Page 2 | How to soundproof my house from NDN child?

Whoneedsleep · 2022-09-27T12:03:24+00:00

Before I go insane has anyone got any ideas? I live in a very old semi. Thick walls but the sound seems to just travel straight through. There are (bricked up) fireplaces in the bedrooms, maybe that’s it? Do soundproofing wall coverings work? I haven’t slept in months and it’s not even my baby. I have 2 of my own (one of which is less than a year old) who keep getting woken up by the all night long screams of the child next door (not crying, literally howling and screeching for hours on end) It begins with bedtime around 7, then again at 9 and then throughout the night. It’s been going on every night since their DC was born 2 years ago, now I’m pregnant again I’m really struggling with being woken up alongside the general lack of pregnancy sleep and my own kids. The obvious solution would be ear plugs but then I can’t hear my own baby if she wakes. NDN baby is honestly as loud at mine despite being a wall away. Short of sticking egg boxes allover my walls is there a real life solution that works?

RandomMess · 27/09/2022 17:56

I think you need to speak to them and see if they can rearrange their bedrooms and you rearrange yours so you are distant as possible.

Just go with the approach that you appreciate they are doing everything they can to deal with the screaming but it's keeping you all awake and wondered about mutual sound proofing/changing rooms etc.

Snowyjet · 27/09/2022 18:16

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user1471538283 · 27/09/2022 18:34

You could soundproof your attached walls and it may make a difference. I did one side of one of our houses and it was brilliant (but this was TV and voices). Banging doors could still be heard though.

I would have to speak to them. I'm sure they are doing their best but you and your family are suffering.

Daisy95 · 27/09/2022 18:51

As a parent of a baby who screamed like this and still does at 2 years old ( detached house) what do posters who are saying go speak to them really think they're going to say?? Oh sorry yes I'll stop them screaming now you've mentioned it I've just been letting them do it for two years for no reason? 😂

Trust me they know their own child it crying and it's hell.

AccountDeactivated · 27/09/2022 19:11

To make them aware that other people are suffering and maybe attempt to move the kid to a further away room? At the minute they don’t know OPs life is being impacted by their kid.

FatEaredFuck · 27/09/2022 19:20

I had a friend who paid for soundproofing.

Have you a chimney going through? Might be boarded up fireplace on either side or something so it goes through? A builder might be good to help identify any gaps or thin walls or something.

I would also move temporarily to other side of house.

deedledeedledum · 27/09/2022 19:22

Daisy95 · 27/09/2022 18:51

As a parent of a baby who screamed like this and still does at 2 years old ( detached house) what do posters who are saying go speak to them really think they're going to say?? Oh sorry yes I'll stop them screaming now you've mentioned it I've just been letting them do it for two years for no reason? 😂

Trust me they know their own child it crying and it's hell.

They may not be aware of how bad it is in OPs house. They may be able to move baby to a different room or put thicker carpets down or thick curtains - do something they wouldn't think to do for themselves as it wouldn't make any difference in their own home. But it may help stop the sound travelling

MrsCarson · 27/09/2022 19:30

Poor you I can't imagine living with someone else's child screaming for two years.
If you think it's coming through the fireplaces, can you open them up and over insulate inside them to maybe muffle the sound and plaster them back up.
I think the suggestion of asking a builder to come in an help figure it out is a good one.

CurbsideProphet · 27/09/2022 19:32

It's a different scenario but our next door neighbours have a 3 year old who has regularly tantrummed and screamed for the past 18 months. Like nails down a blackboard. We have just had fitted wardrobes put on the joining wall side of both bedrooms. They have helped.

Original poster

Whoneedsleep · 27/09/2022 19:33

@FatEaredFuck the chimney is bricked up on our side and plastered over but I have no idea what it’s like on their side or if they still have a fire. I could ask them. They could put baby on the other side that isn’t attached) but I presume it’s in their bedroom as my master is adjacent to theirs (I think, the houses are mirror images except mine had an extension on the other side)

I feel crap bringing it up because they did apologise at first so they must have known and I shrugged it off as a new baby (plus I was pregnant and had no clue if I would also have a screamer!)

@Daisy95 it sounds awful I’m sorry your in the same boat. In all honestly I couldn’t cope if I was them. Day and night constant screaming and a baby that always looks miserable and angry, I have no idea how they haven’t gone mad.

OP posts:

Original poster

Whoneedsleep · 27/09/2022 19:34

Ooh @CurbsideProphet I really want fitted wardrobes but DH said we couldn’t afford them. Maybe this is the best excuse!

OP posts:

HeyDiddleDaddle · 27/09/2022 19:35

I spent £7000 soundproofing one side of my last house due to neighbour noise sending me nearly insane. Worth every penny as we stayed there happily for ten years.

If you have a fireplace on that side they have to completely block it up as sound will just travel through it. True professional soundproofing will go below the floorboards too as sound travels through the joists and they'll look in your attic for anywhere sound can travel and block up every little bit.

It's worth it if you're otherwise happy and get on with your neighbours and don't want to move.

CurbsideProphet · 27/09/2022 19:41

@Whoneedsleep we had been thinking about them for 4 years... I'm also pregnant so we decided to do it now and just be sorted. It's made a difference sound wise in the bedrooms and the house is more organised, so win win. We used a local company rather than one of the big ones. We needed soundproofing so it made sense to spend the money on fitted wardrobes.

