ᐅ Is sound insulation according to DIN 4109-1 sufficient for a mid-terrace house?
Created on: 30 Dec 2021 14:51
T
Twist21
Hello everyone,
I am considering buying a mid-terrace house in a new development. In the construction specifications under the section on sound insulation, it states that only the legally required minimum standards according to DIN 4109-1 are met. Furthermore, according to the construction specifications and thus confirmed in writing by the developer, the sound insulation according to 4109-1 is significantly below the high level of soundproofing usually expected in terraced or semi-detached houses, and noise from neighboring mid-terrace houses can be clearly heard.
According to homeowner literature, the minimum requirement under DIN 4109-1 for sound insulation is described as “loud speech intelligible, loud music audible” and impact sound insulation as “footsteps disturbing.” Additionally, the book advises against DIN 4109-1 and refers instead to VDI 4100 (2007).
Therefore, I assume that noise I generate (speech + footfall + TV/music, etc.) can be heard in the adjacent mid-terrace houses and vice versa. Would this mean that my neighbors would already be disturbed if my TV runs until midnight and they go to bed at 10 p.m.?
I am waiting for a response from an expert, but before that, I wanted to gather your opinions and experiences here in the forum on whether meeting only the DIN 4109-1 sound insulation standard would be a dealbreaker for buying this mid-terrace house, especially since I often work from home and my neighbors might overhear my confidential conversations and vice versa.
Here are the key data:
Ceilings L’n, w ≤ 41 dB
Stairs: L’n, w ≤ 46 dB
Ground floor party walls: R’w = 63 dB
Water installations L ≤ 27 dB (A)
Other building services equipment L ≤ 30 dB (A)
Partition walls between the mid-terrace houses are reinforced concrete walls, each 12 cm (5 inches) thick. Between the walls are separating joint panels, 4 cm (1.5 inches) thick.
I hope I am somewhat overestimating my concern and would appreciate any feedback, whether it confirms or contradicts my assumption.
Thank you in advance and good luck,
Twist21
I am considering buying a mid-terrace house in a new development. In the construction specifications under the section on sound insulation, it states that only the legally required minimum standards according to DIN 4109-1 are met. Furthermore, according to the construction specifications and thus confirmed in writing by the developer, the sound insulation according to 4109-1 is significantly below the high level of soundproofing usually expected in terraced or semi-detached houses, and noise from neighboring mid-terrace houses can be clearly heard.
According to homeowner literature, the minimum requirement under DIN 4109-1 for sound insulation is described as “loud speech intelligible, loud music audible” and impact sound insulation as “footsteps disturbing.” Additionally, the book advises against DIN 4109-1 and refers instead to VDI 4100 (2007).
Therefore, I assume that noise I generate (speech + footfall + TV/music, etc.) can be heard in the adjacent mid-terrace houses and vice versa. Would this mean that my neighbors would already be disturbed if my TV runs until midnight and they go to bed at 10 p.m.?
I am waiting for a response from an expert, but before that, I wanted to gather your opinions and experiences here in the forum on whether meeting only the DIN 4109-1 sound insulation standard would be a dealbreaker for buying this mid-terrace house, especially since I often work from home and my neighbors might overhear my confidential conversations and vice versa.
Here are the key data:
Ceilings L’n, w ≤ 41 dB
Stairs: L’n, w ≤ 46 dB
Ground floor party walls: R’w = 63 dB
Water installations L ≤ 27 dB (A)
Other building services equipment L ≤ 30 dB (A)
Partition walls between the mid-terrace houses are reinforced concrete walls, each 12 cm (5 inches) thick. Between the walls are separating joint panels, 4 cm (1.5 inches) thick.
I hope I am somewhat overestimating my concern and would appreciate any feedback, whether it confirms or contradicts my assumption.
Thank you in advance and good luck,
Twist21
11ant schrieb:
If I’m right, you’ll have even bigger issues with other aspects than with the sound insulation standards.That might be true. The offer I have for the middle row house is 500,000 with a basement (120 sqm (1,292 sq ft), 5 rooms) including additional construction costs (fixed price). At first glance, including a quick review of the balance sheet and profit and loss statement, the developer seemed solid without further research—until I came across the sound insulation issue. It can’t be that you save on soundproofing and end up hearing neighbors like in the old prefabricated apartment blocks of the former GDR... *slightly exaggerated*C
Costruttrice30 Dec 2021 23:18Our acquaintances had contractually agreed on enhanced soundproofing, but after completion, it turned out that the builder ignored the contract and built “as usual,” only meeting the minimum requirements according to DIN4109. This was confirmed by an expert report.
