Hello
We have a single-family house with an exposed wooden beam ceiling on the ground floor. On this, a visible formwork was installed, followed by 4 cm (1.5 inches) of impact sound insulation, 8 cm (3 inches) of rigid foam/Styrofoam insulation, a floating cement screed with underfloor heating, and 80% of the floor covering is laminate, the rest tile (in the bathroom). The interior walls on the ground floor consist of KVH battens (8x6 cm / 3x2.4 inches) with 12 mm (0.5 inches) OSB and 12.5 mm (0.5 inches) gypsum plasterboard on both sides. Into the 8 cm (3 inches) cavity, a 60 mm (2.4 inches) thick Rockwool partition board was installed. The building dates from 2012, so it is not very old.
We want to improve sound insulation between the upper and lower floors, as well as between the interior walls on the ground floor. The problem is, for example, when someone lies in bed in the children's room upstairs, the TV noise from downstairs can be heard so clearly that almost every word is understood. This greatly disturbs the children’s sleep. Conversely, noise from the children playing upstairs is disturbing downstairs (when the little one walks around the room, it sounds below as if someone is stomping, or when toy cars zoom across the floor, it is clearly audible downstairs). The living and sleeping areas on the ground floor are also very noisy; when the TV is on in the living room or someone coughs, sleeping is not possible.
Of course, the basic construction principle could be changed... What options are available to improve sound insulation? We would be willing to remove the exposed beam ceiling on the ground floor as it is not as attractive as hoped, and my wife does not like it.
Best regards
We have a single-family house with an exposed wooden beam ceiling on the ground floor. On this, a visible formwork was installed, followed by 4 cm (1.5 inches) of impact sound insulation, 8 cm (3 inches) of rigid foam/Styrofoam insulation, a floating cement screed with underfloor heating, and 80% of the floor covering is laminate, the rest tile (in the bathroom). The interior walls on the ground floor consist of KVH battens (8x6 cm / 3x2.4 inches) with 12 mm (0.5 inches) OSB and 12.5 mm (0.5 inches) gypsum plasterboard on both sides. Into the 8 cm (3 inches) cavity, a 60 mm (2.4 inches) thick Rockwool partition board was installed. The building dates from 2012, so it is not very old.
We want to improve sound insulation between the upper and lower floors, as well as between the interior walls on the ground floor. The problem is, for example, when someone lies in bed in the children's room upstairs, the TV noise from downstairs can be heard so clearly that almost every word is understood. This greatly disturbs the children’s sleep. Conversely, noise from the children playing upstairs is disturbing downstairs (when the little one walks around the room, it sounds below as if someone is stomping, or when toy cars zoom across the floor, it is clearly audible downstairs). The living and sleeping areas on the ground floor are also very noisy; when the TV is on in the living room or someone coughs, sleeping is not possible.
Of course, the basic construction principle could be changed... What options are available to improve sound insulation? We would be willing to remove the exposed beam ceiling on the ground floor as it is not as attractive as hoped, and my wife does not like it.
Best regards
There won’t be much that can be done to the floor. However, I would consider laying a carpet over it. Below that, you can install a suspended ceiling. Use joists with mineral wool insulation (I would prefer wood fiber because of the fibers), triple-layered with gypsum board. I would have a professional plan this, as proper decoupling and soundproofing are very important. This will, of course, reduce the ceiling height by a few centimeters (inches).
This is actually a good example of why solid masonry construction is usually the best option.
This is actually a good example of why solid masonry construction is usually the best option.
Do you mean mineral wool or wood fiber insulation above the drywall or between the wooden beams?
Well, in our previous house the construction method was the same (just not as well insulated), although there the ceiling joists did not run all the way through but were installed separately for each room and rested on a load-bearing interior wall. I suspect that on the ground floor here, a lot of sound travels through the 9m (30 ft) long ceiling joists from the living room to the bedroom (kind of like a string telephone). And as for the upper floor, I have no idea why it’s worse here than in the previous house, since I don’t know the floor structure on the upper floor in detail or the construction of the exterior wall (a lot probably escapes upwards there as well).
Well, in our previous house the construction method was the same (just not as well insulated), although there the ceiling joists did not run all the way through but were installed separately for each room and rested on a load-bearing interior wall. I suspect that on the ground floor here, a lot of sound travels through the 9m (30 ft) long ceiling joists from the living room to the bedroom (kind of like a string telephone). And as for the upper floor, I have no idea why it’s worse here than in the previous house, since I don’t know the floor structure on the upper floor in detail or the construction of the exterior wall (a lot probably escapes upwards there as well).
So, a support framework decoupled from the ceiling. Under this framework, gypsum board, and between/on the supports—that is, gypsum plasterboards—the insulation. But definitely have it planned by a professional who is familiar with the overall structure. It won’t be cheap.
With a wooden ceiling spanning 9 meters (30 feet), it’s no surprise that sound passes through.
With a wooden ceiling spanning 9 meters (30 feet), it’s no surprise that sound passes through.
Ah, okay, now I understand—basically preventing the sound from reaching the ceiling joists in the first place... The next step would be to check how much sound is transmitted through the walls to the upper floor. Hmm, okay, then I will start looking for someone who knows about this and can perform these measurements...
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