Can hear the neighbours talking

[taz777]

I've now had my house fully refurbished which includes full loft insulation and new double glazing and new doors. My underlay for the wood flooring downstairs is amongst the best you can get for soundproofing and so is the underlay for my carpet upstairs.

My property is a 3-bed semi. My problem is that I can hear my neighbours talking when i'm in either of the two bedrooms that adjoin to their property. It's really disconcerting as it seems like they're in my house!

What could be causing so much sound through into my property?

I have a suspicion that the interconnecting walls between my property and my neighbour's property are just a single-skin breezeblock. Could this be possible?

The problem is mostly upstairs in two of the bedrooms that adjoin my neighbour's property. I can hear them talking at normal voice levels very clearly. Obviously I imagine they can hear me and i've resorted to tip-toeing in my own bedroom!

 

[Deluks]

What age is the property, what is the wall constructed of?

Can hear my neighbours talking through solid 9" of brick!

 

[taz777]

Property was built in 1955.

I know that the 3 external-facing walls (front, side and rear) are cavity brick walls.

I'm not sure about the party wall but I have a horrible feeling it's a single-skin breezeblock wall. How could I find out what type of wall the party wall is?

 

[simonjay]

Property was built in 1955.

I know that the 3 external-facing walls (front, side and rear) are cavity brick walls.

I'm not sure about the party wall but I have a horrible feeling it's a single-skin breezeblock wall. How could I find out what type of wall the party wall is?

Very common to be solid 9" between houses. Cavities were added to deal with damp, not sound. If they are standing near the wall you will hear them.
I was glad to get a house with halls together, so when the doors to the hall or landing are shut, you are isolated. But now I can hear the telephone and kids clomping up the stairs.
There are various improvements, depending on how much space you a prepared to lose.
But the only solution is to buy a detached house.

That said, has this always been the case ? Did the renovations change the plaster on the walls or move wardrobes away from the wall, etc ?

Simon.

 

[joe-90]

Nobody has ever come back into the forum and said they've sorted it. I think you will have to put up with it and don't eat too many beans.

 

[taz777]

I guess you guys are right. It's very hard to learn of this issue when viewing a property.

I think my neighbours are very aware of the sound transmission issue as they're always asking me if their kids disturb me with the noise.

I love the house in every other respect and will just have to accept that they can hear me and i can hear them.

The previous owners had a fitted cupboard along the party wall and their bed on the opposite wall. Now I know why!

 

[dhutch]

The previous owners had a fitted cupboard along the party wall and their bed on the opposite wall. Now I know why!

Not uncommon. When my parents did there house they gave 4inchs room by fitting sound proofing on our side of the wall, which in this case is a 6inch rubble wall.


Daniel

 

[leew2]

You can get a good idea of the thickness of the party wall by measuring the distance between two windows, one either side of the party wall on the outside. Now measure between the edge of the window reveal on the inside and the party wall, the platser on the reveal should compensate for the plaster on the party wall. Subtract 2x the internal measurement from the external measurement to get the approximate thickness. This of course assumes the houses are symetrical.

You should have something near one of the following:
225mm -- full brick solid wall (common in older houses).
100mm -- half brick wall (unusual but occasinally encountered)
250+ -- Cavity wall (modern houses)