Soundproofing the walls in the apartment modern materials: types and self-assembly. Noise isolation in the apartment: the long-awaited silence with your own hands How to make good sound insulation
Walls modern apartments, made of brick or concrete, transmit noise from neighbors quite well. Inside the room, they come from all sides (which is illustrated by the photo below). This interferes with normal rest, disrupting the usual alignment of life. The question of how to soundproof a wall from neighbors should be taken very seriously, because a quick solution to the problem will help maintain peaceful relations with them, and, possibly, own health, because quarrels, lack of sleep and general discomfort do not contribute to its preservation.
Varieties of household noise
Noise is a vibration of the air of a certain force. After a hard day, you want to relax in a calm, cozy, homely atmosphere or just sleep on the weekend. But living in a new building (where the tenants are undergoing constant repairs for several years after its commissioning), or next to noisy neighbors, can easily become an obstacle to this.
The whole blame here lies on the fact that little was paid during the construction. Modern multi-storey buildings are insulated from the outside with a material that simultaneously has soundproofing properties. The windows are plastic. All these measures affect the reduction of the level of noise coming from the outside. Between apartments, often, the walls are not covered with a special soundproofing coating.
To improve the level of comfort in this case, it will be necessary to create an additional appropriate layer that will be able to prevent various kinds noise from neighbors and in the opposite direction.
Experts divided household noises into groups. Here are the main ones:
- shock (also called vibrational), which spread over the floors and arise as a result of mechanical action on them by a tool, technique;
- air - sounds transmitted through cracks, holes in walls, floors, ceilings;
- structural, arising from the work of internal communications of the building (elevators, ventilation systems);
- reflected - these are sounds that have got inside the room and are shielded by objects in it.
The first two species are of the greatest practical interest due to their prevalence and degree of impact.
The following photo shows noise levels from various sources.
Without a special instrument, the intensity of noise cannot be measured. A sound volume of 40 dB from 7 am to 11 pm is considered normal. However, it should not exceed 55 dB, and at other times - 40 dB.
If the sound background is constantly above the indicated values, then it is recommended to install a soundproof coating, which should perform 2 functions: reflect external vibrations and absorb internal vibrations. This allows you to both make noise from time to time without consequences, and get rid of extraneous sounds.
The simplest way to reduce the overall noise level
Soundproofing walls from neighbors begins with their preliminary preparation. These actions will help to partially (slightly) soundproof the room. They are easy to do with your own hands in order. It all comes down to this:
- delete old finish completely or only defective parts, which is determined by the further way to achieve the desired result;
- the surface is inspected for cracks and chips;
- finding such, they are primed and plastered;
- sockets (switches) located on walls common with neighbors are opened and insulation (polystyrene or fiberglass) is placed in the mounting box.
The last point provides for the preliminary shutdown of the feeders and the dismantling of the point. In this case, the inserted insert is covered with plaster. After that, the sockets are installed back in their original place.
Next, go to the pipes of heating, water supply and sewerage. If there are voids in the place of their entry, then they are filled with mounting foam. Sewer pipes it is advisable to close the box, after wrapping them with soundproofing material, as shown in the photo.
In old houses with thick walls, additional plastering can almost completely get rid of extraneous sounds, and creating further decorative design will help to lower their level even more.
Even carpets hung on the walls prevent the propagation of sound vibrations.
For new buildings, plastering is also an option to lower the overall sound level, but it is not particularly effective compared to other protection methods. At the same time, the coating takes up little space and can act as a finishing layer, which is suitable for the inhabitants of panel structures. The solution is recommended to be applied in several layers.
Performing the simplest work with available materials allows you to cope with part of the noise impacts, and with an insignificant level of the latter, completely eliminate them. If it is necessary to further reduce sound effects, special finishing methods will need to be applied.
Materials used for work at home
On the modern market there is a wide range of products to perform. It used to be that the thicker the soundproofing layer, the better. Today you can pick up even thin materials that have excellent characteristics in this direction.
In practice, the noise suppression means presented in the table are common.
Decorative plates
Also can be applied:
- sound vibration sealants;
- sound-absorbing mastics;
- soundproof wallpaper;
- ordinary plaster;
You can reduce noise exposure by increasing the thickness of the walls. brickwork or foam block. Such options significantly reduce the volume of the room. Their application requires the calculation of loads.
