Soundproofing on a semi detached

or...

• spend a fortune and line the neighbour's party wall then you lose no room at all...
  

or buy next door to rent out, conditions of lease,

• no loud music
  
• no complaints about the neighbour's music
  

The first thing is to be aware of what you're up against, namely sound travelling through a structure in the form of vibration. High and mid frequencies are relatively easy to attenuate by adding mass to the conducting surfaces (party walls) but bass is much more of a problem, and IMHO can only be cost-effectively tackled by minimising its entry into the structure.

We have a party wall consisting of two alcoves either side of a chmney breast. Next door's chminey is obviously just behind ours, giving effectively three separate layers of brick in that area. The alcoves are probably just single brick, though -- so that's what we had a go at.

First step was to construct a framwork of 4x2 timbers at the back of each alcove. These were NOT fixed to, and don't touch, the wall surface -- fixed only to the sides. Then we stuffed the cavity fairly loosely with RockWool, and applied plasterboard onto the frames. Then another layer of plasterboard, then insulation board, then lining paper, which you can extend to cover the small gaps against ceiling and alcove sides. Then false, matching skirting board, then decorate!

To cope with bass, we used Mana SoundBases under our speakers. One of the effects these had in our case was that more bass seemed to be put into the room, rather than the floor (and therefore the structure).

We cat-sit for our neighbours regularly, so I've conducted extensive tests while they've been away (involving putting on some music and then dashing next door). I can now play most records at 11.30 to 12 o'clock on the volume knob without causing a problem -- CDs a bit less.

The other really important bit is to make sure they see you carrying all the materials into the house, and to cheerily mention to them what you're doing. Make sure they hear a lot of drilling and banging -- they'll be really touched by your consideration, and will need to be that much more offended before they start bleating! This alone probably gives you another "half-hour" of volume.

Best of luck!

Mark

[This message was edited by Mark Ellis-Jones on WEDNESDAY 12 March 2003 at 21:09.]

I thought I was OK with 9 setting on my 92/150 with spendors. But a woman moved next door and it was too loud. now new tennants opposite my dinning computer area and I can hear his bedroom stereo at low volumes, but then I think he has a lousy system. I'm much more conscientious above 8 on the dial and later at night.

Money talks!

This reminds me of the passage in Richard Branson's book where he had complaints from the neighbours of his "Manor" recording studio. He went round and gave them cash to shut them up.

Don't know if that's an option, but it's worth considering. Certainly a different kind of upgrade.

In the space of 3 years I’ve had 2 complaints and I like to consider my neighbours, to be fair they also don’t mind me letting rip at reasonable times and we get on well. However I feel that with a bit of work I could have more freedom and they could have more (or at least the same – grin) peace. I’m not looking for a “soundproof “ room, just to modify things so I can get the best out of my sistem with the least annoyance to my neighbours. (However if the kid next door plays gangster rap on a Sunday morning I still need to win – those direct cut Abba albums work perfectly on the sound and the irony front LOL)

First, I know I have a floor problem (Huge gaps in floor boards, standard underlay) and where I would like my sistem to be is bounce city (I would not dare play a record and walk in the room) so looks like I will need to cross brace. Currently for best sound the SBLs are against a wall with a bedroom next door (A position I don’t like aesthetically), Ideally I’d position them in the alcoves either side of a chimney breast (For AV I want to get rid of the fireplace so a 3rd SBL can be a centre), since SBL’s sound their best against a solid wall, should I brick up the alcoves (space behind with rock wall to reduce sound transmission but what if I bricked them ½ way up. And had shelves above for CD storage) for sound proofing sound mats are available as a type of underlay. But these must have some give, is it OK to sit speakers/stands on these with a layer of floating floor, should I go for concrete underneath (how does this effect sound transmission), could install steel beams and have it isolated from the floor (but what about the join, is that a use for the spare SBL sealant)…….

I am looking at a new loft extension and new kitchen so adding these extras (this will include mains spurs etc) to the living room may not add as much as if I was just going to sort the sistem out. Anyone got any advice, know a company that can deliver the goods or what I need to work if out myself. Hate to spend £££ and it with something sounding bad. Rough shape of room shown below, thick lines are brick.

To err is human; to really foul it up requires a computer.

Try constructing isolation platforms for your speaker stands , to decouple the lowest frequencys from the structure.While you will lose some bass it might serve as an inexpensive solution to your problem until a more permanent solution can be found.The isolation platforms consist of 2x2 cement patio stones about 1 or 2 inches thick with tenis balls underneath,9 to 16 balls under each stone depending on the weight of your speakers should do the trick.Increasing the number of balls will alter the resonant frequency of the structure and provide differing amounts of isolation.The tick is cheap, easy to do but does take a little bit of experementing to achieve the desired isolation.The balls can be fixed to the underside of the paving stone with a dab of glue , silicone cement , whatever.
Good luck,I personally would find new neighbours.

I could find new neighbours, but they are very considerate, they rarely complain, on the occasion that they have it has been direct to me, so I was always able to solve the problem without things getting difficult. (To move for for the HiFi would cost 15k (estate agent, stamp duty, solicitor. etc)). I like where live, moving would be the last resort (done that before - blame the LP12 – not noise but acoustics). At the moment I just, in an ideal world, like

To err is human; to really foul it up requires a computer.

quote:
'The moral is - next time you move house and are looking to buy a semi or terrace �
buy one where the front doors are adjacent, not the main rooms'.



I have been looking for quite some time for a new property but houses like the above are in very short supply. The problem has come about due to designs being done with cheapness as the main priority (sharing chimney stacks or simply turning the drawing over and you have another design free etc). Personal finances are forcing me to downgrade from a detached property and soon I will have to make a decision, not fair on future neighbours is it?

One way of living with Neighbours is to limit the loudness after certain times. I never play loudly after 10pm during the week and midnight at the weekend. Neighbour sometimes have parties at the weekend and this does'nt really bother me. This reminds me of an incident which happened 4 or 5 years ago at a friends semi on New Years Day at 2am in the morning when 2 policemen came to the door saying they had had a complaint about a noisy party. They were very appologetic about it as it was evident that the entire street were having loud parties due to the fact it was Scotland and Ne'erday. One of the policeman said that it was the first time anyone at the local station could remember a complaint at that time of year. My friends were surprised as the neighbours were a young couple. Turns out that the wife next door had just had a baby and had brought it home that day from the hospital. Next day the husband was most appologetic as he had been out( at a party in fact) and it was his wife who had phoned the police in a panic as the baby was crying. She had'nt come round to complain directly to us as she did'nt want to leave the baby alone for a second. Put a bit of a dampener on our celebrations though!

Yours in Music

Syd

It's as much to keep noise out as in!

My mission to soundproofing our semi would be to prevent the neighbour's telly (on 5pm-12pm every bloody day in life. Get a life!!!)

I guess the same construction considerations would apply.

Anyone else done this frame, plasterboard and rockwool arrangement?

How EFFECTIVE is it?


Linds

I've told this story once before, on the old forum. Anyway- the day we found out we had passed our final exams (Manchester Univ)we had a bit of an impromptu party at our rented terraced house- a place where you could hear the neighbours talk through the walls. I had the 250 running to almost shutdown point with the volume, which was LOUD. Circa 11 pm some uniformed police officers sauntered up the stairs and asked us to keep it down. No problem said we....When they left we thought 'who let THEM in', especially since the din of the music precluded hearing any knocking on the front door. Turns out they let themselves in by putting a truncheon through the plate glass of the front door. Still, a small price to play for one of the most significant days in our lives. The following day we went to see Van Morrison and he was drunker than we were- no mean feat.

Ron
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