Sound Proofing a Wall
Help for Domestic Party Walls
Noise through any separating wall is a problem and more so at night when there is less background noise being generated in your home. Part E of the new Building Regulations have now introduced a minimum soundproofing standard for all new flats and houses with shared walls so if you live in a recently created home you should not have a noise problem with your neighbours. However, earlier houses and flats may have been created with separating walls that have little or no acoustic insulation so normal noise levels can more easily be heard from adjoining neighbours. Neighbours do not have to be loud to be a problem and it this type of noise that the new noise regulations seek to address. So normal volume levels of radios and speech should not be heard and hopefully, this page will help you to soundproof your wall to reduce noise from the other side if it is.
Airborne noise is the most common problem experienced and effectively sound proofing your wall will help reduce the problem and once again, give you a better quality of life. Typical airborne noise is created by speech and music among others and is quite different to impact noise. Impact noise is noise created by doors banging and footfalls and is much more difficult to address because this type of noise is structure borne and radiates through the fabric of the building. If impact noise is a problem, your neighbour could be unaware of it unless they can hear your doors as well. In these cases soft Acoustic Foam sealing tape such as our Acoustaseal applied to cupboard doors or on the doorstops of door frames will help reduce that type of impact noise. Bare hardwood and laminate floors are another source of impact noise from footsteps and furniture being moved. The only real solution to this is carpet with a good quality underlay or acoustic underlay but you will need the co-operation of your neighbour for this so invite them round for a cup of tea so that you can discuss it amicably. Now we will move onto the two main solutions on how to soundproof a wall which will reduce airborne noise nuisance as already mentioned above. For best results, the floor and ceiling should be sound insulated to reduce the possibility of flanking noise penetrating the separating wall through the supporting joists. With ceilings, if the room is on the top floor there should be fibreglass type loft insulation in place but if there is none then it should be fitted to current thermal insulation requirements. All ceilings should be upgraded with an additional layer of 15mm high density Acoustic Plasterboard before commencing with the soundproofing of party walls. Floors are a bit more involved because floor boards will have to come up to allow access to the joists immediately adjacent to the party wall. Once lifted, install 100mm of AMW100 between the joists butted to the wall if possible so that the slabs cover 1200mm from the wall. If the joists are parallel to the wall then simply infill the first set of two joists nearest to the wall then replace the flooring and screw down. Lastly, overlay the floor with a single layer of 2mm SBM5 Soundproofing Mat. If you add more layers the sound insulation of the floor will become more effective. Now you can start work on the walls and for best results, our Studio Wall System should be used and will take up about 5.5 inches. The following link will give you more information on this http://www.keepitquiet.co.uk/studio-wall-soundproofing-system.html There are also thinner solutions but it must be understood that thinner solutions are not as efficient as the thicker ones so should only be used when it is not possible to install thicker solutions. To view the alternative options, click on the following link http://www.keepitquiet.co.uk/soundproofing_walls.html
Soundproofing a wall that contains a chimney breast is never as good as it would be without the chimney. If you have a chimney breast, insert a black bin bag filled with loft insulation type fibreglass and stuff it into the fireplace then brick up the fireplace flush with the outside of the chimney breast. If it is an active fireplace the results from your soundproofing efforts will not be as efficient.
A thin Solution
The easiest method of sound insulating a party wall is to use Acousticel M20AD. This is a recycled product designed specifically to give a good level of sound reduction through any wall with a minimum increase in wall thickness. M20AD is more effective when applied to single skin walls such as brick, lightweight blocks or stud partitions because these all allow unacceptable levels of noise through them much more easily. M20AD insulation is easily cut and is simply bonded to the wall with our Sta-Put adhesive with two layers of 12.5mm Acoustic Plasterboard glued on top. A link to more detailed application instructions can be found on the M20AD page. This solution will significantly improve the sound insulation of any wall and if properly applied, should insulate the wall against normal every day sounds such as speech and television noise. Loud noise and low frequency noise are always the most difficult to insulate against and are usually impossible to eradicate completely, particularly at night.
However, using our sound insulation, these noises will be reduced in intensity. Independent testing showed the M20AD solution would normally improve the insulation value of a single skin masonry wall from approx 45dB up to 56dB. This is a staggering 11dB reduction in noise transmitted directly through the wall!
Acousticel M20AD is designed to reduce airborne noise through walls. Particularly effective on lightweight walls such as single skin masonry or stud partitions. M20AD is easy to install and cut when necessary with a jigsaw. No specialist knowledge is required and every order is supplied with full application instructions which can also be printed off from this web site. A thinner 10mm thick version of this material is also used as an isolation strip for studwork. Call for more details. If your noise nuisance is predominantly a low frequency noise problem then the thicker system described below for soundproofing a wall will give better results.
A thicker solution
Click here to download our brief PDF pictorial guide for soundproofing a wall with our core products.
A more traditional method of sound proofing a party wall is to install timber studs approx 25mm or further away from the existing wall. The voids between are infilled with SoundBlocker Quilt or Acoustic Mineral Wool of sufficient thickness followed by Resilient Bars that should be screwed across the uprights followed by two layers of Acoustic Plasterboard screwed to the bars. To enhance the sound reducing properties of this wall, SBM5 Sound Barrier Mat should be sandwiched between the two layers of plasterboard.
This method is as efficient as the M20AD solution and will perform better at reducing low frequency noise nuisance through a wall but of course, it will take up more space.
If space is not an issue and you are looking for the maximum reduction possible of noise nuisance through a wall, the above stud system can be further improved if a layer of our 20mm M20AD is glued to the plasterboard with another two layers of our Acoustic Plasterboard glued on top.
This is the best system for all low frequency noise problems through party walls and you can afford to lose the additional space necessary.
Acoustic Mineral Wool is a non-flammable product produced to a density that will give maximum sound absorption. This product is essential for application into stud wall partitions, between roof rafters and between the joists in timber suspended floors. Available in a variety of thicknesses, Acoustic Mineral Wool enhances the sound insulating performance of any structure in which it is installed and is particularly efficient when used as the acoustic infil for stud walls when constructed to soundproof a party wall. SoundBlocker Quilt performs 4 times better than normal mineral wool and is the preferred insulation used by installers.
Resilient Bars provide a flexible link between plasterboard and the timber stud to which it is applied. Resilient Bars are most useful when installed onto timber stud prior to Acoustic Plasterboard, which is screwed to the bars.
SBM5 Sound Barrier Mat is perhaps the most versatile product within our range. This mineral loaded product has a high mass for minimum thickness which is similar to lead. SBM5 can be used to substantially enhance the sound insulation qualities of plasterboard when sandwiched between two layers. This 'deadsheet' is an excellent anti-drumming material and is also used to improve the sound insulation factor of separating floors.