Today, the choice of products is limited only by the further finishing coating used and financial possibilities. Often, materials combine, in addition to the main function, the ability to additionally warm the room.
Mounting the frame for soundproofing material
A common option for how to soundproof a wall from neighbors is to create a frame from a metal profile, which is filled with soundproofing. Next, sheathe it drywall sheets, plywood, OSB, chipboard or fiberboard.
The basis of the frame can serve wooden slats. The process of its creation can be divided into the following stages:
- mark the contour of the future design;
- mount horizontal guides (adjusting noise-insulating tapes under them) along the ceiling and floor;
- with the same precautions vertical profile with a step slightly smaller than the width of the sound insulator used;
- the working material is tightly inserted into the frame so that there are no gaps;
- sheathe the base with prepared sheets.
Frame for soundproofing material The qualitative result of the work can be presented on the basis of the following photo.
Mineral wool is often used as a filler for voids. The frame itself can be attached to the wall already applied roll coating. This method takes away part of the living space, but the design made allows you to achieve high-quality noise protection.
Use of noise-absorbing wallpaper and decorative panels
If, after plastering and leveling the walls of the room, it is additionally necessary to reduce the external sound effect, then wallpaper will help. These goals are well suited to heavy, thick canvases.
The main thing when sticking is the use of glue designed for this type of wallpaper. The gluing technology is detailed on the packaging, or it can be clarified with sales consultants. The work performed is similar to operations with conventional rolls. Possible outcome visible in the photo.
Decorative elements are used with flat walls or with a crate. They are glued to liquid nails, connecting with grooves. Working with the material is simple, and the result is a beautiful canvas.
The use of products of these types is finishing. The resulting design further protects against sound interference.
Work with plates and roll materials
Application of modern tile materials significantly reduces the volume and time of work, allowing you to achieve positive results.
One person can easily handle the installation of the products, because they are light, compact and made of wood fiber wool. They additionally warm the room.
Plates directly without additional use frames are fixed with dowels to the wall. The resulting joints are treated with putty.
With the help of penoplex, you can both soundproof the wall and insulate it well. The material is a high density polystyrene foam. The frame is not needed for the installation of the coating. These purposes are served by special adhesives or mushroom-shaped plastic dowels. Mounting method can be combined.
The process of fixing with dowels goes like this:
- the foam plate is drilled: 2 or 4 holes are created;
- lean against the surface of the wall, making marks there;
- holes are drilled at points up to 60 mm deep;
- “mushrooms” (hammering them all the way) fix the sheet by screwing self-tapping screws into the dowels;
- the following panels are closed with grooves, mounting in a similar way.
The use is very simple and cheap way. They are mounted using a conventional adhesive for vinyl wallpaper. This method pays off when renting a house, because only 60% of the noise is removed.
The use of plates and roll materials significantly speeds up the entire workflow. The technology allows (with fairly flat surfaces) to do without bulky structures, saving room space. The applied coating is able to get rid of a whole range of annoying sounds.
Large selection of materials for construction market allows you to both make soundproofing walls from neighbors, and spend money wisely, because in many cases the financial factor is crucial. Modern soundproofing products, in addition to noise protection, make it possible to achieve 2 more important goals: to increase the degree of thermal insulation of the room and decorate it beautifully.
To get an excellent result, it is necessary to take into account the conditions of its further operation as much as possible during the choice of coating.
General recommendations on the issue of soundproofing rooms are set out in the following video.
The installation process of soundproofing plates is presented in detail in the following video.
Depends on the kind of noise you want to eliminate. All noise penetrating into the apartment can be divided into 2 types: vibration (shock) and acoustic (air). Vibration noise is sound vibrations that propagate in a solid medium. Many people know from experience how good it can be to hear when upstairs neighbors throw heavy objects on the floor, jump rope, stomp or rearrange furniture. And if someone in the entrance wields a jackhammer or a puncher, the strongest roar is in all the apartments of a multi-storey building. That's all there is shock noise.
The noise level of about 40 decibels will not allow you to have a good rest, and the noise level of more than 85 decibels can lead to mental disorders.
