Sound Proofing

[Thomasparker10012]

I am looking for some advice. How can I stop noise being heard from my neighbour's tv who lives below me. Could I put a heavy mat down or do I have to take the carpet and floorboards up? I was thinking about getting a curtain rail and putting it around my bed and putting a soundproof curtain all the way around it, would this work? Any help would be appreciated

first step is a heavy carpet with a felt underlay.

If you are able to take the floorboards up, though, you can seal any cracks or gaps (usually round the eges, or where pipes and cables come up, and lay dense mineral wool batts which deadens airbourne sound. I would hoover it out while you have the floor up.

If there are any holes in the ceiling below, for example for downlighters you can put fire/smoke hoods over them, then quilt. It is also possible to make your own fire-resistant boxes out of plasterboard and put those over the holes. plasterboard, plaster and mineral wool are all non-flammable.

Minor cracks you can seal with plaster or with pink expanding fire foam, and you can do this round joists if they are gappy in the brickwork (AFAIK it is not compulsory to use fire-resistant materials, but I think it is a wise move, and no extra effort).

I have got really poor sound proofing through the walls to next door. Any ideas on that?

If you have access to under your floorboards, I used this stuff: www.wickes.co.uk/Knauf-Earthwool-Acoustic-Sound-Insulation-Roll-50mm-15-6m2/p/143388 - made a difference. Just had to buy some light covers for over spotlights.

Even though the noise seems to come through the walls?

I’ll join your thread hijack to ask about soundproofing walls as well.....we’ve an end terrace, but our living room & bedroom walls adjoin the neighbour and we can hear their young children squealing through the walls. The living room we’re thinking of built-in shelving along that wall & bedroom built-in wardrobe so hoping they will make some difference, but wondering about some kind of soundproof panelling for the walls as well. There is a chimney there too, does anyone know how the chimney contributes to sound transmission (positively/negatively)?

Lemony that sounds similar to my situation - keen to hear what others have found has helped.