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Sound insulation in SE23 halls-adjoining houses?
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spud


Posts: 65
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #1
29-09-2010 11:04 AM

We've lived in our Honor Oak half-house for more than a decade. We're fond of the house and the neighbourhood. But one drawback to the house is a very thin dividing wall on one side of the house.

Considerate neighbours are essential. We've always been lucky in that respect and still are. But it seems likely that the young couple next door might be planning a family. Long sleepless nights for them could mean just the same for us. That's just one of a few reasons why we're considering moving on.

If we wanted to stay in the area, but still to upgrade to an extra room, one of the more affordable options seems to be the sort of halls-adjoining houses that can be seen in e.g. Grierson Road. But would we defintely be better off as regards sound insulation from neighbours? Has anyone got an informed opinion on this? Maybe someone who lives in one or knows someone who does?

Any advice or reassurance greatly received.

Ta.

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Bcm


Posts: 187
Joined: May 2010
Post: #2
29-09-2010 11:23 AM

We are on Agnew which has similar houses. Our hall-adjoined neighbours have a young child and occasionally we can hear her in the morning through the hall divide, but never at night. I would assume that you are likely to have the front master bedroom yourself and the children next door are more likely to have one of the back bedrooms. We have never heard a peep until the morning and even then it isn’t at all intrusive. Unless you absolutely cannot stand hearing any noise from next door (in which case detached is the only answer!) I think you'll be fine. If you consider staying in your current house, acoustic underlay can be fitted between the existing wall and plasterboard, it isn’t that expensive for just one room.

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Southlonder


Posts: 119
Joined: Aug 2009
Post: #3
29-09-2010 12:30 PM

i you are able to light the floorboard you need to investigate whether there are voids between the floor joists which run through the party wall,

When we moved into our found on garthorne (the red brick kind) I could hear and smell everything from my neighbour when on the landing at the top of the stairs. It turned out that there was a massive hole which I could put my arm through under my boards, between the joists.

When we had our extension done we sound proofed the kitchen/ dining room by doing the following (our architect used to do theatres and concert halls so understands accoustics)

You need to disconnect the wall from the joists. That means removing all floorboards and laying rubber matting over the joists.
You need to install rockwool between the joists in the area on the party wall
You need to then put in a suspended stud wall - you must leave an air gap, putting rubber mat or accoustic padding will do nothing, the air gap creates insulation

We find that the only room where noise is bad is in our bedroom where we can hear our neighbour quite easily, but it isn't bad enough to warant doing the above in this room since we would loose the original cornicing on the party wall in that room, and would cost about £2-3k to do.

Hope this helps Smile

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spud


Posts: 65
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #4
04-10-2010 10:25 AM

BCM - thanks, that's quite reassuring. We're not super-neurotic about noise. But the idea of spending several months with a newborn baby (not) sleeping in a cot in the bedroom next to ours is a bit daunting because the dividing wall on that side is only a single brick's width. (That still might not be enough reason, on its own, to warrant a move. But it could be the tipping point in combination with other factors.)

Southlonder - Wow. That's a scary saga by contrast. But some very useful and detailed info to keep on file for future reference. So thatnks for that as well.

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Southlonder


Posts: 119
Joined: Aug 2009
Post: #5
06-10-2010 11:02 AM

i can't see how it is logical to incur a minimum of £10k in fees to move because of a problem that can be pretry easlily resolved for less than half of that. Makes no sense at all!

I would suggest you speak to a reliable builder about doing what I suggested- it would prob mean about a week's work including replastering the new stud wall

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spud


Posts: 65
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #6
06-10-2010 05:27 PM

Well...there are other reasons to move as well.

But that might be both the deciding issue, and something we want to avoid if/when we do move into somewhere else.

Thanks anyway.

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