How to Soundproof a Party Wall
Noise through any party wall is a problem and even more so at night when there is very little other noise being generated within your home. Part E of the new Building Regulations have now introduced a minimum soundproofing standard for all new flats and houses with shared walls so if you live in a recently created home you should not have a noise problem. However, earlier houses and flats may have been created with party walls that have little or no sound insulation so normal noise levels can be clearly heard from the other side. Neighbours do not have to be noisy to be a problem and it this type of noise that the new noise regulations seek to address. So normal levels of radio noise and speech should not be heard and hopefully, this page will help you to soundproof your wall.
Airborne noise is the most common noise problem experienced and effectively sound proofing your wall will help solve the problem and once again, give you a better quality of life. Airborne noise is that created by speech and music among others and is quite different to impact noise. Impact noise is the type of noise created by doors banging and footsteps and is much more difficult to address because this type of noise is structure borne sound that radiates through the structure of the building. If impact noise is a problem, your neighbour is probably unaware of it unless they can hear your doors as well. In these cases soft Acoustic Sealing Foam Tape such as our Acoustaseal Tape on cupboard doors or on the doorstops within door frames will help reduce this type of impact noise. Bare hardwood and laminate floors are another source of impact noise from footsteps and furniture being moved. The only real solution to this is carpet with a good quality underlay or acoustic underlay but you will need the co-operation of your neighbour for this.
Now we will move onto the two main solutions on how to soundproof a wall which will reduce airborne noise nuisance as already mentioned above.
For best results, the floor and ceiling should be sound insulated first to reduce the possibility of flanking noise penetrating the wall through the supporting joists. With ceilings, if the room is on the top floor there will most likely already be normal fibreglass type loft insulation in place but if there is none then it should be fitted to current thermal insulation requirements. All ceilings should be upgraded with an additional layer of 15mm high density Acoustic Plasterboard before commencing with the soundproofing of party walls.
The floor is a bit more involved because obviously, the floor boards will have to come up to allow access to the joists immediately adjacent to the party wall. Once lifted, install 100mm of AMW100 between the joists butted to the wall if possible so that the slabs cover 1200mm from the wall. If the joists are parallel to the wall then simply infill the first set of two joists nearest to the wall then replace the flooring and screw down. Finally, overlay the floor with a single layer of our 2mm SBM5 Soundproofing Mat.
Now you can start work on the walls and for best results, our Studio Wall System should be used that will take up about 5.5 inches. The following link will give you more info on this http://www.keepitquiet.co.uk/studio-wall-soundproofing-system.html
But there also thinner solutions open to you but it must be borne in mind that thinner solutions are never as effective as the thicker ones so should only be used when it is not possible to install thicker solutions. To view the alternative options, click on the following link http://www.keepitquiet.co.uk/wall_sound_proofing_Help.htm
Soundproofing a wall that contains a chimney breast is never as satisfactory as it would be without the chimney. If there is a chimney breast in the wall, insert a black bin bag filled with loft insulation type fibreglass and stuff it into the fireplace then brick up the fireplace flush with the outside of the chimney breast. If it is an active fireplace the results from your soundproofing efforts will not be as good.
A thin Solution
If space is at a premium and you can only afford to lose a few inches of room space then our M20AD thin solution is for you. On the other hand, if you can lose up to 5.5 inches (132mm) our Studio Wall system will give much better results, particularly at stopping those annoying low frequency sounds.
The M20AD thin wall solution is great for upgrading thin lightweight stud walls and low density single skin masonry walls. M20AD is produced from recycled rubber in panels 20mm thick. Quiet simply, these are glued to the wall with two layers of high density acoustic plasterboard glued on top using our special aerosol contact adhesive. The soundproofing is easily cut using a sharp craft type knife or a jigsaw and is a system that can easily be fitted by a DIY enthusiast or a second fix tradesman.
