Noise insulation of walls in the apartment modern materials: types and self-assembly. Soundproofing in an apartment: the long-awaited silence with your own hands How to make good sound insulation
The walls of modern apartments, made of brick or concrete, allow noise from neighbors to pass through quite well. Indoors, they come from all sides (as illustrated in the photo below). This interferes with normal rest, disrupting the usual alignment of life. The question of how to make noise insulation of the wall from neighbors should be taken very seriously, because a quick solution to the problem will help maintain peaceful relations with them, and, possibly, your own health, since quarrels, lack of sleep and general discomfort do not contribute to its preservation.
Varieties of household noises
Noise is the vibration of the air of a certain strength. 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 for several years after its commissioning, residents are undergoing constant repairs), or next to noisy neighbors - this can easily become an obstacle.
All the blame here lies with the fact that little was paid during the construction. Modern multi-storey buildings are insulated on the outside with a material that simultaneously has soundproofing properties. Plastic windows are inserted into them. All these measures have an effect on reducing the level of noise coming from outside. The walls between the apartments are often 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, which will be able to prevent the ingress of various types of noise both from neighbors and in the opposite direction.
Experts have divided household noises into groups. Here are the main ones:
- shock (also called vibration), which spread over the floors and and arise as a result of mechanical action on them with a tool, equipment;
- airy - sounds transmitted through cracks, holes in walls, floors, ceilings;
- structural, arising from the work of the internal communications of the building (elevators, ventilation systems);
- reflected - these are sounds that have entered the room and are screened by objects in it.
The first two species are of greatest practical interest due to their prevalence and degree of impact.
The following photo shows the noise levels from various sources.
Noise power cannot be measured without a special device. A sound of 40 dB from 7 am to 11 pm is considered normal. Moreover, it should not exceed 55 dB, and at other times - 40 dB.
If the sound background is constantly higher than the specified values, then it is recommended to install a soundproofing covering, which should perform 2 functions: to reflect external and absorb internal vibrations. This allows you to make noise yourself from time to time without consequences, and to get rid of extraneous sounds.
The simplest way to reduce overall noise
Soundproofing walls from neighbors begins with their preliminary preparation. These actions will help to partially (slightly) insulate the room. They are easy to do with your own hands in order. It all boils down to this:
- remove the old finish completely or only the defective parts, which is determined by the further method of achieving the desired result;
- the surface is inspected for cracks and chips;
- having found such, they are primed and plastered;
- sockets (switches) located on the walls common with neighbors are opened and insulation (foam or fiberglass) is placed in the back box.
The last point provides for the preliminary shutdown of the supply machines and the dismantling of the point. In this case, the inserted insert is covered with plaster. Then the sockets are installed back to their original place.
Next, they move on to pipes for heating, water supply and sewerage. If there are voids at their entrance, then they are filled with polyurethane foam. It is advisable to close the sewer pipes with a box, having previously wrapped them with sound insulating material, as shown in the photo.
In old houses with thick walls, additional plastering can almost completely eliminate extraneous sounds, and the creation of further decorative design will help to further lower their level.
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 background level, but it is not particularly effective compared to other methods of protection. At the same time, the coating takes up little space and can act as a finishing layer of finishing, which is suitable for the inhabitants of panel structures. It is recommended to apply the solution in several layers.
Performing the simplest work with available materials allows you to cope with some of the noise effects, and with an insignificant level of the latter, to completely eliminate them. If it is necessary to further reduce the sound effects, it will be necessary to use special finishing methods.
Materials used for work at home
The modern market offers a wide range of products for execution. It used to be thought 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, noise suppression means are presented in the table.
Decorative plates
Can also be applied:
- sound vibration sealants;
- sound-absorbing mastics;
- noise-insulating wallpaper;
- ordinary plaster;
It is possible to reduce noise impacts by increasing the thickness of the walls with 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 used further finishing coating and financial possibilities. Often, materials combine, in addition to the main function, and the ability to additionally insulate the room.
Installation of the frame under the soundproof 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 a sound insulator. Then it is sheathed with plasterboard sheets, plywood, OSB, chipboard or fiberboard.
Wooden slats can serve as the basis for the frame. The process of its creation can be divided into the following stages:
- mark the outline of the future structure;
- mount horizontal guides (adjusting sound insulation tapes for them) along the ceiling and floor;
- with the same precautions, a vertical profile is installed with a step slightly smaller than the width of the sound insulator used;
- work material is tightly inserted into the frame so that there are no gaps;
- sheathe the base with prepared sheets.
