ᐅ Sound Issue: Is Noise Transmitting Through the Masonry or the Exterior Render?

Hello,

We built in a small suburb of Ulm, close to a secondary road with about 6,000 vehicles per day. The road is roughly 20–30 meters (20–30 yards) away, and there are still vacant lots on both sides of our property.

The construction uses Poroton bricks for the masonry.

During the sale, we were assured that noise would only be an issue through the windows, which is why we installed special roller shutter boxes and partly soundproof windows.

Currently, there is still scaffolding around the house, which is connected to the house and the ground. The exterior plaster has not yet been applied and will follow later. What unsettles us is that we can constantly hear the road noise, and depending on the wind and weather conditions, it becomes even more noticeable. This occurs on every floor and practically in all rooms, even those with soundproof windows (class 3). It feels as if a window is permanently tilted open. When we put our ear against the wall, we can clearly hear the noise coming through the wall. The sound is much quieter near the windows. It is clear that the noise is coming through the masonry. In areas where concrete columns have been inserted, no noise passes through. Around the house, there is naturally no vegetation yet, as it is newly built.

What has been your experience? Is this a common weak point of these bricks? Could the scaffolding, which is connected to the ground and the house wall, be transmitting the noise so clearly? And can we hope that when the exterior plaster is completed, the masonry joints will be sealed well enough to significantly reduce the road noise?

I am very interested in your experiences and opinions.

Best regards,
Patrick

Have you finished the interior plastering yet? It is well known that plaster significantly contributes to sound insulation.

Although the surface-related mass of plaster layers is small compared to that of the raw walls, their absence can have catastrophic effects on the sound insulation rating.

Nafetsm schrieb:
And can we hope that once the exterior plaster is completed, the masonry joints will be sealed well enough so that we no longer hear the street noise?

You can expect a significant improvement.

Which Poroton blocks were used?

It is difficult to assess the actual sound insulation in the occupied building based on the unfinished shell alone. On one hand, the exterior plaster adds an additional 20-30 kg/m² (4-6 lb/ft²) of surface weight, and on the other, rooms in the bare shell tend to have very long reverberation times. Once plaster, floor coverings, furniture, and so on are in place, the situation will be quite different.

Thank you, that gives me hope! The interior plaster is applied, and the floor coverings are also in place (partly carpeted), along with some furniture. However, voices still echo in most rooms. The wall material used was T9/U9 from Südwest Ziegel, 36.5cm (14.4 inches) unfilled.

Is there anyone else who has experience with this?

I am very interested in this topic as well; we currently have the same concerns!