Internal Sound Insulation

[ThePistol]

Hi,

I have recently had neighbours move into the house next door for the first time since we've been here. This has taught me two things:

- our walls are much worse at insulating sound than I thought
- the neighbours are very loud

As it happens, I intend to fit wardrobes to cover near enough all of the party wall between our bedrooms next week, so want to make the most to help reduce the noise. As there will already be a 2cm gap behind the wardrobes because of the skirting board, I thought I could put something behind there.

Current thoughts are either put down lengths of leftover loft roll/space blanket I've got, or attach carpet off cuts to the back of the wardrobes.

Has anyone else got any thoughts or other suggestions?

thanks

 

[flameport]

Take up the floorboards along the wall and remove the skirting boards. Inspect the wall - if there are any gaps, fill them with mortar. If the floor joists go into the wall, seal around the ends with building mastic.
Make sure all the gaps are filled - even a tiny air gap will let a lot of sound through.
Also check the wall in the loft above.

A 2cm gap behind the wardrobes filled with loft insulation or carpet won't really do anything.
If you really can't move the wardrobes any further forwards, one possibility is to line the walls with soundbloc plasterboard sheets, fixed directly to the existing wall with driwall adhesive. Sheets should extend below the floorboard level as far as possible, with joints completely filled with the same adhesive. (The wall won't be seen once the wardrobes are in, so appearance won't matter).

If you can afford more space, a better option is to build a timber frame 25mm away from the existing wall, not touching or connected to the existing wall at any point.
Fill with high density insulation slabs ( http://www.wickes.co.uk/heavy-density-insulation/invt/161189/ or similar), then face with plasterboard. There must not be any gaps in the finished wall, and it must be completely sealed to the ceiling and side walls.

 

[ThePistol]

Thanks -useful stuff.

Moving the wardrobes much further forward isn't really an option because of the size of the room.

Irritatingly I've only just finished redoing the room a couple of months ago - re boarding the walls / replacing the floor, so wish I'd thought of this before! Oh well, looks like I'd better just bite the bullet and get on with it!

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

do you have adjoining fireplaces?