Frame for sound insulating material The qualitative result of the work can be presented based on the following photo.
Mineral wool is often used as a filling material. The frame itself can be attached to the wall already on the applied roll coating. This method takes away part of the living space, but the construction made allows for 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 required to reduce the external sound influence, then wallpaper will help. Heavy, thick canvases are well suited to these goals.
The main thing when gluing is to use glue designed for this type of wallpaper. The gluing technology is described in detail on the packaging, or you can check it with sales consultants. The work performed is the same as with conventional rolls. The possible result can be seen in the photo.
Decorative elements are used for even walls or with lathing. 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 these types of products is a finish. The resulting design additionally protects against sound interference.
Work with plates and roll materials
The use of modern tile materials significantly reduces the volume and time of work, allowing you to achieve positive results.
The installation of products can be easily handled by one person, because they are lightweight, compact and consisting of wood fiber wool. They additionally insulate the room.
Plates are directly attached to the wall with dowels without additional use of a frame. 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 when installing the cover. For these purposes, special adhesives or mushroom plastic dowels serve. The mounting method can be combined.
The process of fixing with dowels is as follows:
- the foam plate is drilled: 2 or 4 holes are created;
- lean against the surface of the wall, making marks there;
- drilled holes up to 60 mm deep by points;
- "Mushrooms" (hammering them all the way) fix the sheet by screwing screws into the dowels;
- the following panels are closed with grooves, mounting in the same way.
Usage is a very simple and cheap way. They are mounted with a conventional vinyl wallpaper adhesive. This method pays off for rental housing because only 60% of the noise is removed.
The use of boards 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 can eliminate a range of annoying sounds.
A large selection of materials on the construction market allows you to both make soundproofing of walls from neighbors, and it is reasonable to spend money at the same time, because in many cases the financial factor is of decisive importance. Modern soundproofing products, in addition to protecting against noise, make it possible to achieve 2 more important goals: to increase the degree of thermal insulation of the room and to decorate it beautifully.
To get an excellent result, when choosing a coating, you should take into account the conditions of its further operation as much as possible.
General recommendations on the issue of noise insulation of premises are set out in the following video.
The installation process of soundproofing boards is shown 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 vibration that propagates through a solid medium. Many people know from their own experience how good it can be heard when neighbors from above throw heavy objects on the floor, jump rope, stomp or rearrange furniture. And if someone in the entrance is wielding a jackhammer or a perforator, the strongest roar is in all the apartments of a multi-storey building. This is all the impact noise.
A noise level of about 40 decibels will not allow you to properly rest, and noise over 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 can include loud music and voices in the next apartment or room, the hum of passing cars, etc. Sources of acoustic noise 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 sound insulation, which must be carried out in a comprehensive manner. Sound insulation is a decoration of walls, ceiling and floor with sound-absorbing materials. In addition, for comprehensive sound insulation, it is necessary that doors and windows absorb noise as much as possible. You can achieve the highest degree of sound insulation if you take care of this even during the construction phase of the building, 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.
Complex sound insulation in the apartment
Well-designed floor joints and thick concrete walls provide good protection against noise penetration. But, unfortunately, the sound insulation factor is not taken into account in the design / construction of standard panel houses. To provide comprehensive protection against noise, the first step is to soundproof the ceiling, floor and walls using sound-absorbing materials that can be purchased from companies that sell building materials.
In addition, take out should be addressed to the following sources of noise penetration:
- mounting boxes and sockets;
- water supply risers and;
- joints between the ceiling, walls and floor;
- entrance doors and window doors.
Noise insulation of walls in the apartment
In panel houses, partitions and walls are often thin, and therefore poorly absorb sound. To ensure soundproofing of the walls, their thickness is usually increased using 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 are used, the higher the efficiency of the sound-insulating structure.
First, the frame is mounted from steel profiles. To eliminate the transmission of vibrations from the floor and walls, it is necessary to make gaskets from an elastic substance - for example, rubber - at the points of attachment of the profiles. 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, sheets of drywall are screwed to the frame.
Noise insulation of the ceiling and floor in the apartment
Noise insulation of the ceiling is very important, since most often the inconvenience is associated precisely with the noise that the neighbors make from above. The soundproofing of the ceiling is made according to the same principle as the soundproofing of the walls. First, the frame is assembled from the profiles, while you do not need to forget about rubber gaskets in the places of its attachment.
