ᐅ Additional wall layer as soundproofing against neighbors
Created on: 16 Feb 2023 00:40
R
RingoFeldwind
Hello,
I moved into my new apartment about a week ago, renovated everything myself, and unfortunately found out that my walls are very thin and my neighbors are very loud. I’m quite desperate because after all these years I was really looking forward to some peace and quiet.
I’ve been searching online for days for a solution and thought I’d ask here what would be the best approach.
So far, my research suggests that I should build a secondary wall (a stud wall with insulation), as everything else would reduce noise too little to achieve a really good result.
I have about 15 cm (6 inches) of space available for the wall construction depth, and the wall surface is approximately 9 square meters (97 square feet).
I’m not sure which insulation material, which plasterboards, and what distance from the original wall would be best.
At the moment, I’m considering acoustic plasterboards from Knauf, acoustic mineral wool Sonorock from Rockwool, and placing it about 2 cm (1 inch) away from the original wall.
Am I on the right track? Does anyone have experience with internal soundproofing in apartments?
What should I watch out for? And how much noise reduction in dB can I realistically expect?
I’ve read online that wood fiber or hemp fiber insulation only reduce noise by about 10–15 dB maximum, but I think I need much more, so I’m planning on 10 cm (4 inches) of mineral wool. However, I haven’t found any detailed acoustic insulation values for different materials anywhere. Maybe I’m missing something, but whenever I search for “-dB” ratings, I find nothing. People always say “the heavier, the better,” but what exactly does that mean?
This is going to cost me a lot of money, and I’m really worried that the result might not be sufficient and I’ll keep being woken up every morning and hardly have any quiet days.
Thanks for your help—I’m grateful for any advice!! 🙂
Best regards
I moved into my new apartment about a week ago, renovated everything myself, and unfortunately found out that my walls are very thin and my neighbors are very loud. I’m quite desperate because after all these years I was really looking forward to some peace and quiet.
I’ve been searching online for days for a solution and thought I’d ask here what would be the best approach.
So far, my research suggests that I should build a secondary wall (a stud wall with insulation), as everything else would reduce noise too little to achieve a really good result.
I have about 15 cm (6 inches) of space available for the wall construction depth, and the wall surface is approximately 9 square meters (97 square feet).
I’m not sure which insulation material, which plasterboards, and what distance from the original wall would be best.
At the moment, I’m considering acoustic plasterboards from Knauf, acoustic mineral wool Sonorock from Rockwool, and placing it about 2 cm (1 inch) away from the original wall.
Am I on the right track? Does anyone have experience with internal soundproofing in apartments?
What should I watch out for? And how much noise reduction in dB can I realistically expect?
I’ve read online that wood fiber or hemp fiber insulation only reduce noise by about 10–15 dB maximum, but I think I need much more, so I’m planning on 10 cm (4 inches) of mineral wool. However, I haven’t found any detailed acoustic insulation values for different materials anywhere. Maybe I’m missing something, but whenever I search for “-dB” ratings, I find nothing. People always say “the heavier, the better,” but what exactly does that mean?
This is going to cost me a lot of money, and I’m really worried that the result might not be sufficient and I’ll keep being woken up every morning and hardly have any quiet days.
Thanks for your help—I’m grateful for any advice!! 🙂
Best regards
The drywall panels come in various colors and thicknesses,
the blue ones, for example, are acoustic panels.
The manufacturer provides tables for single and double layers.
I would look for a wall-filling shelving solution, with the back covered in double layers of 12 or 15 mm (1/2 or 5/8 inch) panels, and place it freestanding about 5 cm (2 inches) away from the wall.
Rental apartment = reversible installation.
the blue ones, for example, are acoustic panels.
The manufacturer provides tables for single and double layers.
I would look for a wall-filling shelving solution, with the back covered in double layers of 12 or 15 mm (1/2 or 5/8 inch) panels, and place it freestanding about 5 cm (2 inches) away from the wall.
Rental apartment = reversible installation.
RingoFeldwind schrieb:
Yes, I have also learned that the structure must be installed as a floating construction. I am also very concerned that this won’t be the solution. But I don’t know what else to do.
I think most of the noise comes through the wall since that is the weakest point of the structure, with the stomping transmitted through the floor. Since I don’t hear the neighbors above or below me, I assume the ceiling and floor are significantly better insulated than that one side wall. Stomping noise on the floor next door but transmitted through the wall. Hmm.
The real question is how much of an improvement a secondary wall (e.g., a drywall partition or overlay) will actually make if the stomping next door is transferred via the screed to the room wall. That wall, in turn, is firmly connected to the ceiling, floor, and other walls.
The alternative is first to try talking to each other. Then you might consider whether you could change the use of the affected room so it becomes a less noise-sensitive area. Before you spend money, perhaps you could place an existing bookshelf or cabinet against that wall.
Ultimately, moving out would be the last option.