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andreasg.3 Jan 2016 10:01Hello,
we built our house just over two years ago. Unfortunately, soundproofing was overlooked in the planning of our single-family home. Unfortunately. Upstairs, we have 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) partition walls made of Poroton. The problem now is that you can hear every single sound from each room at a normal speaking volume. We consulted with a structural engineer and an architect, but they said the minimum requirements for soundproofing were met. They also said that if we had wanted a higher level of soundproofing, it should have been considered during the house planning phase. To me, this statement is disappointing. In that case, I might as well use kitchen paper towels as partition walls. Now the question is what can be done to improve soundproofing without major effort.
we built our house just over two years ago. Unfortunately, soundproofing was overlooked in the planning of our single-family home. Unfortunately. Upstairs, we have 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) partition walls made of Poroton. The problem now is that you can hear every single sound from each room at a normal speaking volume. We consulted with a structural engineer and an architect, but they said the minimum requirements for soundproofing were met. They also said that if we had wanted a higher level of soundproofing, it should have been considered during the house planning phase. To me, this statement is disappointing. In that case, I might as well use kitchen paper towels as partition walls. Now the question is what can be done to improve soundproofing without major effort.
Is Poroton really that bad in terms of sound insulation, or are you exaggerating? Our children's rooms are also separated by a 115mm (4.5 inches) wall – but made of calcium silicate brick. Are there possibly other weak points besides the wall? Is the screed properly separated from the wall, and how is the ceiling constructed?
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andreasg.3 Jan 2016 11:18Thanks in advance for the response.
We actually suspect another weak point, namely the ceiling insulation in the individual rooms. Maybe the insulation wool was simply laid over the partition walls and then covered with drywall. Perhaps the airborne sound is transmitted through the collar beams (according to the carpenter). When my wife quietly reads a book to the children, you can hear it in the other room. That really shouldn’t be the case. We have no problems with impact sound at all. Our screed installer did an excellent job there. When the children are playing upstairs, you hardly hear anything downstairs. But the problem with the upstairs partition walls has become a major annoyance for us. You don’t build a solid house only to have to add extra layers to walls later. In that case, I might as well have built a timber house. I believe the minimum legal requirements for soundproofing must be significantly improved, even for single-family houses. It cannot be that an architect simply says, “That’s according to the standard, that’s how it’s built.” You slowly lose the enjoyment of your home that way.
We actually suspect another weak point, namely the ceiling insulation in the individual rooms. Maybe the insulation wool was simply laid over the partition walls and then covered with drywall. Perhaps the airborne sound is transmitted through the collar beams (according to the carpenter). When my wife quietly reads a book to the children, you can hear it in the other room. That really shouldn’t be the case. We have no problems with impact sound at all. Our screed installer did an excellent job there. When the children are playing upstairs, you hardly hear anything downstairs. But the problem with the upstairs partition walls has become a major annoyance for us. You don’t build a solid house only to have to add extra layers to walls later. In that case, I might as well have built a timber house. I believe the minimum legal requirements for soundproofing must be significantly improved, even for single-family houses. It cannot be that an architect simply says, “That’s according to the standard, that’s how it’s built.” You slowly lose the enjoyment of your home that way.
As far as I know, there are no mandatory requirements for sound insulation in single-family houses, only recommendations (but I might be mistaken).
This topic has also been discussed here before: https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/frage-zu-innerem-Schallschutz-bei-einem-Einfamilienhaus-Doppelhaus.6244/
If I were you, I would have it done properly once and then be happy, instead of worrying about it forever.
This topic has also been discussed here before: https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/frage-zu-innerem-Schallschutz-bei-einem-Einfamilienhaus-Doppelhaus.6244/
If I were you, I would have it done properly once and then be happy, instead of worrying about it forever.
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nightdancer3 Jan 2016 15:44andreasg. schrieb:
Now the question is what to do to improve soundproofing without major effort.That’s probably not possible. Either install drywall partitions and suspended ceilings or consider partial demolition.
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Bauexperte4 Jan 2016 10:17Hello,
It is well known that sound insulation with high-perforation bricks (Poroton) only becomes effective starting at around 30cm (12 inches) thickness; therefore, 11.5cm (4.5 inches) walls cannot meet these requirements. That is why many concrete house builders offer to construct interior walls of an attic floor using lightweight construction. Then again, many homeowners object loudly because a gypsum board-covered "wall" is not considered solid, stubbornly ignoring that there is hardly a better solution for their attic floor; sometimes it’s really maddening.
Bring expertise into your home before trying to fix things yourself. If a retrofit solution is possible or, for example, if the floor insulation was poorly done, a professional will find out and present you with alternatives that can help.
Happy New Year!
andreasg. schrieb:In this particular case, it is not just the architect saying so; you decide - or have decided - what should be installed in your house, even when working under a fixed-price contract with a general contractor. You could have asked questions… your planner could have explained the VDI 4100 guideline to you. I also don’t see the need to be constantly patronized everywhere and at all times; I don’t need ‘do-gooders’ who think they have to do my thinking for me.
I believe the minimum sound insulation requirements should be legally improved even for single-family houses. It can’t be that an architect simply says that it complies with the standards. That’s just how houses are built these days. It’s starting to take the fun out of building a home.
It is well known that sound insulation with high-perforation bricks (Poroton) only becomes effective starting at around 30cm (12 inches) thickness; therefore, 11.5cm (4.5 inches) walls cannot meet these requirements. That is why many concrete house builders offer to construct interior walls of an attic floor using lightweight construction. Then again, many homeowners object loudly because a gypsum board-covered "wall" is not considered solid, stubbornly ignoring that there is hardly a better solution for their attic floor; sometimes it’s really maddening.
Bring expertise into your home before trying to fix things yourself. If a retrofit solution is possible or, for example, if the floor insulation was poorly done, a professional will find out and present you with alternatives that can help.
Happy New Year!
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