After that, all of its internal space is filled with some kind of sound-absorbing substance: glass mat, foam rubber or special soundproof plates made of basalt or mineral wool. Such slabs, with their small thickness, have an excellent absorbing effect. After installing them, the ceiling height in your apartment will decrease very slightly.
If there is no intermediate layer between the floor cladding and the ceiling, the noise from the bottom of the apartment will constantly penetrate into your apartment. At the same time, your neighbors will be able to hear everything that is happening around you, right down to the sound of moving chairs and even footsteps. The issue of floor sound insulation is solved with the help of a special sound-absorbing material with a small thickness.
This material consists of specialty paper, fiberglass, expanded polymer or other synthetic material. During the renovation process, depending on the type of material of the sound-absorbing layer, such material can be placed either directly under the screed or under the laminate. This type of noise insulation perfectly dampens vibrations and also absorbs shock effects. When laying a soundproofing layer, a waterproofing film is placed on top of it.
Noise insulation for mounting boxes and sockets
In the reinforced concrete slabs of panel houses there are through holes for the installation of electrical equipment. In such cases, the sockets become a conductor of noise between neighboring apartments. To ensure sound insulation of the socket, it must first be de-energized. Having disassembled the outlet, you need to pull it out, and then place a washer (gasket) made of dense sound-absorbing material - pressed mineral wool, asbestos fabric or thick cardboard into the hole. After that, it should be carefully cemented using a gypsum mixture.
Working with outlets requires skills in working with electricity, and therefore it is better to entrust it to professionals.
The 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 soundproofing of the boxes is done in the same way as the insulation of the sockets. You need to get a plastic plug, then install and cement a washer made of sound-insulating material. Before carrying out these works, it is imperative to make sure that there is no voltage in the network.
Soundproofing central heating risers
In accordance with building codes, the risers are laid through the floors between floors using special sleeves that prevent the spread of noise. A sleeve is a fragment of a pipe with 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 liner. Over time, the cement collapses, 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, concrete must be removed around the pipe to a depth of less than 10 cm. The released pipe should be wrapped with mineral wool or fiberglass, and then cemented again. The resulting excess of sound-absorbing material is cut off, and the place near the pipe is putty.
Soundproofing 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 reasons for 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, you need to expand the cracks with a screwdriver or chisel, carefully clean them, prime, cover with putty. When the latter is dry, the joint surface should be covered with acrylic sealant.
To eliminate the gap between the floor and the wall, fill it with silicone sealant, then glue it with special tape and reinstall the skirting board.
Doors and windows should protect the apartment from noise from the entrance or from the street. To make the windows soundproof, 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 glass unit is carefully sealed.
The more massive and thicker the door is, the less sounds it will let through 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 the door frame is sealed with cement mortar. The door should fit snugly against the frame.
To effectively improve 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 has a good level of sound insulation, it becomes much more pleasant to live: an alarm in the yard and noisy neighbors are no longer a problem!
Residents of multi-apartment panel buildings most often suffer from poor sound insulation. The high level of noise in the apartment is ensured by poor joining of panels, small thickness of floors between floors. Renovation, noisy festivities, loud sound of TV or music ... All extraneous sounds can be left outside the door, if you make good noise insulation in the apartment.
Soundproofing in a living space depends on what kind of noise you want to eliminate. All noise is divided into two categories: vibrational (those that arise under the influence of shock and propagate exclusively in a solid environment) and acoustic (which are transmitted in the form of vibrations by air). Impact noise can be well “felt” on yourself during repairs at neighbors. Acoustic noise is what you hear during a noisy party at neighbors, music, laughter, loud conversations. The soundproofing of the apartment must be comprehensive. That is, the walls, floor and ceiling are subject to special finishing. In addition, doors and windows should protect your home as much as possible from extraneous noise. It is best to take care of the soundproofing of the dwelling even 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 unnecessary noise in the apartment. Use only high-quality materials, and if necessary, seek help from specialists.
The level of sound insulation of modern apartments, especially in new buildings, leaves much to be desired. It is quite possible to correct this situation on your own, if you wish. It will not cost too much and will not take much time. In this article, we will consider the question of how to properly insulate walls.
Varieties of soundproof materials
The modern market offers the attention of the consumer the most diverse. They can be classified into three main groups.
- Tough. 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 polyurethane-based materials. This group includes, etc.
