well, before you look up, look down! If you can soundproof the floor above your ceiling then that is a much better option.

Soundproofing the ceiling is trickier because it involves installing a false ceiling. This false ceiling needs to be attached to resilient bars to create a cavity between the existing ceiling otherwise you won’t benefit from a reduction in sound.

If you are certain you need a false ceiling, then contact a professional but read our tips below in case you can reduce the noise problem without forking out.

Cover the Upstairs Floors

Adding carpet or special soundproof matting, which is available in carpet shops, to an upstairs room, you can noticeably reduce the level of noise heard below.

Insulate the Ceiling

Depending on your level of DIY skills, you can remove the drywall on your ceiling, and insert layers of fibreglass insulation. While you’re up there you can also add soundproof tiling to your ceiling, which is fantastic at stopping sound travelling through!

Close the doors!

It might sound obvious but you don’t want to fork out hundreds of pounds for top soundproofing and then ruin it by leaving your door ajar!

But on a more serious note, don’t forget that snug fitting internal and external doors in your property are vital for trapping sound, otherwise your sound insulation efforts will be wasted.

If you can afford it, then solid wood doors make the sound blockers, but also make sure you have airtight thresholds, door heads and jambs.

Special weather seals for doors are also available at most DIY stores for a few quid. These are easily stuck around the seal of the door frame, and make a world of difference!

Are there any quick fix solutions?

If you’re on a tight budget, then don’t worry. Here we have compiled a list of some of the cost effective ways of reducing sound – guaranteed to be music to your ears!

• Try to ensure that at least 25% of every room contains absorbent materials, such as carpeting, furniture, or draperies. These materials help dampen sound waves, and absorb sound.
• If you’re really stuck then you can always hang carpeting or bedding or push mattresses up against the walls, to help reduce noise transmission.
• You can attack noise at the source. Place half-inch-thick pads of rubber or cork under the legs or corners of heavy appliances.
• Put stereo speakers on stands to prevent turning floors and walls into whole-house speakers.
• Mask noise indoors or outdoors with table top fountains, garden water features, or plant ornamental grasses that make a soothing sound when the wind blows.
• Place weather stripping around all doors, even interior ones. Replace any weather stripping that is loose or admits light or air.

The Sound of Silence!

Your home can turn into an oasis of silence by reducing or absorbing unwanted noise in your property. Whether you use a professional or have a go yourself, the costs need not be excessive and the rewards speak for themselves.

In fact, you’ll be so happy with your quiet home that you’ll want to shout it from the rooftops – but do have pity on your neighbours who haven’t soundproofed theirs!

Noise isolation is an important aspect of apartment renovation in London It cannot be in London. The capital of Great Britain is one of the most densely populated and largest cities in the world, so traffic is constantly active here. In addition, there is a subway, which also contributes to the background noise. Although it is underground, the vibration is given along the walls. And everyone living in the city, after a busy day, a buzz in the street, wants to come home and sit at least a little in silence. And then bam – also a neighbor decided to watch football with friends.

Specialists of the G7 g7.ltd construction company, when building a new house or reconstructing it, always use modern technologies and materials to ensure the isolation of the premises from noise pollution.

Let’s look at the example of several misconceptions that have been established among the people about sound insulation, guided by what principles it can be achieved. An entire field of science is devoted to sound, and there is nothing shameful in admitting that you do not understand anything about it. But in their experience, the G7 construction crews sometimes run into people who think they’re soundproofing experts. But in fact, they expressed common misconceptions in this matter. Using the services of a construction company in London, you get guarantees for the quality of the work.

Myths about noise insulation

There is nothing occult in sound insulation, just banal physics, and more specifically, two main principles: the law of mass and “mass-elasticity-mass”.

According to the law of mass, the sound insulation of ceilings, walls and partitions is increased by increasing the mass. But the increase in sound insulation with increasing mass does not occur arithmetically, but logarithmically. If in a simple way: by doubling the mass, the sound insulation effect will increase several times less.

The second law is that the insulation of the room should be made of elastic materials that will “bend” under the sound wave. In a global sense, the material must be either heavy or very elastic. Based on these simplified truths, let’s look at several myths associated with soundproofing.

The very first misconception: sound insulation and sound absorption are synonymous terms. Actually there is a difference. With sound absorption, the energy of the reflected sound wave is reduced when it collides with an obstacle, with the same wall, partition or ceiling. The effect is due to the dissipation of energy and its transformation into heat. When covering barriers (walls) with sound-absorbing materials, the audibility inside the room itself increases. It is measured in the coefficient αw.