The acoustic form of noise is associated with the propagation of sound vibrations through the air. This type of noise includes loud music and voices in a neighboring apartment or room, the rumble of passing cars, etc. Acoustic noise sources are uneven joints between panels, walls that are too thin, through holes for sockets, etc.
The only thing that can help eliminate noise in a multi-storey building is soundproofing, which must be carried out comprehensively. Soundproofing is the finishing of walls, ceilings and floors with sound-absorbing materials. In addition, for comprehensive soundproofing, it is necessary that doors and windows absorb noise as much as possible. Most high degree you can achieve sound insulation if you take care of it at the stage of building construction, since the degree of noise absorption depends on the thickness and type of material from which the walls of the house and its internal floors are made.
Comprehensive soundproofing in the apartment
Qualitatively made joints of floors and thick concrete walls provide enough good protection from noise penetration. But, unfortunately, when designing / building standard panel houses the soundproofing factor is not taken into account. To provide comprehensive protection from noise, first of all, it is necessary to soundproof the ceiling, floor and walls using sound-absorbing materials that can be bought from companies selling building materials.
In addition, you need to pay attention to the following sources of noise penetration:
- mounting boxes and sockets;
- water supply risers and;
- joints between ceiling, walls and floor;
- entrance doors and window.
Soundproofing the walls in the apartment
AT panel houses x partitions and walls are often thin, and therefore do not absorb sounds well. To ensure soundproofing of the walls, their thickness is usually increased with the help of drywall. The space between it and the wall is filled with a porous material: foam rubber or mineral wool, which prevents the propagation of acoustic vibrations.
The more layers of sound-absorbing materials used, the higher the efficiency of the soundproofing structure.
First, a frame is mounted from steel profiles. To eliminate the transmission of vibrations from the floor and walls, in the places where the profiles are attached, it is necessary to make gaskets from an elastic substance - for example, rubber. When the frame is prepared, a sound-absorbing material is glued to the wall, completely covering its surface. The thicker the layer of this material, the more effective the sound insulation will become. After that, drywall sheets are screwed to the frame.
Soundproofing the ceiling and floor in the apartment
Soundproofing the ceiling is very important, since most often the inconvenience is associated precisely with the noise that the neighbors from above produce. The soundproofing of the ceiling is carried out according to the same principle as the soundproofing of the walls. First, a frame is assembled from the profiles, and one should not forget about rubber gaskets at the points of its attachment.
After that, all its internal space is filled with some kind of sound-absorbing substance: glass mat, foam rubber or special sound-proof slabs of basalt or mineral wool. Such plates, with their small thickness, have an excellent absorbing effect. After installing them, the ceiling height in your apartment will decrease quite a bit.
If there is no intermediate layer between the floor covering and the ceiling, the noise from the apartment below will constantly penetrate into your apartment. At the same time, your neighbors will be able to hear everything that is happening in your house, down to the sound of moving chairs and even footsteps. The issue of soundproofing the floor is solved with the help of a special sound-absorbing material that has a small thickness.
This material consists of special paper, fiberglass, foamed polymer or other synthetic substance. During the repair process, depending on the type of sound-absorbing layer material, such material can be placed either directly under the screed or under the laminate. This type soundproofing perfectly dampens vibrations, and also absorbs shock. When laying the soundproofing layer, a waterproofing film is placed on top of it.
Noise isolation of mounting boxes and sockets
The reinforced concrete slabs of panel houses have through holes for the installation of electrical equipment. In such cases, sockets become a conductor of noise between neighboring apartments. To ensure the soundproofing of the socket, it must first be de-energized. Having disassembled the socket, it must be pulled out, and then a washer (gasket) made of dense sound-absorbing material - pressed mineral wool, asbestos cloth or thick cardboard - should be placed in the hole. After that, it should be carefully cemented using a gypsum mixture.
Working with sockets requires skills in working with electricity, and therefore it is better to entrust it to professionals.
Mounting boxes are usually located under the ceiling in the middle of the wall. In some cases, they can be hidden under the wallpaper. The sound insulation of boxes is made on the same principle as the insulation of sockets. You need to get a plastic plug, then install and cement a washer made of soundproofing material. Before carrying out these works, it is imperative to make sure that there is no voltage in the network.