- Soft. Such sound insulation is made on the basis of mineral wool or fiberglass. Sound insulation of apartment walls using this type (along with semi-rigid) is performed most often.
How to choose the right material
There are only two types of noise - airborne and percussion. In the first case, it can be music, loud voices heard behind the wall, etc. Impact noises occur, for example, when using a drill or hammer drill. Usually, soundproofing of walls involves protection from airborne noise, and floor and ceiling - from shock. Do-it-yourself noise insulation of walls can be done using:
- Mineral wool. It is a very inexpensive material with excellent performance characteristics. Ideal for airborne noise protection. Its only drawback is considered to be quite large thickness. Therefore, it is advisable to use it in large premises.
- Soundproof cork 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 considered to be 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 of the socket outlets. Of course, before starting this work, the electricity in the apartment must be turned off (in the dashboard). The sockets are disassembled and removed from the sockets. The 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 (plumbing, heating, gas). Further, the walls are thoroughly cleaned of dust and dirt.
Sound insulation using 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 soundproofing plates and drywall);
- plasterboard sheets are installed.
Noise insulation of walls with cork panels
In this case, a special quick-setting glue is used. The wall is thoroughly smeared, after which the element is tightly pressed against it. Installation is carried out with an offset of half a plate. Cork sheets should be laid as tightly as possible. No gaps between the elements are allowed. Cork panels are aesthetic in themselves. Therefore, it is absolutely not necessary to carry out additional finishing in this case. The exception is the walls of the bathrooms. In this room, the plates should be covered with a special varnish-sealant.
How to perform sound insulation with ZIPS panels
Next, let's take a closer look at the question of walls using sandwich panels. Previously, along the perimeter of the wall on the floor, adjacent walls and ceiling, special strips 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.
The boards 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 trimmed along the short and long sides, and all subsequent ones only along the long side. The element is attached to the wall and holes 6 cm deep are drilled through the vibration-insulating units already existing in it. Then dowels are inserted and hammered into them. All subsequent plates are also mounted (the gap of the joints is at least 25 cm). The tongue-and-groove joints of the panels are additionally fastened with self-tapping screws (pitch - 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.
Wallpaper gluing
Soundproofing the walls will be even more effective if you use vinyl foam wallpaper as the final finish. Pasting the walls must start from the window. Using the level, a vertical line is first drawn on the wall. It will serve as a guide when gluing the first strip.
The canvases are smoothed over the wall surface with a soft roller with medium-length fur. Air bubbles are removed with a special wallpaper brush. Glue on the surface of the canvases is removed with a clean cloth. Since foamed wallpaper is not a very durable material, the pasting must be done with the utmost care.
As you can see, do-it-yourself wall insulation 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, lay all the elements as tightly as possible in relation to each other and carefully seal up all the joints.
Most often, residents of new buildings and panel houses complain about poor sound insulation in an apartment. This is no coincidence, 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 panel Khrushchev
One of the distinguishing features of panel Khrushchev houses is extremely poor sound insulation. And no matter how hard they fought with this, the sound insulation in panel high-rise buildings leaves much to be desired. And all due to the fact that large-format panels were used in Khrushchev, which 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 cracks inevitable in large-panel construction. And here is the problem of poor sound insulation, in all its glory.
In the first Khrushchev houses of 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 series II-03 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 and backfilling with slag or expanded clay, gypsum screeds, as in modern large blocks of Khrushchev and brick buildings - sound insulation was present.
Soundproofing in new panel buildings
Let's first figure out what is the difference between sound insulation in panel houses and 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 it is being drilled in a neighboring apartment, while in brick houses shock noises propagate much worse, however, airborne noise in panel houses also spreads not much worse than drums, unlike monolithic houses. The thing is that thick monolithic walls are preferable to other materials as protection from street noise or, say, from singing in a neighbor's apartment. However, if the tenants of one of the apartments started repairs, life in a monolithic building 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, but they are worse saved from ordinary household noises.
With panel houses, in general, everything is much more complicated - here you need to look specifically at the manufacturer of the slabs, the thickness of the product, the design features of the house and the 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 panel houses, the ceilings do not meet the standards!
Therefore, sound insulation is done at the very first, rough stage of work!
There are very strict regulations regarding noise insulation of residential premises in Russia. 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 and developers thinks to stick with them. The main task of builders is to build at a lower price, sell at a higher price. They also save money on sound insulation, because at first glance it is almost impossible to assess it for a non-specialist. And if all the necessary measures for sound insulation are included in the project documentation, this will immediately lead to a rise in the cost of construction by 30-40 percent!
