Soundproofing our bathroom floor

[NBee]

Hi all. I live in a 1st (top) floor maisonette, with a standard timber joist floor separating us from below, carpeted.

I'm getting driven crazy by our neighbours bathroom light switch. You know the type, pull string, which goes "click-click" everytime they go in or out of their bathroom. It reverberates around our whole flat, and often wakes me up at night. Also we can hear their voices pretty loud - in all the rooms, but particularly the bathroom.

What are my options for improving the situation? I have thought of prising up some floorboards, and stuffing loft insulation as far as I can between the joists. My concern is the electrics which serve their flat. Can this insulation material rest on their wiring/light switch/socket? Do the electrics need protecting? Do I need to be careful with the amount of insulation I stuff in, obviously I don't want to damage their ceiling!

I just need to stop hearing that light switch! Any advice appreciated.

 

[JohnD]

you can get dense insulating mats (heavier than loft insulation) better for sound.

I guess your bathroom has hard floor (no carpet)

If you are putting insulation on top of light fittings, it is a good idea to protect them with a terra-cotta flowerpot (this is not a joke!) which is fireproof and keps the insulation off it. Or you could make a box with plasterboard. If you do that, you can make it a couple of layers thick, and stick it to the ceiling with fresh-mixed plaster. This will also suppress the sound and seal gaps. Leave room for them to change the switch or light fitting when it goes wrong.

Look for any gaps in ceiling or floor, these are usually where pipes or cables pass through. You can patch them with plaster or foam. Block the gaps with thick paper or something to prevent plaster falling into the room below.

Look particularly under the bath, whee plumbers often leave the flooring cut about and gappy.

cheap bathroom carpet will also help.

If you are taking the whole floor up, you can get resilient rubbery membrane to put under it, but I have not used these.

 

[NBee]

Hi JohnD - many thanks for the reply.

Leave room for them to change the switch or light fitting when it goes wrong.

How much is enough room? I don't suppose there is more than 100mm between the boards and their ceiling, so I want to get as much insulation in as possible.


Also, what's the best way of lifting floorboards up? I don't really have any particularly heavy duty tools.

Thanks.

 

[JohnD]

The floor joists ought to be about 175mm deep so you should have that much space. If your box gives them half that, with room to wiggle the cables about, that should do.

what sort of floorboards have you got?

 

[NBee]

what sort of floorboards have you got?

Err, old knackered squeaky ones! As far as I can remember, they are just normal boards, about 100mm wide, nailed to the joists. Not T&G. I don't know enough about floor boards to distinguish them from any other types...

 

[JohnD]

they will be easy to lift with a jemmy and a couple of Bolsters.

Once you have lifted one end, you can lever up the rest of teh first board and it will pull out the nails. Use a claw hammer to pull out remaining nails, or hammer them in if no heads.

Use screws to refasten the boards when you have finished. drill pilot holes and they will be easier to put in and out. Observe carefully all pipes and cables under the floor and chalk the boards to show where they are so you don't go into them.

You might like to put down a new floor in 18mm WBP ply, some DIY sheds will cut it to size so you get very straight cuts and close joins, it is a bit more resistant to noise than square-edged boards, as it is rigid, dense and has far fewer open joints. All joints must be over a joist or noggin.