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Soundproofing a Lounge Diner
In this project the homeowners were hearing their neighbours through the party wall of their lounge diner, the room where you most want to relax of an evening. Soundproofing a lounge diner properly can transform how that room feels, but we always think it is important to be honest about what it will and will not do.
The short version is that it makes an enormous difference, while not quite erasing the laws of physics. Here is how we approached it, and a realistic picture of what a homeowner is left hearing afterwards, straight from Quietco.
Start by Finding the Holes
Before any soundproofing goes on, the first job is usually to find and fix the holes in the structure. In an older property, decades of footsteps upstairs gradually shift the joists where they sit in the party wall, dislodging bricks and opening up gaps that let a surprising amount of noise straight through.
There is a simple clue that you have them. If you can clearly make out a conversation or a TV presenter’s voice through the wall, that is high frequency sound, and high frequency struggles to pass through solid brick, so it is almost certainly coming through gaps. Finding and sealing these is part of our four step method, and one word of warning: they should be filled with something solid, never expanding foam, because sound passes through cured foam far too easily.
Test Both Sides of the Window Wall
Here is a tip that almost nobody follows. Most people test the party wall for noise, but the window wall running off it is very often a major path too, and the trick is to test both sides of it.
Put a finger in one ear and press the other against the window wall near the party wall, then walk round and test the far side of that same wall as well. In this home the neighbours had built a rear extension with a steel beam close to the shared wall, which was pushing noise along the whole window wall. Because the homeowners could hear it on both sides, we treated the entire window wall rather than just the section nearest the party wall, which is what most installers would stop at.
What the Soundproofing Actually Does
With the whole room properly treated, the result is a big, tangible improvement. This kind of system typically delivers around 80% perceived reduction in airborne noise, like television and conversation, and around 65% in impact noise, the thuds and footsteps.
Put in measured terms for anyone who likes a number, it took this room from roughly 42 decibels of sound insulation up to about 63. The far more useful way to think about it, though, is simply how much quieter and calmer the room feels to sit in.
And What You'll Still Hear
This is the honest part most companies skip. Soundproofing dramatically reduces noise, but some sound will still find a way through, and it helps to know what to expect:
- Heavy low frequency bass from directly next door will still come through most systems, because low frequencies are the hardest to block. It will sound far more distant, and with your own TV on you simply will not notice it.
- A dog barking next door might just be audible if you are sitting in total silence, but most people find they stop noticing it altogether.
- Someone knocking or drilling directly on the party wall will still be heard, because that is impact energy going straight into the structure.
None of that undermines the result. It just means being realistic: this is a room transformed, not a soundproof vault.
The Detail That Protects It All
Small details can quietly undo a lot of good work, and sockets are the classic one. It is tempting to cut a large hole in the finished wall for a socket, but doing so can reduce the wall’s performance by three to five decibels on its own.
The fix is simple: keep the socket flush, but put the same treatment behind it as the rest of the wall carries. Get the fixtures and fittings right and they protect everything behind them.
Is Your Room a Candidate?
Every room and every noise problem is different, which is why we never quote a result blind. We assess exactly what you are hearing and where it is coming from, then tell you honestly what is achievable in your home.
If your lounge, diner or living room has become somewhere you cannot relax, it is almost certainly fixable, and you can read more about how we work first if you like.
Fill out the contact form to book your FREE noise diagnosis call and find out what is possible in your room. Get in touch here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does soundproofing a lounge diner reduce noise?
A full treatment typically gives around 80% perceived reduction in airborne noise, such as TV and conversation, and about 65% in impact noise. The exact result depends on your room, which is what a free noise diagnosis establishes.
Will I still hear my neighbours after soundproofing?
Most everyday noise, like TV and conversation, becomes very hard to hear. Heavy bass, or someone knocking directly on the party wall, can still come through, though far more faintly, because that energy travels through the structure itself.
Do I need to soundproof the window wall too?
Often, yes. The window wall running off the party wall is a common flanking path, so it is well worth testing both sides of it before you decide what to treat.
Why should you not use expanding foam to fill holes?
Because sound travels through cured expanding foam very easily, even the soundproof versions. Solid fillers like sand and cement, or an acoustic sealant, block far more noise.