Soundproofing of central heating risers
In accordance with building codes, risers are laid through the ceilings between floors using special sleeves that prevent the spread of noise. The sleeve is a fragment of a pipe of a larger diameter, built into the ceiling. The gap between the pipe and the sleeve must be filled with mineral wool or other sound-absorbing material.
However, it is not uncommon for builders to cement risers without using a sleeve. Over time, the cement is destroyed, while the gap between the wall and the pipe increases, and the sound from the apartment from above penetrates through the cracks. To ensure soundproofing of the riser, it is necessary to remove concrete around the pipe to a depth of less than 10 cm. The freed pipe should be wrapped with mineral wool or fiberglass, and then cemented again. The resulting excess sound-absorbing material is cut off, and the place near the pipe is puttied.
Sound insulation of joints, windows and doors
During the operation of panel buildings, cracks often appear between the floor and walls, as well as along the joints, through which noise can penetrate from neighboring apartments. The causes of these cracks can be different deformation of the building, as well as panels that are poorly fitted to each other. To ensure sound insulation of the joints, it is necessary to expand the cracks with a screwdriver or chisel, carefully clean them, prime them, cover them with putty. When the latter dries, the joint surface must be covered with acrylic sealant.
To bridge the gap between the floor and the wall, fill it silicone sealant, then glue with special tape and install the baseboard in place.
Doors and windows should protect the apartment from noise from the entrance or from the street. To soundproof windows, it is best to install special soundproof double-glazed windows. They use triple glazing technology to minimize noise penetration into the apartment. The gap between the wall and the double-glazed window is carefully sealed.
The more massive and thicker the door, the less sounds it will let into the apartment. Additionally, the doorway is sealed around the entire perimeter with special rubber gaskets. In this case, a threshold is necessarily made, and the space between the opening and door frame sealed cement mortar. The door should fit tightly enough to the frame.
To effectively increase sound insulation in an apartment, remember that the best result is possible with an integrated approach. In this case, it is necessary to use only high-quality and proven materials. When the apartment is provided good level soundproofing, then life becomes much more pleasant: an alarm system in the yard and noisy neighbors are no longer a problem!
Residents of multi-apartment panel buildings most often suffer from poor sound insulation. High level noise in the apartment is provided by poor joining of panels, small thickness of ceilings between floors. Repairs, noisy festivities, loud TV or music sound ... All extraneous sounds can be left outside the door if you make good sound insulation in the apartment.
Soundproofing your home depends on what type of noise you want to eliminate. All noises are divided into two categories: vibrational (those that arise under the influence of shocks and propagate exclusively in a solid medium) and acoustic (which are transmitted in the form of vibrations by air). Impact noise can be well “felt” on yourself during repairs at the neighbors. Acoustic noise is what you hear during a noisy neighbors party, music, laughter, loud conversations. The soundproofing of the apartment should be comprehensive. That is, the walls, floor and ceiling are subject to special finishing. In addition, doors and windows should protect your home from extraneous noise as much as possible. It is best to take care of the soundproofing of the dwelling at the stage of its construction, however, since this option is not suitable for an apartment, it is possible to ensure silence in the room with the help of special sound-absorbing materials.
Remember that the best effect is achieved only with an integrated approach to solving the problem of excess noise in the apartment. Use only quality materials and, if necessary, seek professional help.
The level of sound insulation of modern apartments, and especially in new buildings, leaves much to be desired. It is quite possible to correct this situation if desired and on your own. It won't cost too much and won't take long. In this article, we will consider the question of how to properly soundproof walls.
Varieties of soundproof materials
The modern market offers the attention of the consumer a wide variety. They can be classified into three main groups.
- Rigid. Sound absorption by these materials occurs due to the fact that one of their components is a porous filler (pumice, expanded clay, cork, perlite, etc.).
- Semi-rigid. Made from materials based on polyurethane. This group can be attributed, etc.
- Soft. Such sound insulation is made on the basis of mineral wool or fiberglass. Soundproofing the walls of an apartment using this type (along with semi-rigid) is most often performed.
