How to soundproof a wall from noisy neighbours
Neighbour noise or ‘noisy neighbours’ can be a major nuisance for many homes throughout the UK. According to research with local authorities, a noise complaint is raised every 80 seconds in the UK, and these are only the ones that are raised with local authorities. There will be many more noise issues within the UK that are not reported.
Many noise sources are described by customers including TV and speech, music, dogs barking, and children shouting. It is common that neighbours are not being particularly loud, but there is just very little soundproofing material on the party wall between the two properties, resulting in a lack of privacy.
We have been helping customers solve these issues for over a decade, from advice to install we can help!
It’s not surprising that, during the average working day at iKoustic, the most commonly asked question is; “How can I soundproof my wall against noisy neighbours?”
Key principles of how to soundproof a wall from noisy neighbours
Ok, ok, it might sound a bit dull but understanding these principles will help you understand how to soundproof a wall from noisy neighbours in the most effective way. If at any time you want to speak with a soundproofing expert for advice or tips you can call us on 01937 588 226 or contact us here.
You Can skip the text below if you want to watch me explain it in this video.
There are a couple of key principles to soundproofing a wall; decoupling (where space is available), upgrading the mass of the wall, and using combinations of materials.
Decoupling is essentially detaching one material or surface from another. Decoupling systems will create a void, mineral wool is an absorptive material which is placed into that void.
Upgrading the mass is done by using heavy and dense materials, soundproofing plasterboards and acoustic membranes which are generally very heavy yet fairly thin.
Using combinations of materials sandwiched together is also a good technique for soundproofing walls. All materials will work well at reducing different frequencies. Combining different materials together will mean that you are able to reduce a broader range of frequencies.
Considerations before soundproofing a wall
iKoustic systems are designed for soundproofing brick walls, block walls, and lightweight stud walls. Most commonly, soundproofing a party wall between you and your neighbours would be a brick wall. Considerations before you get started.
Flanking sound
Is there any sound coming through a less obvious route?
How can I check if there is flanking sound?
Many customers will hold a glass to their ear. Hold the other end of the glass to different points on the party wall, side walls, floor and ceiling. This will give a good indication of whether there is sound transfer through other paths. Contact us to discuss this further.
Does soundproofing walls work?
Yes, it does. Thousands of people decide to tackle their noise issue head-on every year. You cannot completely eliminate sound transfer, but it can be reduced to a tolerable level. The system chosen needs to be robust enough to control the level of noise that you are experiencing within your property. The best thing to do is speak to a soundproofing expert who will be able to guide you through your options and the solution that is right for you. You can contact our team today if you want to get started on solving your noise issue on 01937 588226.
Is soundproofing walls expensive?
Soundproofing materials are not cheap, you definitely do get what you pay for. That being said there are solutions that will fit most budgets and most capable DIYers could install the solutions themselves. Installing soundproofing materials within your property should be considered an investment.
Can I soundproof my walls on my own?
How to soundproof a wall from noisy neighbours varies dependent on your existing wall. If you are a keen DIYer or have experience in similar projects, then you would be in a good position to install our materials yourself. The materials are heavy so two people will be required to accommodate the weight of the materials.
iKoustic have a network of third-party installation teams throughout the UK, we can put you into direct contact with them if you require. Some jobs can be very complex and will definitely require a specialist contractor to make sure that the project is completed efficiently.
Will my room get smaller when I soundproof my walls?
After asking how to soundproof a wall from noisy neighbours you next question will often be how much room am I going to lose! When adding soundproofing materials to the wall, your room will get somewhat smaller. The amount of space that will be lost depends on the system chosen. There is a direct correlation between the depth (thickness) of our systems, and how much sound they are capable of reducing.
What on earth is a MuteClip
I made this video to answer all your questions about isolation clips. If you were to only watch one video about soundproofing please make it this one!
How to soundproof a wall from noisy neighbours: Your options.
Some of iKoustic’s soundproofing systems are listed below. These systems are for Masonry Walls, if the wall that you are soundproofing is a lightweight stud wall, please click here or contact our office.
iKoustic’s most robust system for soundproofing walls is MuteClip Stud Double.
The system consists of:
- A stud frame that is fixed around the perimeter, it does not have contact with the party wall.
- Isolation Strip F5 is used around the perimeter of the stud frame, to reduce flanking sound transfer from adjacent surface.
- Acoustic Mineral Wool is fitted within the studwork.
- MuteClip is installed to the face of the studwork.
- MuteClip Channel is clipped into MuteClip.
- Acoustic Plasterboard is installed to MuteClip Channels.
- Tecsound SY70 is applied to the acoustic plasterboard.
- Acoustic Plasterboard is installed as the final layer.
- Acoustic Sealant is used as you go to seal any gaps.
The system depth is approximately 160mm.
This is just one of the wall soundproofing techniques availble to you for detail on other options get intouch with us our visit out sytems page.
How to soundproof a wall from noisy neighbours video
In any property, the system chosen is usually governed by the amount of space that is available. We would recommend going with the best performing solution, based on the amount of space that you have available.
Other things to consider.
Are there plug sockets, switches or outlets on the wall? If so, there are a couple of ways that these can be worked with, to reduce the interference with the wall soundproofing systems. The most ideal way is to have these rewired / relocated to a different wall. The next most ideal is to have them surface-mounted on top of the soundproofing wall materials. The least ideal solution is to have the socket, switches or outlets recessed into the acoustic wall. We do supply acoustic socket boxes, which will help to reduce the negative impact on the acoustic performance.
If the wall soundproofing system opted for is one of our MuteClip solutions, these are a bit deeper, and you may need to create a return around windows and doors. This is all detailed within the MuteClip Installation Guide, which can be found on the downloads section on our website.
If our how to soundproof a wall from noisy neighbours guide has missed any questions you may have call us today we’re happy to help!
