How Do I Block Out My Neighbours Noise?

There are over 5 million reports of noisy neighbours causing issues in the UK today, making this a real problem nationwide. It can often cause unnecessary distress and strains on relationships that could be avoided with a little soundproofing. So if you are suffering with noisy neighbours or are building a new house, we have the solutions for you.

The first thing you will need to do is establish the type of noise pollution you are facing. Then we would look at the walls, floors and ceilings depending on the type of property you live in. Shared housing and flats will pose different issues to adjoining properties for example.

Different Types of Noise

The most common type of noise pollution comes from sound waves through the air. These airborne sounds are usually caused by loud voices, telephones, music and appliances etc.

The second is impact noise caused through vibrations. Sources of this will be things like scraping furniture, footsteps, doors banging, drums and other things that make contact with surfaces causing vibrational sound waves to travel.

Some of these noises may be muffled and not too disturbing, but occasionally we are faced with excessive levels due to thin partitions and a lack of soundproofing. Once the noise type is identified, we would look at the walls etc to determine the best solution.

Solid and Stud Party Wall Solutions

The easiest thing for stud walls is to add acoustic insulation between the timbers of the walls, this will eliminate all sound reverberation.

We offer stud wall kits that offer a variety of high mass materials that combined will give the best soundproofing. In the kits you will have:

• Acoustic insulation that blocks and absorbs sound waves reducing airborne sound from travelling through the wall.
• Sound-breaker bars which are attached to the stud frame. These absorb vibrations that would normally transfer through your walls blocking the sound transferring between rooms.
• Noisestop panels that reduce airborne sound and vibration of the plasterboard.
• Acoustic sealants are used to seal the edges of the boards and the perimeter of the wall to ensure no small gaps are left for sound to escape.

For a solid wall and for an easy DIY solution, you can use Noisestop panels that fix directly to the wall. These thin soundproofing boards are ideal for people who have a limited space available. They benefit from 1 hour fire rating, 48 decibel reduction, noisy neighbour solution, Part E compliant for separating walls and they bond directly to walls using plasterboard adhesive.

The slim soundproofing wall boards will significantly reduce the sounds from conversation, televisions and other airborne noises.

We also provide Wall System Kits that include the thinnest party wall soundproofing systems taking less than 50 mm of space. These kits include:

• 25 mm acoustic insulation that will block and absorb sound waves reducing airborne sound.
• Noisestop panels that combine mass and density to block airborne and sound vibration.
• AC50 acoustic sealants to seal the edges of the boards and perimeter ensuring no small gaps are left for sound to escape.

The final one to mention here is the Barrier Shield. This is a versatile sound proof sheet that has high mass and density which gives it a sound proofing similar to a sheet of lead.. It reduces vibration through the structures and its flexibility means it can be used to soundproof walls, floors, ceilings and enclosures. But if it doesn’t work, you can have a party wall in between and have a party wall agreement surveyor London if there are any conflicts.

Floors

If you live in shared accommodation or a flat, you may have trouble with sound travelling up through your floors from the neighbours below. Or your neighbours may be complaining that you are making a lot of noise above them. Either way there are a few things you can do to reduce the noise pollution between floors.

Noisestop mats and underlay are a type of underlay that can be laid on concrete or wooden floors under your carpets or flooring cover of choice. This underlay system helps to prevent airborne and impact noise travelling between floors.

For a more heavy duty system, you could use our Noisedeck floating floor solutions. The  interlocking floating flooring is suitable to lay over existing sub bases and will increase the noise reduction of separating floors. They also offer high levels of sound insulation suitable for use in music rooms and home cinemas.  

Ceilings

As with floors, if you happen to have noise travelling from your neighbours, or others in your building from above, then you will want to use sound proofing on your ceiling.

The systems are similar to those used for walls. You can use Noisestop panels, acoustic panels, acoustic insulation or the barrier shield. Again your solution will depend on the level of noise and the soundproofing you require.

One of our advisors will be happy to help you determine which solution will be best for your needs.

Quick Home Fixes

Finally there are a few simple measures you can take to help reduce the level of noise within the home by moving a few pieces into strategic places.

Sound travels when it has space to bounce around. So a simple solution is to deaden that sound by adding in furnishings to areas that are particularly empty or echo, such as bathrooms. Fluffy rugs on floors help to reduce sound, pictures on walls, sound proof curtains and strategically placed furniture.

Move things around to see what helps. However, if it is a high level of noise pollution, you will need a more professional system in place.

If you would like to discuss your noise problems, then get in touch with one of our friendly and helpful team today. We can advise you on the best solution for your noisy neighbour issue.