Soundproofing aims to reduce the sound level as it moves from one room to another. It is measured using the airborne noise index Rw.

It follows from this that using thin materials to increase sound insulation will not work. It is ineffective to do with only sound-absorbing materials for interior decoration if the customer wants to achieve maximum sound insulation.

Another myth is that a double-glazed window with three glasses (two-chamber) is better soundproofing than a double-glazed window with two glasses. This is possible if the width of a double-glazed window is much larger than a single-chamber one. Otherwise, their sound insulation will be approximately equally low. Specialists of the construction company G7 assure that in order for a double-glazed window to really provide sound insulation, its width should not be less than 36 mm. That is, the wider the double-glazed window, the higher the sound insulation.

The next myth is that mineral wool is a good sound insulator. Some builders use frame structures for thermal insulation and fill it with mineral wool, convincing customers that it also serves as a soundproof barrier. But this is not true, since it is not a soundproof material. It can help in achieving the effect of sound insulation, but as one of the structural elements. Perhaps the myth was born because of the existing acoustic mineral wool on the market, whose slabs inserted into plasterboard partitions can give a noise reduction of 5-6 dB.

Continuing the theme of the mentioned plasterboard constructions, let’s present the following myth – about multi-layered frame partitions. Incompetent persons believe that the more of them, the better the sound insulation. But this does not work if between them at the same width, just more layers of drywall are added. In this case, the air gap decreases, which will increase the resonant frequency of the structure. A weighty portfolio of completed projects, which can be found on the company’s website g7.lt, and the knowledge of the laws of physics by our specialists gives the right to say that it is better to leave only two partitions, but increase the airspace between them.

When building new houses in London, heat and sound insulation are on a par with energy-saving components. What are residential complexes of elite real estate in Chelsea and Kensington famous for. The question of the loss of living space for the owners of apartments in such houses is not worth it. G7’s construction crews and engineers often have to compromise on the difficult task of soundproofing while leaving as much living space as possible. And in London, as you know, the standards for the dimensions of apartments and houses are lower than in European countries.

A study by the Royal Institute of British Architects (KIBA) shows that the main dissatisfaction of the British in their real estate is the small footage. Half of the respondents do not know where to put the furniture they would like to purchase, the second half have nowhere to store things. A third of them are dissatisfied with the noise of their neighbors. According to CIBA data, the average area of ​​two-room apartments is 46 m². Which, of course, is 4 m² less than the average apartment in London. The problem of soundproofing in houses of the 1930s is not acute, unlike a number of new buildings. Not all construction companies of previous years cared about the peace of mind of future tenants. Therefore, trying to save every centimeter of living space, and at the same time achieve sound insulation, apartment owners decide to “sew up” their walls with foam. It is an excellent heat insulator – you can’t argue with that, but it won’t save you from the effects of airborne noise. The only place where it can work in this capacity is the lining under the floating floor screed. And that protection is provided only from shock noise.

In any case, in order to ensure sound insulation, it is necessary to increase the mass of the structure on the walls, which leads to a decrease in area. Se la vie! But designers and architects, who are engaged by G7 for turnkey projects and renovations, strive to maximize the preservation of living space by introducing new approaches and modern multifunctional furniture.

Good old failed England | “Anglia”

We are new settlers and happy owners of an apartment, in which so far there is only one serious problem – noisy upstairs neighbors. We already know that they are from Eastern Europe, which does not please me at all, because Eastern Europeans love to gather in large companies for and without reason, regardless of the day of the week, to buzz until midnight and talk and laugh loudly. Whoever doesn’t love lives a boring life.

My husband and I are, of course, very boring people. We work like crazy, from morning to evening, to work off this golden apartment, and when we come home in the evening, we, quite boringly, want to relax in silence. We don’t even have a TV – generally a bore.

The soundproofing in the apartment building is crappy, so we don’t have big complaints about the neighbors. Since there is always anomalous library silence in our apartment, we are always aware of what the neighbors are doing. We hear when they are preparing dinner, when they listen to music and watch TV, and especially clearly when they play computer games – because every time the eldest son of the owners misses the target, heart-rending screams come from his room. It’s a little annoying that the young man doesn’t work, that’s why we listen to rap with him even in the morning and worry about his failures in Formula 1 (yes, we also recognize the games by their characteristic music). Unfortunately, the inspector who made the detailed report on our apartment was not authorized to check the sound insulation in the house, so he did not mention in his report that we would be aware not only when our neighbors leave for work and come home, but also when they cough, snore and swear. One consolation is that they still sleep at night.