If it's any consolation our neighbour's child has started growing out of it and doesn't scream as often. Hope you find a solution 🤞🏻

Daisy95 · 27/09/2022 19:54

Whoneedsleep · 27/09/2022 19:33

@FatEaredFuck the chimney is bricked up on our side and plastered over but I have no idea what it’s like on their side or if they still have a fire. I could ask them. They could put baby on the other side that isn’t attached) but I presume it’s in their bedroom as my master is adjacent to theirs (I think, the houses are mirror images except mine had an extension on the other side)

I feel crap bringing it up because they did apologise at first so they must have known and I shrugged it off as a new baby (plus I was pregnant and had no clue if I would also have a screamer!)

@Daisy95 it sounds awful I’m sorry your in the same boat. In all honestly I couldn’t cope if I was them. Day and night constant screaming and a baby that always looks miserable and angry, I have no idea how they haven’t gone mad.

Sorry my comment wasn't aimed at you, I can completely sympathise on the noise from, i was so grateful I was detached because I was so conscious of the noise anyway let alone if I was attached to anyone. My dd had lots of allergies and terrible reflux which basically made her miserable. She is now a lot more under control and happier, but it's taken over 2 years.

I really feel for you because it is relentless, can't advise on the soundproofing though sorry 😩

WearyLady · 27/09/2022 19:55

Definitely speak to the neighbours before you spend loads of money soundproofing your house. I know it must be awful for them having a baby who screams through the night but they might not even be aware that this is affecting you and your family. They might be able to find a simple solution like changing their child's room or egg boxes on their side. Failing that, you might be able to come to a joint solution and share the cost. Good luck.

slowquickstep · 27/09/2022 19:56

minipie · 27/09/2022 14:51

Poor baby and poor parents.

Appreciate it’s annoying for you but it’s so much worse for them, especially if the child is unhappy during the day too.

Please don’t speak to them about it. They must be going through hell and the last thing they need is to feel guilty about the neighbours as well. I expect they are already doing everything they can.

Suggest moving your own layout around if you can.

And poor neighbours and their poor babies. Why shouldn't they speak to the parents, maybe they are of the gentle parenting school of thought and don't give 2 hoots if they neighbours are suffering.

FrangipaniBlue · 27/09/2022 21:07

I don't really have any soundproofing advice OP but I would potentially think about moving.

I only say this because their baby sounds exactly like my neighbours DC.

15 years later and the only thing that's changed is the shouting and screeching now takes place in the garden.

minipie · 27/09/2022 21:13

maybe they are of the gentle parenting school of thought and don't give 2 hoots if they neighbours are suffering

I really doubt they are gentle parenting but letting their child scream all night! It will be affecting them even more.

However it’s true they could potentially move the baby to a different room on the detached side of the house as pp said, I hadn’t thought of that so guess that is a fair thing to suggest to them.

worriedniece · 27/09/2022 21:16

Whoneedsleep · 27/09/2022 13:57

@andtheweedonkey I have thought about it! It’s a much loved house though, perfect location with a sea view, 1/4 of an acre of garden, short walk from an outstanding primary. We are also priced out of the market now. I was hoping this would stop eventually but it’s not! It’s actually getting worse, just screaming and screaming all night long. I’m not sure how the lungs have not burst yet.

I haven’t asked if there’s anything wrong, didn’t really seem like a question I could ask. It’s constant screaming though, the day baby came home it started, they apologised those first few weeks and we shrugged it off as a new baby but it’s never stopped. Sometimes it stops for a night or two and we think thank god they have cracked it…and then it just kicks off again.

It makes it worse that mine have been good sleepers so I can’t even say they have had to listen to mine. Maybe DC3 will be the one 😬

Like I say it’s not even crying, that would be better, it’s top of the lungs screaming in what sounds like pure rage!

Maybe they don't realise how loud and once you have a baby they will be shocked!

SilentHedges · 27/09/2022 21:35

I had this issue in a victorian semi in the late 90s. Partner and I no kids, NDNs 3 kids. It sounded like they were in our house, and I had sleep deprivation. We got on with them well, talked to them about it (not their fault, but they were apologetic). They offered to sound proof upstairs, and we did downstsirs. We got a builder who took off the skirting boards, picture rails etc and put a dense sheet of noise deadening plasterboard against the wall. Put everything back, redecorated. Problem solved.

It's a PITA but worth every penny if you need sleep.

Lonelycrab · 27/09/2022 21:47

In terms of soundproofing, it’s difficult. I’ve built several recording studios so I’m up on how this works. It’s expensive to do properly, it’s far more than hanging stuff on the walls/carpet, that stuff really doesn’t work. Pp said around 7k, that’s around what you need to do an average room as it’s not easy, and potentially quite messy to do as well.

HeyDiddleDaddle · 28/09/2022 09:05

Lonelycrab · 27/09/2022 21:47

In terms of soundproofing, it’s difficult. I’ve built several recording studios so I’m up on how this works. It’s expensive to do properly, it’s far more than hanging stuff on the walls/carpet, that stuff really doesn’t work. Pp said around 7k, that’s around what you need to do an average room as it’s not easy, and potentially quite messy to do as well.

Yep, it is expensive and an upheaval but you need to weigh up how happy you are in the house otherwise. It can be so worth it.

We loved the house we were in and were set to stay there for many more years before we had to move for other reasons. We got on well with the neighbours. Everything was perfect. But I am very very sensitive to noise.

Moving is a far riskier option- how do you know you're not moving to somewhere worse!

I think if you're happy where you are then professional soundproofing is a good investment.

Or, if you can, rearrange your home for the time being to be as far from the noise as possible. If the noise is just through the night then this is a phase that should pass.

How to soundproof my house from NDN child?

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