How to choose the right material
There are only two types of noise - air and shock. In the first case, it can be music, loud voices heard behind the wall, etc. Impact noises occur, for example, when a drill or rotary hammer is in operation. Typically, soundproofing walls involves protection from airborne noise, and floors and ceilings - from shock. Soundproofing walls with your own hands can be done using:
- mineral wool. This is very inexpensive material with wonderful operational characteristics. Great for protecting against airborne noise. Its only drawback is considered to be a rather large thickness. Therefore, it is advisable to use it in large areas.
- Cork soundproofing material. It perfectly protects against both airborne and impact noise. It can be successfully used to insulate the walls of both large and small apartments.
- Soundproof panels ZIPS. Noise insulation of walls using this material is most effective. The main disadvantage of such panels is their rather significant weight, therefore, the complexity of installation.
Preparatory work
Before proceeding with the installation of soundproofing material, the walls must be carefully prepared. All cracks and possible holes must be found and repaired. You should also make soundproofing socket sockets. Of course, before starting this work, the electricity in the apartment must be turned off (in the panel). Sockets are dismantled and removed from sockets. Holes can be insulated with foam, foam or fiberglass. At the final stage, all the cracks are covered with plaster. It is also necessary to seal the exit points of all pipes in the apartment (water, heating, gas). Next, the walls are thoroughly cleaned of dust and dirt.
Soundproofing with mineral wool
Mineral wool is a material for soundproofing walls, which we talked about above. Its installation is as follows:
- the metal profile is pasted over with a special polystyrene tape that absorbs noise;
- guides are mounted;
- rack profiles are installed;
- pre-cut mineral wool slabs are mounted between them;
- an additional profile with a thickness of 2-3 cm is being installed (it is necessary so that a small ventilation gap remains between the sound insulator plates and drywall);
- drywall sheets are installed.
Soundproofing walls with cork panels
In this case, a special fast-setting adhesive is used. The wall is carefully smeared, after which the element is pressed tightly against it. Installation is carried out with an offset of half a plate. The cork sheets should be laid as tightly as possible. The presence of any gaps between the elements is not allowed. Cork panels are aesthetic in themselves. Therefore, to perform additional fine finish in this case it is not necessary at all. The exception is the walls of bathrooms. In this room, the plates should be covered with a special varnish-sealant.
How to soundproof with ZIPS panels
Next, we will analyze in detail the question of walls using sandwich panels. Preliminary, along the perimeter of the wall on the floor, adjacent walls and ceiling, special strips-gaskets are glued, the width of which is equal to the thickness of the sandwich panels. In this case, instead of glue, a special acoustic sealant is used.
Plates are mounted on the wall using special dowels. Installation should be done from left to right and bottom to top. The panels of the first row are cut along the short and long sides, and all subsequent panels are cut only along the long side. The element is attached to the wall and holes 6 cm deep are drilled through the vibration-isolating nodes already existing in it. Next, dowels are inserted and hammered into them. All subsequent plates are also mounted (spread of joints - at least 25 cm). The tongue-and-groove joints of the panels are additionally fastened with self-tapping screws (step - 15 cm). At the final stage, the joints of the panels are processed with a grinding float. After that, all seams are filled with sealant.
Wallpapering
Sound insulation of the walls will be even more effective if vinyl foam wallpaper is used as the final finish. Pasting the walls must begin from the window. Using the level, first draw a vertical line on the wall. It will serve as a guide when pasting the first strip.
The canvases are smoothed over the surface of the wall with a soft roller with medium-length fur. Air bubbles are removed with a special wallpaper brush. Adhesive that has fallen on the surface of the canvases is removed with a clean cloth. Since foamed wallpaper is not a very durable material, pasting must be done as carefully as possible.
As you can see, soundproofing walls with your own hands is not a very complicated process. With a little effort, you can make living in an apartment or house much more comfortable. The most important thing is to do everything without haste, to lay all the elements as tightly as possible in relation to each other and carefully seal all the joints.
Most often, residents of new buildings and panel houses complain about poor sound insulation in an apartment. This is not accidental, since it is in panel houses that sound insulation is at a very low level. Therefore, we decided to collect all the information on this topic and write a detailed article.
Soundproofing in a panel Khrushchev
One of distinguishing features panel Khrushchev remains extremely poor soundproofing. And no matter how much they struggled with this, the sound insulation in panel high-rise buildings leaves much to be desired. And all due to the fact that in Khrushchev they used large-format panels that they tried to make as dense and thin as possible, in addition, it was necessary to achieve weight reduction and thinning of the supporting structures. Plus, holes and crevices are inevitable in large-panel construction. And here you have the problem of poor sound insulation, in all its glory.
