Sound Proofing & Noise Control For Residential Dwellings

With few exceptions, land for residential development continually increases in cost. This means that builders and developers have to pack more homes into ever decreasing space.

With higher density, sound proofing and noise control between residential units becomes more critical and many home designers and architects do not implement all of the sound control techniques that are available.

This applies equally to single occupancy homes, as space between properties can be limited, and to multi-unit dwellings, where occupants may be subjected to noise from adjoining units.

To gain sound proofing and noise control within a residence it is necessary to exceed municipal and national building codes and use “good construction practices”.

Additional information on sound proofing and noise control

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Sound Proofing‏

Q: This is my dilemma. I live in a row house that is attached on one side to my neighbors. This is not a problem of getting along but the wall we share is one course of brick work and then plaster on each side, so there is no insulation and thus- I can hear every word, footstep and their baby crying, - and I'm sure like-wise. Without spending a fortune- what could I use on the wall to buffer the sound - but not add width- this is the hallway and it is narrow enough at the moment, really narrow. Also this leads straight to the circular staircase, so there is a curve in the wall as well. My thought was to use felt with maybe some kind of insulation. But don't know what to use trying not to create a big project- just reduce the amount of noise I can hear. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

A: There are numerous ways to obtain some level of soundproofing. The first thing you must do is to determine how the sound is actually being transmitted from one apartment to the other.

Follow the link for specific information on finding the transmission path and shutting it down.

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Cost And Space Efficient Sound Insulation For Wall‏s

Q. I've read the stuff about having to make a separated wall but I just want to add a thin layer of material and then drywall to add some sound insulation from the adjoining semi-detached house. The choices I'm considering are:
- carpet
- foam carpet under padding
- cork panels
- mass load vinyl (expensive)
any thoughts on which would work best?

A. To create soundproofing you need to eliminate the transmission of the sound, which happens through solid materials such as wall studs, rafters, ceiling and floor joists.

Carpet with a loose pile will provide some soundproofing on the surfaces that it is in contact with.

Foam carpet under pad does not have enough air space in between the cells to provide much soundproofing.

Cork panels - it depends on the backing - I would use cork that is
designed for under hardwood or laminate flooring for condos - it is designed
to deaden the sound - it comes in rolls and would have to be glued
on. - My recommendation!

Mass load vinyl - no experience in its sound deadening qualities.

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