ᐅ Are all prefabricated houses prone to sound transmission through walls?

Hello everyone,

we are currently in the planning phase and have been gathering all the information about house construction for several weeks. After initially focusing on solid construction (concrete or masonry), we have recently started to reconsider prefabricated houses thanks to other homeowners’ experiences.

What I have read in several forums is that a common drawback of prefabricated houses is that their walls tend to be quite thin and allow sound to pass through easily (e.g., Dennert Massivhaus, Elk). Is this a general issue with prefabricated houses, or does it only apply to certain manufacturers or specific models? Are there additional insulation options available in such houses to prevent this?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Best regards,
Jeanette

I cannot say from my own experience how soundproof it is yet, only starting next year. But this is a common statement about many prefabricated houses. Sound insulation can fundamentally only be achieved through mass and airtightness. The latter is already a given for both types, but the mass is lower in prefabricated houses. However, the wall construction used by manufacturers varies greatly, and of course, that also plays a role.

For example, a major manufacturer from the south uses cement-bonded wood fiberboards on the exterior, which add mass. On the interior, using gypsum fiberboards instead of gypsum plasterboard can also provide somewhat better sound insulation.

Hello,

We have been living in our timber frame prefab house from Weberhaus since the end of February.

Sound transmission is not an issue for us. Last Saturday, a bachelorette party took place on the ground floor and lasted until 3:00 AM.

I slept very well upstairs during that time.

Best regards,

Dirk

I can only confirm noise transmission from top to bottom in the prefabricated house, specifically through the floor structure. You can literally hear every mouse running on the upper floor.

The sound insulation between rooms, however, was excellent. Not a single sound from the toilet flushing, showering, or anything else was audible.

Now we have built a second time, this time with solid construction using Poroton blocks. The sound insulation from top to bottom here is great. Unfortunately, the sound insulation between rooms, especially on the upper floor, is quite poor. When we redecorate again, we will probably have to address this issue.

Sound insulation also depends on the ceiling structure from top to bottom. Ceilings suspended with drywall and insulated (provided they are properly sealed on the sides) or, for example, a cross-laminated timber ceiling, offer very good soundproofing.

For soundproofing from above to below, @Doc.Schnaggls can probably provide some insights as well.