Sound Insulation

Fast moving developments in electronics and technology are producing ever more powerful sound systems, appliances and gadgets. Noise pollution is not a new problem but with ever more sophisticated home entertainment systems pumping out more decibels coupled with our desire for hard floor surfaces the problem is still growing.

Airborne sound can travel through the structure of a building, especially in and around service ducts and apertures for pipes and cables. So check for any gaps and cracks and fill them with a proprietary brand of expanding foam filler, available from most DIY Stores and Builders Merchants.

Impact sound is easier to tackle than airborne sound. One way to combat this is for your neighbour to cover hard floor surfaces with good quality carpet and dense sound insulating underlay. If this is not an option, another solutions would be to insulate beneath his floor boards with a dense loose fill material. Sand is very effective but most floor and ceiling structures cannot support the additional weight. Dense mineral wool either in the form of loose fill material or as a quilt will have a beneficial effect. The floor boards may be cushioned, by placing insulating pads beneath them where they cross the joists.

For both impact and airborne sound insulation, a floating floor is most effective. This is a new floor, constructed over the existing one. Supported on new joists, it is entirely separated from the original floor. If the property does not have high ceilings, this may not be a viable proposition as you may not be able to afford to lose the headroom. Skirting boards will need to be raised and doors and door frames adjusted.

Many manufactures’ sound insulation technical product brochures are available in hardcopy or electronic format on our website.

The Building Centre publishes two Guides covering Sound Insulation. They give comprehensive information on the Sound insulation products available, including dense under lays for wooden floors, secondary glazing for combating external noise and the best contacts for organisations offering expert guidance to solve sound insulation problems.

BRE Digests 143, 337 and 338 cover aspects of sound insulation and can be ordered here.