In the first Khrushchev type K7, II-35 - the thickness of the floor slabs was 120 mm, and the thickness of the inter-apartment walls did not exceed 10-12 cm. On the contrary, in the II-03 series, the floors had a thickness of 220 mm + 50-100 mm of slag + the floor along the logs on elastic gaskets. That is, while old technologies were used with slabs of 200-220 mm each and backfilled with slag or expanded clay, gypsum screeds, as in modern Khrushchev large blocks and brick buildings– soundproofing was present.
Soundproofing in panel buildings
Let's first understand how sound insulation in panel houses differs from sound insulation in brick or monolithic houses? You need to know that in monolithic and panel houses, for example, the sound of a perforator will be heard throughout the house, almost as if they are drilling in a neighboring apartment, while in brick houses shock noises spread much worse, however, airborne noises in prefabricated houses do not spread much worse than shock noises, in contrast to monolithic houses. It's all about being fat. monolithic walls preferable to other materials as protection against street noises or, say, from singing in a neighbor's apartment. However, if the tenants of one of the apartments started repairs, life in monolithic house turns into hell, just like in panel houses. On the contrary, walls made of brick or foam concrete transmit sounds to a much lesser extent by design, but they save worse from ordinary household noise.
With panel houses, in general, everything is much more complicated - here you need to look objectively at the manufacturer of the plates, the thickness of the product, design features houses and quality of construction. Therefore, each series and year of construction of panel houses has its own characteristics in sound insulation.
In none of the new prefabricated houses, floors do not meet the standards!
Therefore, soundproofing is done at the very first, rough stage of work!
With regard to sound insulation of residential premises in Russia, very strict standards apply. And they are much tougher than similar norms in the West, especially in Italy or America. But the trouble is that none of the builders of developers even thinks of sticking to them. The main task of builders is to build cheaper and sell more expensive. They also save on soundproofing, because at first glance it is almost impossible for a non-specialist to evaluate it. And if in project documentation include all the necessary measures for soundproofing, this will immediately lead to an increase in the cost of construction by 30-40 percent!
Soundproofing standards in panel houses
The acoustic ecology of a dwelling begins with the knowledge of sound insulation standards, which are described in the set of rules for noise protection SP 51.13330.2011 (updated version of SNiP 2003). Sound insulation of enclosing structures (ceilings, walls, partitions, doors, etc.) is the ability to prevent the spread of sound, reduce the pressure of noise on people in the room. Noises in houses are divided into two types - depending on the characteristics of education. To protect against each of them, the set of rules provides for its own standards and indicators.
Airborne noise!
The so-called airborne noise arises in space and, thanks to sound waves, penetrates through walls, floors, ceilings. This is the sound musical instruments, TV, player, neighbor conversations and so on. In accordance with the mentioned document, the standard for protection against airborne noise in panel house economy class is soundproofing at the level of 50 dB.
Impact noise!
But much more often the residents of the house are worried about the so-called shock noise. It is formed due to the mechanical impact on the floor slab in any way - from the steps of people, the movement of furniture, repair work. Broadcast impact noise in the house is determined by a special device that measures the level of sound pressure. The higher this figure, the worse the situation with the audibility in the building. In panel houses, the sound pressure level of 60 dB is considered the permissible limit.
The difference between shock and airborne noise!
Impact noise for residents of houses is much worse than air. Firstly, according to the laws of physics, sound waves gradually fade in the air, and therefore, most often, such noise disturbs only immediate neighbors who are unlucky enough to live next to “singers” or “screamers”. Whereas impact noise, with certain design features, can “please” the whole house. Secondly, in most cases, the level of impact noise is not regulated by law (the ban is imposed only on repair work at an unspecified time). If you can complain to the appropriate authorities about too loud singing or watching militants, then you can’t find a council on a neighbor from above, walking around the apartment in high heels.
