Does anyone know anything about stopping sound going through walls? I was considering this:
Don't ever risk telling us what type of wall it is, or any other basic essentials.
NT
It's the dividing wall of a semidetached house, presumably either brick or concrete block. Unknown if it's one or two layers.
was considering this:
It's the low frequencies I want to reduce. Their claim of 30dB sounds go od.
r concrete block. Unknown if it's one or two layers.
very bright boy, but spends too much of his time thinking about sex and gi rls."
e. I have the same problem with his Father."
I think a very large part of why brits are often annoyed / angry (when thei r famous sense of humour fails !) is party walls. I have been living with b uilders next door for the last few weeks. These particular ones seem to hav e two tools - a sledgehammer and a normal hammer. I have heard very few pow er tools, just bang bang bang. The plates in my kitchen cupboards were ratt ling. At least in my current house the party wall is the hall side, so don't get that awfully intrusive next door's TV. I hate the feeling of someone unseen "lurking" a few inches away from me.
To stop sound travel, you need to block any air paths, stop transmission no ise through the structure (e.g. a cavity), put lots of mass in the path of the sound (so sound waves cannot move it so much) and/or add something to a bsorb the sound. Most of this takes up lots of space. A heavy wall not touc hing the party wall with something in the gap to absorb sound is the typica l thing to do. I did hear of a builder who in his own house built a cavity wall against th e party wall and moved all the joists etc, and this of course worked very w ell. Low frequencies are the hardest to stop.
But whatever you do, it will never be "your own house" quite like a detache d would. Sadly lots of us cannot afford a detached house. We have been spoi led with nobody living next door for a few years. That time will soon be ov er.
Simon.
So if I built another wall, and filled the cavity with say sand (a friend suggested this was good), that would block a lot of the sound? Do I really have to shift the supporting joists aswell? Is it any better than the link I gave above? (Which claims a nice 30dB reduction).
I quite often see adverts for 'halls adjoining' semis. It's an obvious advantage.
their famous sense of humour fails !) is party walls. I have been living wi th builders next door for the last few weeks. These particular ones seem to have two tools - a sledgehammer and a normal hammer. I have heard very few power tools, just bang bang bang. The plates in my kitchen cupboards were rattling.
get that awfully intrusive next door's TV. I hate the feeling of someone un seen "lurking" a few inches away from me.
I prefer that configuration, but you do get front door banging and stair th umping. You have to regard the hallway as slightly more like a public space ! I believe one reason they were built the other way around was so less heat from the open fires was lost to the atmosphere.
Simon.
I was considering this:
p)? It's the low frequencies I want to reduce. Their claim of 30dB sounds good.
ic essentials.
k or concrete block. Unknown if it's one or two layers.
e a very bright boy, but spends too much of his time thinking about sex and girls."
vise. I have the same problem with his Father."
their famous sense of humour fails !) is party walls. I have been living wi th builders next door for the last few weeks. These particular ones seem to have two tools - a sledgehammer and a normal hammer. I have heard very few power tools, just bang bang bang. The plates in my kitchen cupboards were rattling.
get that awfully intrusive next door's TV. I hate the feeling of someone un seen "lurking" a few inches away from me.
n noise through the structure (e.g. a cavity), put lots of mass in the path of the sound (so sound waves cannot move it so much) and/or add something to absorb the sound. Most of this takes up lots of space. A heavy wall not touching the party wall with something in the gap to absorb sound is the ty pical thing to do.
t the party wall and moved all the joists etc, and this of course worked ve ry well.
ached would. Sadly lots of us cannot afford a detached house. We have been spoiled with nobody living next door for a few years. That time will soon b e over.
suggested this was good), that would block a lot of the sound? Do I reall y have to shift the supporting joists aswell? Is it any better than the li nk I gave above? (Which claims a nice 30dB reduction).
About the sand, whether it would be better than air in the gap I am not sur e - it would depend on the mass of the extra leaf. But if you built another wall with no cavity ties and moved any joists going into the original wall , you would have a detached house would you not ?
The clip may be very good and transmit little sound, but it will not be as good as no clip at all. However, if the added wall components are not self supporting, some type of attachment will be required. The traditional solut ion was resilient bars, but these clips may well be better.
I know I've mentioned it a few times on this group, but my soundproofing so lution on the party wall of my bathroom was an independent wall supported a round the edges (the floor and ceiling joists were not moved). It was a san dwich of 12mm cement board filled with 25mm of fibre reinforced cement. It was then tiled. It is a heavy strong self-supporting wall 2 inches thick. I imagine it probably works but not tested in any way. Simon.
I didn't use the genie clips, but I did use the resilient bars.
Stud wall built half an inch away from the party wall, stuffed with 50mm RW3 insulation slab, covered with 10kg/m^2 mass loaded vinyl, then resilient bars to hang two layers of 15mm acoustic plaster board, with acoustic/intumescent sealant around all edges.
Total depth about 4" and pretty good result in that room, but I can't afford to lose that much space in other rooms, so those rooms can then become the annoyance factor from neighbours.
A brick wall would give you several (probably 10) times the mass per area of what I added, but perhaps harder to isolate it from contact with surrounding walls/floor/ceiling ...
If the floor joists were stopped at the new wall, the only solid means of transfer would be the ground, and the walls going perpendicular at each end along to the next house.
In message , Uncle Peter writes
These things are often a disappointment because you put all that work in and actually you do stop the noise getting through the wall very effectively, but it finds a different route, and the thing is, human psychology and the log characteristics of hearing perception mean that if you can still hear it even if it's xdB lower it will annoy you just as much.
Incidentally, what does 30dB mean in this context, I wonder?
Bill
Before you buy anything, check for holes in the wall. Especially in the roof space (problem will be worse upstairs if two storey) A small hole can let in lots of sound. So holes at the top of the party wall are what you are looking for.
Not much sound gets through. The only things ever heard through the wall are VERY loud music (a stereo set to higher than 30-50W RMS - real RMS, not the shit they put on some stereos) and a 3am party with many screaming drunks. The sound appears to come through the entire wall evenly, so I don't think it's holes.
To get the full benefit, you need to keep the doors to your hall closed.
And less chance of having to nod to your neighbour. ;-)
Yeah, especially with front doors in the side and a good high hedge ! Funny story from an American visiting a UK middle manager or something as t hey pulled up a gravel drive, the American says "Why does your house have t wo front doors ?". The middle manager was mortified and shortly sold his se mi and moved to a detached house. Simon.
They have semis in America, where they are called "duplexes".
An American colleague referred to my V8 Rover SD1 as a "neat little sports car".
I remember working on 'The Bill' where the story called for one of those semis with a side door. Had to travel miles to one.
Halls adjoining was the most popular for Victorian semis in London at least. Mine is one - and the sound insulation between the two ground floors main rooms is very good indeed. Not between the kitchens or the front bedrooms.
My neighbour, when I first moved in, used his kitchen as his sitting room
- easier to heat. And had a chiming clock - or rather two - on the mantelpiece. So I didn't need a clock in my kitchen - except they were always wrong. ;-)
They were sold for a short while in the US. Early EFI for emission reasons and twin headlamps. There are a few NASA spec ones in the UK.
as they pulled up a gravel drive, the American says "Why does your house ha ve two front doors ?". The middle manager was mortified and shortly sold hi s semi and moved to a detached house.
We knew a student who came over from America to a local music college. She simply said "I can't believe you live in such small houses". Her closet was as large of most of our living rooms ! But of course she was from some rural area where land was cheap and no real building regulations - story might not be the same in New York, etc. Simon.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.