More detailed instructions can be found from a link on our M20AD page. Although not as good as our Studio Wall system, the M20AD solution is a worthwhile investment and will still give over a 50% reduction in noise penetration through lightweight party walls. Independent testing showed that an 11dB reduction in noise is possible and on a lighter stud wall, this improvement is likely to be significantly greater.
Because this system has been developed with DIY in mind, no specialist knowledge is required. The product comes with full application instructions that can also be downloaded and printed from this web site.
studio wall solution
Click here to download our brief PDF pictorial guide for soundproofing a wall with our core products.
For much greater sound loss through party walls, a separate stud system should be installed about 25mm away from the existing wall. 3 inch (75mm) timber stud is usually used although metal stud will give slightly better performance. However, before you start to build the new wall, you will have to insulate against flanking noise coming through floors and ceilings. This noise is more of a problem through timber joisted structures. If the ceiling and floor are concrete then no further work is necessary in these areas. If the floor and ceiling are supported by timber joists then the flooring should be lifted to give access and 100mm of AMW100 acoustic mineral wool inserted between the joists immediately adjacent to the wall. If the joist are parallel to the wall then just insert the acoustic mineral wool into the nearest set of joists but if the joists are supported by the party wall, ensure there are no gaps that can allow sound leakage and if necessary, seal them with Acoustic Sealant. Then you can insert the AMW to a depth of 600mm back from the wall and replace the floorboards.
As you know, an additional sound insulated timber stud wall is the best way to soundproof a party wall if you can afford the space. The studs should be fixed to the floor and ceiling about 1 inch (25mm) away from the wall then infilled with 100mm of Acoustic Mineral Wool or the more efficient SoundBlocker Quilt. No noggins are required, just fit sole plates, top plates and uprights set at 450mm centres. If SoundBlocker Quilt is going to be used this should be fixed to the stud with staples or battens to ensure no noise leakage can occur around the soundproofing.
Now, Resilient Bars should be to the stud at 600mm centres from floor to ceiling followed by two layers of high density acoustic plasterboard screwed to the bars. To enhance the sound insulation further, SBM5 Soundproofing Mat can be sandwiched between the two layers. It does not matter that the second layer of plasterboard is screwed through the soundproofing mat because it is not a resilient insulation. It is simply a de-coupler of a much higher mass per cubic metre that helps block a greater range of frequencies. This method is more efficient than the M20AD solution and will perform better at reducing low frequency noise nuisance but of course, it will take up more space.
If a much greater degree of soundproofing a wall is required but space is not available for an additional stud wall, the M20AD thin wall solution can be applied in addition. Simply glue the M20AD onto the last layer of plasterboard followed by another two layers of Acoustic Plasterboard.
This will give you the best possible noise loss through a wall with the minimum loss of roomspace and will be more effective at stopping those annoying low frequency noise problems.
Acoustic Mineral Wool has been developed to give the maximum amount of sound absorption and is totally non-flammable. It is produced using sustainable sources and manufactured using environmentally friendly binders. This is a better product than loft insulation or higher density mineral wool slabs at sound absorption within cavities and is a popular choice for installtion into stud walls and between timber joists. Acoustic Mineral Wool is an essential element in the soundproofing of all lightweight stud walls and timber joisted floors and ceilings.
SoundBlocker Quilt is a superior alternative to Acoustic Mineral Wool and is up to four times more efficient and is almost half the thickness. If you are looking for a better degree of sound insulation through any timber supported structure then SoundBlocker Quilt is the ideal acoustic infil.
Resilient Bars are thin flexible steel sections designed to create a flexible link between plasterboard and the timber structure. This flexibility helps absorb structure borne sound and increases the efficiency of any soundproofed structure.
SBM5 is a mineral loaded heavy deadsheet that blocks noise as efficiently as lead of the same weight. SBM5 is an effective de-coupler when sandwiched between plasterboard which significantly improves the sound insulation of any structure that has plasterboard fixed to it.
Click here to download our brief PDF pictorial guide for soundproofing a wall with our core products.