Impact Noise - suspect mostly getting in via my loft

[aimno12]

Hi to anyone who has a read

I live in a 1960 - 1970s end terraced house. Recently I've been noticing I can hear impact noises from next door, mainly them shutting doors and also the pullcord switch in their bathrooms where the string flaps around and the plastic handle bangs against the walls. It is loud enough that it sounds like it is a door in my house or someone turning the light on in my toilet.
The next door has been converted into a number of flats, the top floor flat seems the noisest.

I'm going to have a polite word and ask them to pull their doors closed and not swing them shut, also ask if they would be willing to fit a rubber handle on the pull cord if I buy it for them, they can choose the colour.
Another thing I will ask is if they would be willing to have some sort of acoustic tape put in the doorjambs to reduce the impact noise if I buy it, happy to fit if for them also if they like.
Of course I'll be discussing the above with the tenants and the owner.

In case they aren't willing to help out or those solutions have limited results could someone more experienced in noise and lofts please advise on the following

- is there something I can attach to the brick wall or the rafters attached to it to deaden sound?

- is there something I can lay between the joists, under some heat insulation wool, that would deaden sound?

- my lofthatch is one of those where it is a rectangular piece of wood that you lift up out of the frame to get up there.....maybe I can buy a new acoustic one of these or attach something to its back that could deaden sound?


If anyone has the time to advise I'd be grateful, I haven't got a picture of my loft but the below image I found is pretty much what it looks like

thanks

View media item 69218

 

[pinenot]

Assuming the sound transfer is coming through the loft void which is already insulated (Hm!) then you could try suspending a wire meshed acoustic/fire barrier from rafters about a foot from the offending wall, draped toward the wall on top of the joists. This will kill all noise and as a bonus would add extra fire protection...pinenot

 

[tony1851]

Assuming the sound transfer is coming through the loft void which is already insulated (Hm!) then you could try suspending a wire meshed acoustic/fire barrier from rafters about a foot from the offending wall, draped toward the wall on top of the joists. This will kill all noise and as a bonus would add extra fire protection...pinenot

With all due respect, Pinenot, that won't do anything to stop sound penetration. If you search through the forum posts on noisy neighbours, you'll see that attemps to keep noise out are generally disappointing.

The only effective way to reduce sound penetration is to reduce it at source (as the OP has suggested doing) rather than to try and build defences to keep it out.

Sure, if he built independent stud partitions against the party wall, fixed resilient bars, sound insulation batts, and two layers of Knauf soundblock boarding, he might - MIGHT - see some difference, but at what cost in terms of money, space and disruption?

And the sound will still find some other way in via flanking transmission. You may as well try and herd cats.

 

[aimno12]

Hi thanks for the replies

Been researching over the net through the day and deciding on the following course of action

Primary - polite chat with the tenants/neighbours about rubber lightpull and sound damping tape in the door jambs. This is cheap and quick so the obvious first step

Secondary (if need be) - Top up the existing 100mm insulation to current regs by laying 200mm on top of it across the joists (was going to do this anyhow)
Insulate the loft hatch with some sort of thermal acoustic board attached to it,...or buy a new hatch with similar properties.


Thirdly - Get a some of that fire/acoustic batt and fix to brick wall then screw soundboard onto the rafter/joists to keep it in place. This will cost time and money so will only bother with it if the first two steps have little effect.

Duly noted the input from Tony on the third option, will look out those noisy neighbour posts you mentioned and see if any of them had similar coming through loft and how their attemtps failed to work

Appreciate the conversation guys

 

[catlad]

Have they changed the layout of the property since they made it into flats, like loft conversion. A cheap option is to buy a load or rock wool and pile it against the party wall.

 

[aimno12]

Yes it used to be a 3 storey townhouse but over the last year they had workmen in turning each floor into a flat.

When a townhouse if it is laid out like mine, don't see why it wouldn't have been, then the party wall would have had zero doors near it on ground and first floor, just the staircases. Then on top floor would be a bathroom door near it along with a lightpull I guess.

Now it is 3 flats I reckon each one has a bathroom against my party wall so the waste pipes can use the same ducting in place, so I got 3 bathroom doors banging and 3 lightpulls. And also likely some sort of front door maybe.
Don't know if there are any regs in regards to impact sound, I know there are for airborne noises and as I say I can't hear their TVs or voices.

I remembered some lady came and said hello during the end of the flat conversaions and she was the managing agent or something like that, business card said The Property Problem Solver, so I'll be emailing her tomorrow to ask her to solve this problem with some cheapy rubber pull handles and damping tape on the doors
Will offer to pay for them myself if they get awkward

 

[tony1851]

Why is attention focusing on the loft? Have they converted that as well?

 

[aimno12]

Why is attention focusing on the loft? Have they converted that as well?

Because I can hear doors shutting through the walls but it is dulled, up on the top floor it is such a sharp noise it sounds like it is in my property. Also when I hear it the sound sounds like it is coming from the loft, the noise feels above me so I reckon the soundwaves have found their way in up there.

Something I'm planning on doing is getting the top floor tenant to shut his doors and do his lightpull whilst I'm hanging out in the loft, to confirm it.
Will also ask him if his flat has a loft above him, or he's actually in a converted loft space

 

[tony1851]

If you go up in the loft, have a look at the gable wall between you and next door's.

Quite often the bricklayers didn't bother mortaring up the vertical gaps in the blockwork. The finish up against the roof is often also quite casual.

Before you cover the wall - if you decide to do that - get some ready-mixed mortar into all the open joints. It may not seem very important, but even a very small hole in an otherwise perfect wall will considerably compromise its sound-attenuating function.

 

[aimno12]

Tony, spot on, thanks for reminding me. When I was poking up there the other week I noticed some of the pointing was a bit weak and chipped so I'll go and fill all that in.

Cheers for that

 

[catlad]

Sound pollution in conversions is not acceptable any more so it might be an idea to get in touch with the council and find out if the work has been signed off, and maybe ask to speak to the inspector who checked the work.

 

[aimno12]

Thanks catlad, do you know if that just for airborne noise pollution or impact noise as well?

 

[catlad]

Both as far as I know but not certain. I am also sure there are different rules regarding flats, you could look on your local council web site and find out if planning was ever granted for the house to be turned into flats.

 

[aimno12]

Been in touch with property manager, put forward my suggestions on lightpulls and doorframe tape and waiting on a response from the owner. Offered to open my doors to the tenants and owners if they want to come in and have a listen.

Spent a while sitting up in the loft with my back to the party wall, heard the doors in that time and it definitely sounded as if they were closing behind me. Will be repairing the mortar up there as tony was correct, isn't well done.

Anyone got any recommendations on a decent tape for the doorframes?,... I reckon if they will agree to that and I touch up the mortar it will be happy days.