preferred semi config - halls together or not ?

[sm_jamieson]

I initially thought halls together would be preferable, due to TV noise etc. But I actually find it a lot more disconcerting to be having a quiet bath when a trumpet-nosed neighbour next door can be heard blowing his nose. I guess with small bathrooms, you are often closer to the party wall. Also, banging of kitchen cabinets travels easily through a solid party wall. An front doors / stairs also tend to be loud. If I had a large house where rooms could shrink, I would be tempted to build a cavity wall onto my side and move all the joists etc. Or better still, win the lottery and buy a detached house. Any experiences or preferences? Simon.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Things like kitchens tend to be the same noise wise in halls adjoining or not semis. It's the living area and probably one bedroom which benefit from the noise suppression of the halls adjoining layout. And living areas tend to be where the Hi-Fi etc is.

Halls 'outsides' are said to use less energy to heat.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I've got 9" brick party wall, with hall/stairs/kitchen/bedroom1 mirrored. The only sounds I hear through the wall are creeking staircase (which was more noticable with previous occupants) and someone stirring a mug of coffee on the kitchen worktop with a teaspoon.

[manatbandq]

What possible bearing does the position of the hall have on the problem of hearing someone blow their nose whilst you are in the bath? It depends where the bathroom is, where the neighbour is at the time and noise insulation (or lack) of the walls.

MBQ

[sm_jamieson]

Assuming "normal" or at least common house layout in the UK, and "halls together" is the standard way of referring to the mirroring in semis. Also assuming common 9" solid party wall in 1930-ish semis. The occasions I have heard his nose, I assume he is in his bathroom the other side of the wall. He may have been under a blanket in the living room, but if so his conk is even more almighty than I thought ! Simon.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

With the original layout of my 4 bedroom Victorian halls adjoining semi, the bathroom had an adjoining corridor between it and next door - to allow access to the fourth bedroom at the back of the rear addition. Same with the separate inside bog. And probably bog type noises are the ones you neither wish others to hear - or hear from next door. ;-)

[Mary Fisher]

We don't hear anything from our neighbours - dining and sitting rooms, two double bedrooms are adjacent, halls, stairs, kitchens, toilets and bathrooms (and dwarf's room) are as far away as possible. It's a good system. Houses built in 1937. Brick, cavity wall.

Mary

[sm_jamieson]

It depends a lot on your neighbours. Previous houses I have lived in had old people, and you never heard a peep. Until she got deaf that is, and the TV could even be heard outside in the road. The worst noise with halls together seems to be children running up and down the stairs. That really resonates through the structure. I have not lived in a house with a cavity party wall. I suspect that would be better. Simon.

[Alan Deane]

I have a 3 bed 1930's semi, with halls and stairs apart, living room, master bedroom and bedroom 2 together. The only noise I hear through the wall is either when he's DIY'ing (or the bedroom is being re-fitted like today!) or occasionally, loud music - but it's got to be really loud for me to notice it through the party wall - far more noticeable outside in the road! Older houses seem to be far better in this respect than modern ones, I've been in many where you can hear the phone, TV stairs etc etc. Luckily we don't have that problem.

Alan.

[Mary Fisher]

That's why I like the stairs to be on the outside of our semis.

Mary

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[sm_jamieson]

It would be nice (for buyers !) if the party wall had to be rated for sound transmission. But if you are selling a propery with walls of tissue paper, not so nice. Any tips as to how you can tell if the party wall has a cavity or not from visual inspection ? It seems to me that halls apart with cavity party wall is the thing to look for. Or better still, no party walls. Simon.

[sm_jamieson]

Surely this should not be the case. This is something that building regs certainly _should_ be involved with. One thing to notice is that things very close to the party wall come through a lot more (inverse square law I guess). Thus, the stairs and the phone, which is generally right next to the wall on a telephone table.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Mine has a solid 9" brick wall between the kitchens, etc, and I'd not say there's problems with that - although I don't sit in silence very often. ;-)

There are more noises from outside anyway.

[Christian McArdle]

How quaint! My grandmother had one of those. Most of us now store our phones between the cushions of the sofa, or under a pile of newspapers where they can't be found.

Christian.

[bigcat]

sounds like you need to fit some nose insulation.

NT

[S Viemeister]

Or in the pocket of a pair of jeans. Which are in the washing machine......

Sheila

[OldBill]

Avoid semis/terraced properties. When you've lived in a detached, even when the gap is only a metre or so, you'll never go back (until you're gaga)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Easy to say. But in many Victorian areas detached houses are either rare or extremely expensive. And the alternative newer house - although possibly better sound insulated - is likely to be very much smaller.

[Mary Fisher]

This is topical.

Our fax/answerphone is dying. The phone part still works, the BEEP BEEP still works but the thing doesn't record messages, the fax part sulks and the monitor doesn't work.

We need a new one and I intended asking if anyone had any suggestions for a good one.

The relevance to this thread (so far) is that the present one sits on a table in the hall. The other (wheelie) phones are in the bedroom, sitting room and dining room and there's another attached one in the office.

Just to make it acceptable to this group the telephone table is rather nice oak, made by my godfather in the 1950s from discarded pews from his local village church. All legal.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

As long as you can afford the heating without someone else's insulation.

Mary