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Building Materials That Make Noise Worse
Every year, thousands of UK homeowners finish a dream extension, loft conversion or renovation, only to suddenly start hearing their neighbours. Some are so unsettled by it that they end up moving house to escape the noise. If you are planning work on your home, a few building materials that make noise worse are worth knowing about before you start.
Your builder may not thank us for saying this, because these materials are popular for good reasons like cost, speed and warmth. But if peace and quiet matters to you, here are the three to think twice about, straight from Quietco.
1. Dot and Dab Plasterboard
Dot and dab is the cheapest and quickest way to plaster a wall, which is exactly why it is everywhere. Instead of a solid backing, the plasterboard is stuck on with dollops of adhesive, leaving hollow voids behind it.
Those voids are the problem. They let sound resonate and travel, and it has been proven to make noise worse in homes. We have seen brand-new rear extensions, not even attached to the neighbour’s house, still letting their noise through simply because the walls were finished with dot and dab.
2. PIR Insulation Board
The foil-backed foam boards, known as PIR, are one of the best thermally efficient products ever made, so it is easy to see why builders love them. The catch is that while they are brilliant at keeping heat in, sound passes through them very easily.
Installed into roofs and cavities, this material channels noise around the house rather than stopping it. Impact noise in particular, doors banging, furniture moving, footsteps, tends to feel louder and more pronounced when it is present. That is why it pays to think about the ceilings and roof space, not just the walls.
3. Lightweight Thermalite Blocks
It has long been known that sound travels easily through old-style breeze blocks. In recent years those have often been replaced with an even lower density block, commonly called thermalite, which has even more air in it.
These blocks are a genuinely good building product. They go up quickly, they are anti-mould and anti-damp, and they are great structurally. But all that trapped air means sound transmits through them more easily, and they are one of the main reasons people in new build homes can hear the television on the floor above.
It is worth keeping in mind when planning any new wall.
The Common Thread Is Density
Notice the pattern. Each of these is chosen for cost, speed or thermal performance, and none of them for quiet. That is the heart of the issue.
Sound is blocked by mass. Under the mass law, denser and heavier materials block far more sound, while light, airy ones let it straight through. So the very things that make a material cheap, fast or warm, less weight and more air, are often the things that make it poor at keeping noise out.
Building or Renovating? Factor In Noise
None of this means your renovation is doomed, it just means noise deserves a place in the plan rather than being an afterthought. If you live near a busy road, in a semi-detached or terraced home, or you are simply sensitive to noise, it is worth considering before the work begins.
The best time to deal with sound is while the walls are open, not after you have decorated and discovered the problem. We are always happy to advise, and you can read more about how we work first.
Fill out the contact form to book your FREE noise diagnosis call and we will help you build in peace and quiet from the start. Get in touch here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What building materials make noise worse?
Three of the most common are dot and dab plasterboard, PIR foil-backed insulation board, and lightweight thermalite blocks. All three are popular for cost, speed or warmth, but they let sound through more easily than denser alternatives.
Does dot and dab plasterboard make noise worse?
Yes. The dollops of adhesive leave hollow voids behind the board, and those voids let sound resonate and travel, so noise can be more noticeable than with a solid fixing.
Why do lightweight blocks let more noise through?
Because sound is blocked by mass. Lightweight blocks like thermalite have more air in them and less density, so under the mass law they block much less sound than a dense, heavy block.
Can a new extension still let in neighbour noise?
It can. We have seen new extensions that are not even attached to the neighbour’s house still transmit noise, because of the materials and techniques used to build and finish them.
Is it better to soundproof during a renovation or after?
During, almost always. While the walls, floors and ceilings are open, the noise paths are easy to reach and treat, so building it in from the start costs far less disruption than fixing it once everything is finished and decorated.