Sound insulation standards in panel houses
Acoustic ecology of a home begins with knowledge of the sound insulation standards, which are described in the set of rules for noise protection SP 51.13330.2011 (updated edition of SNiP 2003). Sound insulation of enclosing structures (ceilings, walls, partitions, doors, etc.) is the ability to prevent the propagation of sound, to reduce the noise pressure 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 has its own standards and indicators.
Airborne noise!
The so-called airborne noise occurs in space and, thanks to sound waves, penetrates through walls, floors, ceilings. This is the sound of musical instruments, TV, turntable, neighbors' conversations, and so on. In accordance with the aforementioned document, the standard for protection against airborne noise in an economy-class panel house is sound insulation at the level of 50 dB.
Impact noise!
But much more often the inhabitants of the house are disturbed by the so-called impact noise. It is formed as a result of mechanical impact on the floor slab in any way - from the steps of people, the movement of furniture, repair work. The transmission of impact noise in the house is determined by a special device that measures the sound pressure level. The higher this indicator, the worse the situation with audibility in the building. In panel houses, the permissible level is considered to be a sound pressure level of 60 dB.
Differences between shock and airborne noise!
Impact noise for residents of houses is much worse than airborne noise. First, according to the laws of physics, sound waves gradually fade in the air, and therefore most often such noise only bothers immediate neighbors who are not lucky enough to live next to the "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 prohibition is imposed only on repair work at an unspecified time). If you can complain to the appropriate authorities about singing too loud or watching militants, then you will not find a council for a neighbor from above, walking around the apartment on high heels.
Reasons for poor sound insulation of panel houses
The most common reason is poor quality of work. Fencing structures must be designed so that during construction and operation, even minimal through gaps and cracks do not appear in their joints. If such are nevertheless formed, then, according to the rules, they should be cleaned and filled with sealant to the full depth. The seams of 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 such flaws can only be discovered by new settlers who accept apartments without finishing. But the poor quality of the embedding is not the only reason for the violation of sound insulation. It happens that the technology of installation of interroom and interroom partitions made of modern materials is not followed, when using which it is necessary to strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions. But that's not all. Many panels used for dividing walls have internal voids. Tests are carried out 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 has got into the void - that's it, nothing remains of the sound insulation!
Soundproofing screed 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 major repairs. Often, when making repairs, apartment owners save centimeters in low-rise dwellings and do not lay a sound-insulating layer under the floors.
Often, "homemade products" 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” device is required. Such a floor should not have rigid connections with the load-bearing part of the floor, walls and other structures of the building. The concrete screed should be separated along the contour from the walls and other structures of the building with gaps 1-2 cm wide, filled with soundproofing material, such as SoundGuard soundproofing sealant. Contrary to popular belief, this is not done for the downstairs neighbors. A properly made floating floor is the main protection against impact noise! \u200b\u200bIncreased audibility can also form during the redevelopment of the apartment. If next to the bedroom of one apartment, as a result of the "creativity" of the tenants, there is a bathroom of another apartment and the sound of the drained water prevents the neighbors from sleeping, it makes no sense to blame the builders and the quality of sound insulation in a panel house.
How to make sound insulation in a panel house correctly?
1. Decide for yourself what is more important to you: to lose a few cm in exchange for comfort or to put up with and tolerate noisy neighbors? The time and money spent on soundproofing measures will return to you a hundredfold in a few months in the form of vigor, 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, only after making an expensive designer renovation and moving into the apartment. Many of them quarrel with their neighbors for more than one year, endure, and someone is even forced to sell their homes or dismantle everything and make new repairs with effective sound insulation.
3. Soundproofing is done at the very first, rough stage of work.
4. It is necessary to strictly, scrupulously adhere to the technology of the work. Not a single stage can be excluded, even if it seems insignificant to you.
5. Performing soundproofing works in any case requires certain losses of usable area and room height. It is recommended to contact a specialist at the design stage. Even if you are not going to order installation from them, you can and should get recommendations on the required design in order to minimize these losses and choose the most effective option for soundproofing your premises.