Causes of poor sound insulation of panel houses
The most common cause This is low quality work. Enclosing structures must be designed so that during construction and operation, even minimal through cracks and cracks do not occur at their joints. If such nevertheless formed, then, according to the rules, they should be cleared and filled to the full depth with sealant. seams internal walls and partitions made of bricks, ceramic and cinder blocks must also be filled and plastered on both sides. However, often in panel houses, these works are done carelessly. But only new settlers who accept apartments without finishing can detect such flaws. But the poor quality of the termination is not the only reason for the violation of sound insulation. It happens that the technology of installation of inter-apartment and inter-room partitions made of modern materials is not observed, when using which it is necessary to strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions. But that's not all. Many panels used for inter-apartment partitions have internal voids. Conducted tests in sound chambers - everything is normal. But during the tests, they do not take into account that sockets will be installed in the walls and hidden wiring will be made. Now imagine that the socket fell on the void - that's it, nothing is left of the soundproofing!
Soundproofing screeds in a panel house!
Oddly enough, the noise "hell" is often organized by the residents themselves and their neighbors. First of all, those who buy apartments without finishing or make overhaul. Often, when making repairs, apartment owners save centimeters in low dwellings and do not lay a soundproof layer under the floors.
Often, "homemade" violate the technology out of ignorance. “The floor slab in a panel house does not provide the required insulation. For good sound protection, a “floating floor” is required. Such a floor should not have rigid connections with the bearing part of the ceiling, walls and other building structures. Concrete screed must be separated along the contour from the walls and other structures of the building by gaps 1-2 cm wide, filled soundproof material, such as SoundGuard soundproofing sealant. Contrary to popular misconception, this is not done for downstairs neighbors. A properly made floating floor is the main protection against impact noise! Increased audibility can also be formed in the process of redevelopment of the apartment. Often, property owners move the kitchen, expand the bathroom or toilet. If next to the bedroom of one apartment, as a result of the "creativity" of the residents, there is a bathroom of another apartment and the sound of the drained water prevents the neighbors from sleeping, it is pointless to blame the builders and the quality of sound insulation in the panel house.
How to make soundproofing in a panel house?
1. Decide for yourself what is more important to you: lose a few cm instead of comfort or accept and endure noisy neighbors? The time and money spent on soundproofing measures will return to you a hundredfold in the form of cheerfulness in a few months, healthy sleep and good mood.
2. Take soundproofing seriously as a separate project. Most of our clients are beginning to understand that it is impossible to live in this nightmare, just by making expensive designer repairs and moving into an apartment. Many of them have been arguing with neighbors for more than one year, they endure, and someone is even forced to sell housing or dismantle everything and make new renovation with effective soundproofing.
3. Soundproofing is done at the very first, rough stage of work.
4. It is necessary to strictly, scrupulously adhere to the technology of work. You can not exclude a single stage, even if it seems insignificant to you.
5. The performance of soundproofing work in any case requires certain losses in usable area and height of the room. It is recommended to contact specialists at the design stage. Even if you are not going to order installation from them, you can and should get recommendations on necessary design to minimize these losses and choose the most effective option for soundproofing your space.
6. Soundproofing in the room begins with the walls, after the walls they make the ceiling, then the floor.
7. From shock noise (stomp, repair noise, music), metal-frame is the most effective. Frameless soundproofing mainly solves the problem of combating airborne noise, protects from a loud TV behind the wall, a crying child, a barking dog or loud neighbors.
8. Soft and light materials (glass wool, polystyrene, etc.) are not soundproof, despite the fact that some manufacturers write so on their packaging. These are sound absorbers! However, it is part of the structure and performs its function - it removes the rumble ("drum effect") inside the structure and works on sound absorption.
9. THE MAIN RULE IN SOUND INSULATION IS MASS AND MULTILAYER. Therefore, the heavier and more layered the material, the less sound it will let through. For today perfect material for soundproofing it. Square meter weighs almost 20 kg (m2 of drywall, for comparison, is less than 10 kg)
10. The metal parts of the frame MUST NOT touch the walls! All metal parts must be glued with vibration damping tape.
11. Special attention you need to give sockets and switches. For them, you need to use special ones. Such a seemingly trifle can nullify all efforts for soundproofing.
