Does soundproofing work?

[onthehill]

Hi, we live in a 1930's semi, and get occasional noise through the party wall. It's impact noise, on the stairs which are not next to the party wall, also airborne such as music. Our neighbours are lovely, some of our best friends, and not particularly noisy so the issue cannot be solved in that way.
Just interested to hear if anyone has used soundproofing products, and if they worked? Don't want to move really, but it is doing my head in! Thanks xx

I have had the carpet removed and soundproof underlay put under oak floor boards, it has been sealed so I don't think the noise is coming from the flooring in this house. I am going to look into the cost of getting sound proof plasterboard put on the party wall if I have any money left to do it, the big dog next door is so noisy.

I am really inconvenienced by 'raised voices' type noise from the people next door, who talk and laugh loudly in the bedroom next to mine into the early hours. It is doing my head in.

I would love to know if party wall sound proofing can be effective.

I'll tell you next month if it works (we are getting done between two DC's bedrooms) and were quoted £300 pounds (in Scotland).

I used products from Sound Service to great effect. It's transformed the house into somewhere actually inhabitable.

Our problem was mostly airborne sound through the wall, but they may have suggestions about impact noise, too. They're very helpful when you call.

Poppy, yes please do report back. What product are you using - £300 seems very inexpensive.

Parsing, can you give a rough idea of costs? I just want one party wall done, normal size bedroom in a terraced house.

KarenBrockman I has same problem as you. Are there stairs against this party wall, on your side?

IIRC, mine came to nearly £900 a wall (approx 2.5 x 3.5 m) for the M20 rubber mats + soundproof plasterboard system.

BUT that included knocking off and replastering the wall with a scratchcoat beforehand (decided not to take the risk with our 100-yr-old, completely blown plaster), whole day of handyman to fit soundproofing, then plasterer to skim afterwards.

It's piss easy to do yourself - ideally with a friend - as long as you're physically fit and not scared to wield a Stanley knife. (Hint: mark up the rubber with chalk, then bend it over something to cut.) And you could just tape and skim joints if you were planning to wallpaper over.

I can't recommend this stuff enough. It's incredible.

OK, just found an invoice: it was £545 inc delivery for materials for a wall approx 2.5 x 3.5m (not including materials for plastering or redecoration).

Wow, lots of responses, thanks everyone. Sounds (geddit?) like I'm not the only one with this problem! Parsing, did you really notice a definite improvement with the noise? I appreciate I will not get total silence in a semi, and that's fine, but I would want a significant reduction I think.

Massive, massive difference.

Mind you, our walls were so rubbish that thicker paint would probably have made a difference...

Before, you could have held a conversation with neighbours without raising your voice. Now I can't tell which room they're in unless they move very noisily or have sex with the headboard banging the wall.

I'm tempted but is there a non-permanent way? Next door is open plan. They like loud music sometimes, mainly when I'm working from home, and tend to let their little one stomp run around inside (I don't think they have carpets). I can hear their TV through the walls in the evening and the DH is rather dramatic loud. It's a rented house though so I doubt I'd be allowed to plaster or do anything permanent.

LadyMary I've been told that bookshelves absorb a lot of sound, if you can put bookcases on the dividing wall and fill with books this should help.

Can hear our neighbours below through floor, including normal conversations! Thank god they are very reasonabel people who keep the same hours we do. i.e work 9-5. We've already had 2 floors up to insualte and have thick carpet undelay and good carpet! The perils of old housing stock! I long for an isolated detached scandinavian style home!

I can't, there's a radiator and I'd need loads (terraced house, 2 living rooms so it's long). I've lost work because I can't concentrate due to the noise. Ear plugs don't work, it's sometimes so loud it makes me feel sick IYKWIM.

I've had terrible problems with noisy neighbours for years. Lucky for me I got together with a gorgeous builder who lined the downstairs party wall with 2*2" baton vertically, then put 2" celotex board in cavities, Gyproc Soundbloc plasterboard screwed on to the batons, followed by a layer of acoustic rubber matting pasted to the plasterboard, then another layer of the same plasterboard and plastered the walls.

No more noise and I married him......

Thanks, Parsing, that's really useful to know. I know that no solution will work perfectly, but I would pay good money for a significant reduction in the sound of next door squealing and laughing like drains at 2am.

hamburgerlady Well, funny you should say that. The hot builder who came to fix my leaking under-floor pipes last June is now my OH!

He can get on with the sound proofing, come to think of it. Sod the roof.

LadyMary - DH swears by noise cancelling headphones (with or without your own music piped through them). I know its a pain having to wear headphones but if its that or lose work, it could be worth a try.

Thank you, I'll have a look into those. The other side are so quiet.

Are noise cancelling headphones sleepable in? Would I hear a phone ring through them?

The reasons I don't wear ear plugs is because for family reasons I need to be able to hear the phone, including in the middle of the night.

Hey, LineRunner www.amazon.co.uk/CANCELLING-interchangeable-attenuation-filters-Maximum/dp/B0027MF98W These may help. I've no idea about the phone, could you stick your mobile on vibrate and put it under your pillow? That will wake you.

Yes it does work, if you are handy it only costs materials too.
A good website can tell you how.
My dh did an out building into recording studio and a 16 piece band could blow their tit ends off and none of the neighbours even knew it was there until we told them.
Its only plasterboard and filling, needs to be a certain depth, which I don't know I'm afraid.
It really is cheap to do yourself.