6. Soundproofing in the room starts from the walls, after the walls they make the ceiling, then the floor.
7. From impact noise (stomp, repair noise, music), metal-frame is most effective. Frameless soundproofing mainly solves the problem of fighting airborne noise, protects against loud TV behind the wall, crying baby, 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 a part of the structure and performs its function - it removes the hum ("drum effect") inside the structure and works for 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. Today, the ideal material for sound insulation is. A square meter weighs almost 20 kg (m2 of drywall, for comparison, lead less than 10 kg)
10. Metal parts of the frame MUST NOT touch the walls! All metal parts must be glued with vibration-damping tape.
11. Pay special attention to sockets and switches. For them, you need to use special ones. Such a seemingly trifle can nullify all sound insulation efforts.
12. Walls, ceiling and floor should have less than 5 mm clearance around the perimeter.
13. Gaps, seams, joints MUST be filled with soundproof sealant.
14. Use only materials for sound insulation that are safe, environmentally friendly and hypoallergenic! Ideally, use materials made from natural materials in which there is no chemistry, resins, or glue.
Do-it-yourself soundproofing of an apartment in a panel house! Simple tips!
1. Electrical outlets
An electrical outlet mounted on an apartment wall is very often one of the most likely pathways for noise from neighbors to enter. This is easy to verify by simply putting your ear to it (just try not to get an electric shock). The fact is that in some reinforced concrete wall slabs, at the production stage, through holes are provided for the installation of electrical accessories. Then the builders simply install the sockets in two adjacent apartments, while leaving a through channel through which noise can almost freely enter your apartment.
What to do?
Disassemble the electrical outlet and back box in accordance with electrical safety regulations. You may also see the bottom of the neighbor's socket box. 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 polyurethane foam to seal the hole without plastering it. Polyurethane foam is not a sound insulating material and, moreover, is highly flammable.
2. Risers of the heating system.
Risers of heating and water supply pipelines, according to building codes, must be laid through the floors using vibration-insulated sleeves. For this, a metal pipe of a larger diameter compared to the riser is embedded in the ceiling. The gap between the two pipes must be filled with a non-combustible sound absorbing material and sealed with a non-hardening sealant. In practice, this is often not done. The builders either do not fill up the cracks in the liner with mineral wool, or they simply do not use the liners, sealing the riser directly into the ceiling with cement mortar. After many years of operation, cracks must appear between the riser pipe and the floor slab. Sound from neighbors below and above can freely penetrate into your apartment through cracks and non-densities. In some cases, undesirable odors also penetrate through such slots.
What to do?
If the riser is routed through an 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 deep as possible (not allowing penetration into the neighboring apartment). Then it is recommended to wrap the base of the pipe with sound-insulating material (for example) and cement the damaged section of the floor and / or ceiling. Surplus insulating material is cut off and the joint is sealed with silicone sealant.
3. Joints between floor slab and wall
Deep cracks very often appear in the places where the floor slab joins the walls. This is due to poorly executed construction joints and the low quality of the leveling floor screed. Cracks and cavities that form over time can serve as a good conductor of sound from the next apartment.
What to do?
Remove the skirting boards around the room. If possible, use a chisel and hammer to make a seam 30-50 mm wide along the walls in the floor to the full depth of the screed. Fill the joint with fresh sand-cement mortar. After the grout has dried, seal the joint with SoundGuard Seal 310 non-hardening silicone.
If parquet is laid in the apartment and partial dismantling of the screed is not possible, then just carefully fill the expansion joint between the wall and the edge of the parquet flooring with silicone sealant. Then secure the skirting boards in place.
4. Joints between the slabs "Wall-ceiling" and "Wall-Wall"
Long-term operation of panel houses, as a rule, leads to the formation of deformation cracks between reinforced concrete slabs of walls and floors. These cracks are "life companions" of almost all residents of panel houses. Very often they hide behind wallpaper and do not violate the appearance of a residential apartment. However, these cracks can serve as a conduit for noise from the neighboring apartment.
What to do?
Remove the old wallpaper. Sew up the joints between the concrete panels. Fill the resulting voids and cavities with gypsum plaster 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 re-wallpaper the room.
5. Electrical installation boxes
Junction boxes for connecting electrical cables are usually located under the ceiling in the central part of the apartment walls. Often they are hidden under the wallpaper, but they can be easily detected by “tapping”. Very often, junction boxes are installed in through holes in the walls and covered with thin plastic covers.
What to do?
It is recommended to sound insulation of installation boxes by analogy with electrical outlets, but always with the assistance of an electrician. It is not recommended to twist electrical cables yourself.