Looking for allies

How do other residents of the house solve this problem of old houses with awful soundproofing? It turns out that by drawing up detailed rules for living in the block. When we first entered the entrance and saw a detailed list of what not to do in the house, I even remembered my homeland – I have not seen so many “forbidden” since I left Russia (it turned out that the list of rules was just compiled for “newcomers who don’t understand fancy English phrases that start with “it won’t be appreciated if you…”). Standard boring list. But the rules, as you understand, are made by the British for other Englishmen, because the guest workers are not going to follow them.

But last weekend, a neighbor across the street, an intelligent middle-aged Englishman, invited us to his place for an important conversation. He wanted to bring us up to date and enlist our support in a delicate fight against the “come in”. From his story, we learned what we passionately wanted to read in “survey” before we signed a contract to buy an apartment. He told us that out of the eighteen apartments in the block, only six are occupied by owners, the rest are rented out, mainly to immigrants from Eastern Europe, of which there are now a great many in London. And although the apartment owners united in a group and headed the administration of the block, they ended up in a minority, because there are only a few of them, and there are from four to eight tenants living in rented apartments in each. This immediately explained to us how the simple working people we meet in our yard in the morning manage to pay 1200 pounds for renting an apartment, but did not explain how they buy Mercedes and BMWs parked in the yard of the house. We, naive, looked at them on our first visit to the apartment and thought that highly paid specialists live here. And the block itself made a good impression – a mowed lawn, flowers, bushes …

Oh, those newcomers…

Of course, the municipality takes care of the bushes and flowers, with money from the “council tax”, but I have a feeling that only half of the residents pay it. When our neighbor said that a single woman with two sons lived upstairs, we assured him that she was not alone at all, and that there were many more people living in the apartment, and we even distinguished them by their voices. The neighbor complained that there were endless problems with visiting neighbors, because they were convinced that since they paid their rent in good faith, their duties ended there. Therefore, a small group of activists has been unsuccessfully trying to defend their rights for many years now. For example, forbid them to park cars on the lawn. There is no longer a lawn in this place, only bare land, but cars, including minibuses, park there anyway. Each apartment has a garage, but it is not entirely clear what purpose it is used for, because cars are parked near the garages, blocking the entry and exit of other residents. One of the residents regularly returns home drunk and parks his car even across the road. Someone’s cats are shitting in the corridor, someone’s children are playing games with a ball on the lawn among flowers, someone is listening to loud music after eleven, and someone has moved into an apartment with five young children who, due to their age, cause a lot of headaches to neighbors on the landing. In general, the usual communal housing of the Soviet period. And why did I just leave Russia?

To all the comments of the committee, written and oral, the tenants react unequivocally: the rent has been paid, the rest is none of your business. Only this payment goes to landlords who live in their homes away from immigrant areas and are not particularly interested in who the agency rents their property to. True, it is difficult for me to understand how it is possible to move a family with five children into a small three-room apartment – isn’t that against the law? Probably, something changes in the worldview when you become the owner of your own home – for some reason, you desperately want only permanent residents to live around, if possible native Englishmen from the middle class, who would plant flowers on the balconies and turn off the TV at 11 pm, kindly bowed when meeting in a common corridor and respected someone else’s “privacy” as one respects one’s own. I have a lot of friends among Eastern Europeans, we have a similar mentality and common interests, but I probably live in England for too long, because I prefer to live among the English.

To the province!

A neighbor reported that three families from the same Eastern European country live in the block, somehow connected with each other (I believe, simply by the fact that they are compatriots), who behave quite threateningly and stand up for each other (apparently believing that that in a foreign country they are oppressed by hostile natives).

He ended his story with an offer to join the bloc’s administration in order to strengthen its position in the unequal struggle. He said that there were only four of them, but two of them were already very elderly people, and it was a big stress for them to “re-educate” visiting neighbors who did not want to live by stupid and boring English rules. He thought that maybe we would be interested. We really feel sorry for him, because he really does not have money to buy a separate house with a garden, his teaching salary does not allow him to even dream of it, so he is thinking about immigrating to another country after retirement. In some way he reminded me of the old intellectuals in post-revolutionary Russia, all those professors and doctors who did not understand why uneducated hard workers run the country and dictate their terms to them, and he himself was already in shock that he was in the minority in his own country, and fights for ideals that no one else shares.