They told us about this after we visited and heard both children running on the wooden staircase, piano playing, and a (admittedly extreme) coughing fit from the grandfather in the neighboring house. According to reports, impact noise is actually more of an issue for them than airborne noise.
As soon as normal daily life with children takes place at our acquaintances’ house, they mostly only hear neighbors walking on the stairs. However, when it is quiet at their place and normal life is going on in the neighbors’ house, the noise is more noticeable, which frustrates them. The neighbors, on the other hand, are not bothered by the noises from our acquaintances.
I think it really depends on how sensitive someone is and how important the issue is to them.
They told us about this after we visited and heard both children running on the wooden staircase, piano playing, and a (admittedly extreme) coughing fit from the grandfather in the neighboring house. According to reports, impact noise is actually more of an issue for them than airborne noise.
As soon as normal daily life with children takes place at our acquaintances’ house, they mostly only hear neighbors walking on the stairs. However, when it is quiet at their place and normal life is going on in the neighbors’ house, the noise is more noticeable, which frustrates them. The neighbors, on the other hand, are not bothered by the noises from our acquaintances.
I think it really depends on how sensitive someone is and how important the issue is to them.
Twist21 schrieb:
The offer I have for the middle unit in the row house is 500k with a basement (120 sqm (1,292 sqft), 5 rooms) including additional construction costs (fixed price). Why don’t you just name the provider? Although I use the same name on gmx (de) as here, being a developer is not something that should embarrass anyone, so you can actually mention them openly here.
Twist21 schrieb:
It can’t be true that they cut corners on soundproofing and in the end you hear neighbors’ voices like in the East German prefab apartment blocks. The prefab buildings in the West actually had lower standards compared to the global level, just as a side note. And of course, it is possible that, in order to meet the price expectations of buyers, standards according to the regulations are considered sufficient. I would like to take a closer look at what is meant by the “separation joint panels.” To me, that sounds like a sandwich construction, which technically is quite the opposite of what the marketing term implies.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Costruttrice schrieb:
I think it really depends on how sensitive you are and how important the topic is to you.Good point, and the external noise from the neighbors would really annoy us (my wife and me) later on and possibly the neighbors as well.Twist21 schrieb:
DIN 4109-1 Yes, it is the minimum requirement in residential construction:
This includes, for example,
- Living rooms (including entrance halls and open-plan kitchens),
- Bedrooms (including overnight rooms in accommodation facilities),
- Patient rooms in hospitals and sanatoriums,
- Classrooms in schools, universities, and similar institutions,
- Office rooms,
- Medical practice rooms, meeting rooms, and similar workspaces.
It is generally assumed that rooms intended for continuous occupancy must have windows. Room combinations such as “open-plan kitchens” or “en suite bathrooms” (bedrooms with adjoining bathroom facilities) are usually considered living spaces, whereas corridors, circulation areas, or ancillary rooms are generally not included.
The purpose of the minimum sound insulation is to protect people in living spaces from unreasonable disturbances caused by sound transmission in order to safeguard health. The requirements were most recently expanded to include “satisfactory conditions for sleep, leisure, and work.” Additionally, confidentiality during normal speech is considered a protection goal. Based on a background noise level of LAF,eq = 25 dB, the stated objectives from the perspective of the standard are met for protected spaces such as apartments, dormitories, hotels, and hospitals. However, it cannot be expected that sounds from outside or adjacent rooms will no longer be perceived or considered disturbing, even if the requirements are met.
Twist21 schrieb:
which the developer even mentions in the building specification? I assume that you may have misread something. Or was it a parody of the building specification? No one discredits their own house construction when their livelihood depends on it. No company builds carelessly below the minimum standards, and no company calls a DIN standard that describes the minimum requirement (and that, in most cases, is sufficient) inadequate. That simply doesn’t make sense.
ypg schrieb:
I assume you may have misread something. Or was it a parody of his construction specifications? No one would criticize their house construction when it’s their livelihood. No company builds negligently below minimum requirements, and no company describes a DIN standard that sets the minimum requirements (which in most cases is sufficient) as inadequate. It's simply illogical. The construction specifications state that the requirements of DIN 4109-1 are met, but not the standard for enhanced soundproofing expected in a mid-terrace house. This is explicitly mentioned in the specifications—no joke. I found this very surprising, as the provider either disparages their own product or is legally protecting themselves.
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