Soundproofing a flat - SEN Kids

[SilverDoe]

Does anybody have any ideas or experience of to what extent a flat can be soundproofed against impact noise?

We're in a long drawn out process of being rehoused. Our HA are supposed to be finding us a ground floor flat because of my son's needs, but both offers so far have been first floor.

I'm desperate enough to consider the latest offer of a maisonette. However I'm extremely concerned about reducing the effect of impact noise on the ground floor neighbours. I want to soundproof the property as best I can to mitigate this, source is noise from my children (a mix of normal kids noise and my son's meltdowns and hyperactivity).

Has anybody had experience for whatever reason of soundproofing their floor against impact noise, can it have a genuine effect, especially against sounds like running?

To be clear, my kids are not allowed to run riot in the house, but it's important to me that they are able to play in a similar way to the way they would in a house, and I do need to have some protection because my son's meltdowns can be loud and destructive, and stressing about noise or external factors just makes this worse.

I'm thinking of layering some rubber crumb underlay with some PUFA foam underlay on top under carpet, and getting additional rugs. I only want to even consider this move if soundproofing can actually make a difference.

No advice but following as also curious

I've heard about thick underlay qnd good quality carpet though x

I'd maybe post this in chat or aibu for more traffic, op x

Your housing association should be able
to provide adaptations like this to meet your child’s needs. Have a look on their website for their adaptations policy, they should have one

Ah thanks @mumofoneAlonebutokay .

That's definitely something I want to start with!

I've got a bunch of ideas but I don't have a ton of money so I need to try and focus on options that are doable.

I also want to get things that they could perhaps horse around with, to give them something physical to do that doesn't involve actively running and jumping, so any of those types of suggestions would also be great!

So far I've been looking at those foam/tatami mats for the kids floor, and also things like a Possum play couch and crash pad.

This is something I will definitely speak to them about, I would really hope they could do something but every time I've asked for assistance with soundproofing before and while they did send a surveyor round to my previous property who did agree it needed doing, they still said no!

Things are different now, we weren't fully aware of my sons issues and he hadn't had any referrals at that point.

I work in social housing and some adaptations need an OT assessment to consider need. Again their policy should set this out.

They don't have anything like this available to me. They are a small niche housing association who's properties were supposed to be TA only but we were discharged to it and have been with them years.

I even reached out to Shelter before as I asked them if it was some kind of violation for them to not have things like transfer policies, their answer is always just "we don't do this kind of thing".

Nobody has any clear answers. I'm going to view the property tomorrow and am hoping I can negotiate sound proofing as part of agreeing to move, or at least ask them to keep us as a priority for moving to a ground floor property if one becomes available. I'll try and look in to sound proofing as an adaptation and see if I can get some information or cases to refer to!

How far do you want to go?

You could add a proper additional layer of sound proofing to the floor.

Something like this. Other systems are available.

https://www.soundinsulationstore.co.uk/products/hushpanel17?variant=45037524156635&currency=GBP&mh_matchtype=&mh_keyword=&mh_adgroupid=&mh_network=x&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADGb-CjGQQIFBBdbS6dOTSUFhCEVv&gclid=CjwKCAiAtsa9BhAKEiwAUZAszVvGEx2TnKY5HGUAbQACM8R1gOa5SMyXH9ob3ME-_OKxdbftKq13DhoCPo4QAvD_BwE

Carpet, lots of cushions, you can put wall hangings up rather than pictures , curtains make sure they wear slippers in the house. Try to have a no running indoors policy definitely indoor voices ....

Carpets with decent underlay will make a huge difference to sound transfer to the floor below. Add extra rugs or wipe able rubber play mats and normal family noise, including children playing loudly with be quite muffled. Years ago I had upstairs neighbours who swapped their carpets for laminate or similar, it was a nightmare because everyone little sound just came straight through.

Large floor cushions for play, thick curtains and textiles on the walls will all help deaden then sound so it echos less.

Also not to do with soundproofing and it perhaps depends on the nature of SEN that you are dealing with but a silly phrase I remember being influenced by. "Children are like dogs, they need walking twice a day.". Mine are always noisy and cantankerous when they have been indoors too long. A walk down to the play park meant all of us could let off steam and actually became my safety valve.

Not noise from your children but a mat or similar under the washing machine and tumble dryer (if you have one) helps with sound transfer too. Our tumble dryer is in a cupboard in our bathroom so we have done this to stop the rumble sound in our kitchen below.

If you have access to the space between the floor and the ceiling then it might be possible to but some kind of insulation there to slow noise transfer but I would expect that would be a big job and probably not possible in a more modern property with hard board floors rather than floor boards.

Good luck with the move.

Thank you so much this is so extremely helpful! I will do all of these things and I'm glad to hear you have personal experience of it making a difference 😊

Oh and yes I'm quite used to taking the boys out, I just don't want to be in a situation where we were at our last flat where I was trying to keep my son out of the house basically every hour he wasn't asleep or at school 😩

You want bouncy castle crash mats, they come very big. We have them for our neighbour, ds isn't sen but is sensory seeking. Rubber stepping stones are good too to focus activity and absorb impact. Sprung mattresses for floor are excellent for bouncing.