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Soundproofing a Semi-Detached Room
If you live in a 1930s or 1950s semi and the noise coming through the party wall leaves you unsettled in your own home, you are not imagining how much it wears on you. Soundproofing a semi-detached room is one of the most common jobs we do, and this lounge diner is a perfect example of why it takes far more than treating the wall you share with next door.
That constant background noise is more than an irritation. A nationwide study found that neighbour noise annoyance is strongly linked to physical and mental health symptoms, from disturbed sleep and headaches to anxiety, which is exactly why so many clients tell us their house has stopped feeling like a home.
We are Quietco, and domestic soundproofing is what we do. Across 15 years we have soundproofed thousands of homes, won industry awards and advised names like Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover, and you can read more about our work if you want the full picture.
Why the Party Wall Is Only Part of the Problem
The UK soundproofing industry is largely set up to treat the party wall and the alcoves either side of the chimney, mostly because those materials can be boxed up and delivered next day with a video promising it is done in a day. The trouble is that this is rarely where most of the noise is actually coming from.
In a typical lounge diner, noise also pours in through the suspended floor void, the window wall, the chimney stack, the fire back and any steel beam fitted for an extension. Hollow modern coving makes it worse, carrying sound around the room like a wind instrument.
A useful clue is high frequency noise. If you can clearly make out a TV presenter’s words or children screeching next door, that sound is coming through holes and gaps in the structure, because high frequencies do not pass through solid brick.
The Hidden Main Cause
The most important idea in our four step method is the main cause. This is not simply the neighbour turning their TV up, it is something in the building, a hole, a hollow stud wall, dot and dab plasterboard or a steel beam, that lets through so much noise that no amount of work on the party wall will fix it.
On this project the main cause was hidden upstairs. Directly above the steel beam sat a hollow stud wall in the main bedroom, running at right angles to the party wall, funnelling noise down through the ceiling into the room below.
It means you could soundproof every alcove, the chimney, the floor and the ceiling and still hear the neighbours, right up until that one wall is treated. Finding the main cause is the difference between a great result and a disappointing one.
Find the Noise Yourself With One Simple Test
You do not need special equipment to start understanding your own noise, and no phone app can reliably measure it anyway. The old fashioned method is still the most telling.
Next time the neighbours are noisy, put a finger in one ear and press your other ear against each surface in turn, the window wall, the chimney stack, a steel beam, or upstairs the wall between the front and back bedrooms. Wherever you can hear the noise resonating, that surface needs treating just as much as the party wall does.
The Result
Before we started, this homeowner would not even use the room, it was simply unusable to her. Afterwards she had the soundproofing of a detached house, and the space loss was so modest that most clients tell us they never notice it.
She no longer hears the neighbours, the room feels settled and comfortable, and the constant thought of moving has gone. Every client considering soundproofing also receives a reference list of 50 homeowners just like her, so you can call people who faced the same decision and ask them anything you like.
Fill out the contact form to book your FREE noise diagnosis call and we will talk through exactly what is happening in your room. Get in touch here.
A Full Service From Start to Finish
One worry we hear a lot is the disruption of a project like this. That is why we run the whole job ourselves, with our own electricians, plumbers, plasterers, carpet fitters, fire fitters and decorators.
You are left with a finished, decorated room ready to enjoy, not a building site to sort out. The best first step is a proper assessment of your noise through a free phone call.
Fill out the contact form to book your FREE noise diagnosis call and take the first step towards the quiet you deserve. Contact us here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can I still hear my neighbours after soundproofing the party wall?
Because the party wall is only one path. Noise also travels through the floor, ceiling, chimney, window wall and any hidden main cause, so treating the wall alone leaves those routes wide open.
What is a main cause in soundproofing a semi-detached room?
It is a feature of the building, such as a hole, a hollow stud wall, dot and dab plasterboard or a steel beam, that lets through so much noise that nothing else works until it is dealt with.
How can I tell where the noise is coming from?
Put a finger in one ear and press your other ear against each wall, the chimney and the floor while the neighbours are noisy. Wherever the sound resonates most strongly is a path that needs treating.
Will I lose much space in the room?
Less than most people expect. The large majority of our clients tell us they do not notice the space loss once the room is finished and decorated.