No, we did not join his fight for good old England, because this ship has been sinking hopelessly for a long time, not understanding what caused its accident. Of course, we will not be engaged in the re-education of neighbors, simply because the forces are too unequal. Probably, visitors can and should be trained separately so that they gradually get used to a different way of life and successfully assimilate into local conditions. My husband and I concluded that we need to sit quietly and save, save, save money. To a separate house with a garden, away from London, in a small English town where the losing old guard fled.

for or against? — Stop Noise

Noise insulation and sound insulation

• 04/05/2020
• Published

  admin

05

Apr

Extraneous noise and sounds, annoying from the street, or formed inside a country house, instantly spread through the structural elements of housing and air. Noises that occur in one area can annoy the inhabitants of other areas of the house. The level of transmission of extraneous sounds depends on the materials used in construction and a number of other factors. Country houses made of wood are considered the most unprotected from noise. It is no coincidence that this material is used in the creation of musical instruments. Wood is an excellent conductor of sound. Many other materials are also good conductors, which is why during the design process, steps are taken to protect against possible noise. This requires buy soundproofing materials in accordance with the features of the future design.

Finished buildings can also be “improved” and protected from unwanted annoying sounds. But it should be remembered that in some cases this issue is acute, while in others, the owners of suburban housing prefer to put up with the current situation. We offer to figure out whether it is worth doing soundproofing at home, and in what cases it is extremely necessary.

Why soundproofing?

Many people are unaware that irritability, fatigue and poor sleep quality are caused by excessively loud sounds. Extraneous noise affects the performance and effectiveness of rest. High-quality sound insulation favorably affects the general well-being and human health.

Comfortable living conditions are associated with peace and quiet. When it is necessary to create acceptable conditions for living, recreation and work, then first of all they think about high-quality sound insulation not only of individual spaces, but of the entire room as a whole.

Soundproofing materials should be bought to improve housing for many reasons:

1. If the housing is located near a roadway with active traffic, then special materials will help protect against street noise. For this, it is not necessary to finish all the walls. It is enough to take the necessary measures by choosing rooms with increased noise.
2. If necessary, soundproof the floors between floors. As a rule, interfloor ceilings are made of wood. In addition, they are hollow, because at the construction stage, sound insulation is not given significant importance. To ensure the desired comfort and reduce noise levels, even concrete floors should be soundproofed.
3. Big family. Use special materials to absorb extraneous sounds should be in houses with a large number of people living in the room. It is necessary to isolate offices, children’s rooms and bedrooms.

Most often, activities are carried out from the inside of the premises, but today materials are offered that can be used outside. Finishing the facade is possible subject to the availability of high-quality waterproofing, since many materials lose their performance and quality characteristics in the process of getting wet.

Soundproofing country houses is an essential measure for most properties. Experts advise to carry out the procedure at the stage of construction and finishing work. If during this period the work was not performed, then they must be carried out during the first overhaul.

The soundproofing procedure should not be neglected, because it is it that allows you to get the most comfortable, cozy and quiet housing, and if you choose the right materials, you can provide additional insulation for the building. This will have a significant impact on energy efficiency.

What happens if you don’t insulate?

Many owners of country houses refuse the mentioned procedure due to lack of desire to start troublesome work. In some cases, this will affect the well-being, because extraneous noise can affect the mental state of the inhabitants. If the owner of the house is psychologically immune to annoying sounds, or they occur extremely rarely, then events can be abandoned.

Extraneous noise makes it difficult to concentrate on important matters and work. In such an environment, it is impossible to relax and enjoy your vacation in peace. Even ordinary water flowing from an attic tap can significantly irritate and disturb peace. If for one family member such sounds are quite acceptable, for the rest of the residents they can become a real source of deterioration in the quality of life.

There are noise levels that are acceptable in residential spaces, since they do not cause problems:

– for a bedroom, this level ranges from 25 to 30 dB;

– in living rooms, noise is allowed in the range from 30 to 40 dB;

– in the kitchen from 45 to 55 dB.

If the value is higher than normal, soundproofing is recommended.

How to avoid excessive noise in a country house?

In the process of designing and building residential facilities, a number of measures should be taken to protect against noise in the following areas:

1. Space-planning solutions. Close proximity of the bedrooms and the living room should not be allowed, window openings should face a quiet area, and not a noisy playground, street or garage.
2. Installation of enclosing structures. Various ceilings, partitions, as well as windows and walls with high soundproofing performance can be an excellent solution.
3. Selection of engineering systems and equipment.