Sound Proofing Your House

Noisy neighbours are the number one annoyance to many homeowners and in our increasingly crowded cities the problem is only getting worse. With more old buildings being converted into flats, and new-builds often suffering from thin walls or not very much space between residences, it’s incredibly common to hear some sort of noise from your neighbours.

When this is just the occasional ring of a phone or party it’s easy enough to live with and you can count yourself lucky that’s all you have to contend with. Even if you have completely normal neighbours you could still overhear parties, what they’re listening to, the sound of their glasses being smashed or a boisterous child. All these day-to-day noises can grate if you’re constantly disturbed by them. You feel like you’re living somebody else’s every day life, or that your own life is being disrupted. Especially irksome is noise that keeps you awake – this can disrupt the waking day and even affect your health and wellbeing.

If let’s assume that your neighbours are only noisy because of the quality of accommodation you’re in what might you do about things? It’s one thing to want them to stop playing loud music but all they’re doing is having sex and keeping you up all night!

The folks next door may be blissfully ignorant of the the effect their habits are having on you. Or they might even find *you* noisy! If there’s an simple way out, for example for them not to kill their kids or to get rid of their alarm clock it’s worth just going round and talking it through. Be friendly and make sure they know note their fault. After all, if you can hear them there’s every chance they can hear you in return. So ask if there’s some way you can help to keep your cacaphony down – have you ever had the TV up late at night?

If you live in rented accommodation, talk to the person you rent from. Ask other habitees if they have experienced a problem too – you could get the building sound tested to see that is compliant with regulations. Of course, some landlords are less sympathetic than others. If your landlord has insulated to regulatory standards, the onus is back on you and your own feelings about the disruption.

Sometimes soundproofing your house with acoustic installation is the least painful solution. It doesn’t have to be all that costly, but you should get an specialist contractor to look at your walls first. A properly qualified engineer will be able to find you the most effective solution.