Soundproofing
Hi, Iv recently moved into a 1950's semidetached house. No chimney. My neighbours, love to play very loud music all day and night, along with every door being slammed shut and late night fights!!! It took me a long time to find the right house in the area I needed. So moving isn't an option. Someone has suggested I soundproof the adjoining walls. I'm don't mind loosing space for the soundproofing. The materials i was looking at getting are, acoustic plaster boards, rockwool insulation, techsound boards final layer of acoustic plaster board and finished off with acoustic sealant, is this enough and will all this money and hard work pay off, will it work? Im doing every room that has adjoining walls. But I'm also wondering if I will then have to do the upstairs floors and downstairs ceilings. Because when they play music no matter what room they play it in you can hear it throughout the whole house. Will doing just the walls be enough? Many thanks.
Advice from 1 local tradesperson
Your planned wall soundproofing setup is good as acoustic plasterboard, Rockwool insulation, Tecsound boards, and acoustic sealant are all effective at reducing noise like music and voices.
However, sound travels through more than just walls in semi-detached homes, especially in older properties.
Here’s what I’d recommend:
1. Walls: Your plan is good, but ensure the soundproofing layers are properly decoupled (e.g., use resilient bars) to break vibration transfer.
2. Floors and Ceilings: Since you’re hearing sound throughout the house, you’ll likely need to address these as well. Use acoustic underlay on floors, and consider insulating ceilings with similar materials to block noise from traveling through joists.
3. Other Gaps: Pay attention to gaps around pipes, skirting boards, and sockets—these are often overlooked but can let noise through. Seal them with acoustic sealant or covers.
Done properly, this work will significantly reduce noise. It won’t eliminate it entirely, but it should create a much quieter, more comfortable living space.