12. Walls, ceiling and floor should have a perimeter gap of less than 5mm.
13. Gaps, seams, joints MUST be filled with soundproof sealant.
14. Use for soundproofing only materials that are safe, environmentally friendly and hypoallergenic! Ideally, materials made from natural materials in which there is no chemistry, resins, glue.
Do-it-yourself soundproofing of an apartment in a panel house! Simple Tips!
An electrical outlet mounted on an inter-apartment wall is very often one of the most likely routes for noise from neighbors. This is easy to verify by simply putting your ear to it (just try not to get electrocuted). The fact is that in some reinforced concrete wall slabs, even at the production stage, through holes are provided for the installation of electrical accessories. Then the builders simply mount sockets in two adjacent apartments, leaving a through channel through which noise can almost freely enter your apartment.
What to do?
Dismantle the electrical outlet and junction box, adhering to the rules for electrical safety. You may be able to see the bottom of the neighbor's outlet box when you do this. Install instead of the old junction box -. Then seal the hole. For this operation, it is recommended to use the services of an electrician. Note: Do not use mounting foam to seal the hole without subsequent plastering. Mounting foam is not a soundproofing material and, moreover, has a high combustibility.
2. Risers of the heating system.
Risers of pipelines for heating and water supply, according to building codes, must be passed through interfloor ceilings using vibration-isolated sleeves. For this, the overlap is embedded metal pipe larger than the riser diameter. The gap between the two pipes must be filled with non-combustible sound-absorbing material and sealed with a non-hardening sealant. In practice, this is often not done. Builders either do not close the gaps in the sleeve with mineral wool, or simply do not use sleeves, sealing the riser directly into the ceiling with cement mortar. After many years of operation, gaps necessarily appear between the riser pipe and the floor slab. Sound from neighbors below and above can freely enter your apartment through cracks and gaps. In some cases, unwanted odors also penetrate through such cracks.
What to do?
If the riser is laid through the overlap in the sleeve, it is recommended to seal the gap between the sleeve and the riser with heat-resistant silicone.
If the riser is laid directly through the ceiling, around the pipe it is necessary to clear and remove the damaged layer of cement mortar as far as possible (preventing penetration into the neighboring apartment). Then it is recommended to wrap the base of the pipe with soundproofing material (for example,) and cement the broken area of the floor and / or ceiling. Excess insulating material is cut off, and the joint is sealed with silicone sealant.
3. Joints between floor slab and wall
In places where the floor overlaps adjoin the walls, deep cracks often appear. This is due to poor-quality construction joints and the low quality of the floor leveling screed. Cracks and cavities formed over time can serve as a good conductor of sound from a neighboring apartment.
What to do?
Remove the skirting boards around the perimeter of the room. If possible, use a chisel and a hammer to make a 30-50 mm wide seam along the walls in the floor to the entire depth of the screed. Fill the seam with fresh cement-sand mortar. After drying cement mixture seal the joint with SoundGuard Seal 310 non-curing silicone sealant.
If parquet is laid in the apartment and partial dismantling of the screed is not possible, then just carefully fill in expansion joint between the wall and the edge of the parquet flooring with silicone sealant. Then fix the skirting boards in place.
4. Joints between "Wall-ceiling" and "Wall-Wall" slabs
Long-term operation of panel houses, as a rule, leads to the formation of deformation cracks between reinforced concrete slabs walls and ceilings. These cracks are "life companions" of almost all residents of panel houses. Very often they hide behind wallpaper and do not violate appearance residential apartment. However, these cracks can serve as a channel for noise from the neighboring apartment.
What to do?
Remove old wallpaper. Expand the joints between the concrete panels. Fill the resulting voids and cavities with gypsum putty or cement mortar. After the putty has dried, coat all wall-to-wall and wall-to-ceiling joints with SoundGuard Seal 310 acrylic sealant. After removing excess acrylic sealant, you can paint or paste over the room with new wallpaper.
5. Electrical installation boxes
Mounting boxes for connection electrical cables usually located under the ceiling in the central part of the inter-apartment walls. Often they are hidden under the wallpaper, but they are easy to detect by "tapping". Very often, mounting boxes are installed in through holes in the walls and closed with thin plastic covers.
What to do?
Soundproofing of mounting boxes is recommended to be carried out by analogy with electrical sockets, but always with the involvement of an electrician. It is not recommended to twist electrical cables yourself.
