When finding a soundproofing solution becomes a priority
For football fans up and down the UK, watching their Premiership team play on TV is almost a ritual. Fellow fans, whether friends or family, gather around the TV with their snacks and drinks, absorbing the drama. Gripped with the tension, they shout and jeer at the referee, and jump and cheer when a goal ends up in the right net. It’s a great way to let off steam at the weekend.
But what if you’re not a fan of football? You probably would want to hide away in your home, peacefully enjoying your own hobbies. However, that’s not always possible for those who live in a semi-detached home. Instead, some must endure the noisy neighbour’s goal celebration or even the football commentary on the TV as it travels through the party wall. This is the situation Laura and Mark found themselves in.
While they had nothing against their neighbours or their love for the game, they didn’t particularly want to listen to it. The noise was so bad they could even hear every word the commentator said on their neighbour’s TV. This wasn’t a case of a bit of noise travelling through the party wall. It was much louder, and it was becoming an issue.
Wanting to escape the football and enjoy some quiet time in their home, Laura and Mark started doing some research. They wanted to know why it sounded as if their neighbours were watching football in the same room as them and what soundproofing solutions would be effective.
A hole to fill
During this research, they came across Quietco’s blog and our videos. Mark soon realised that they might have a hole in the structure which was letting through noise from neighbours. A hole is often the culprit if you can hear voices, make out conversations and hear what presenters are saying on your neighbour’s TV. You’ll also be able to hear children screeching. This is because these are high-frequency sounds that don’t travel through bricks and mortar but can come through holes in the structure.
Determined to solve the problem, Mark pulled up the floorboards in the front lounge and, sure enough, discovered a huge hole. This was in the wall below the suspended floor and went right through to the next door. After a trip to the local DIY store, Mark filled it in with some expanding foam. Problem solved. Except, it didn’t prove to be the soundproofing solution he was after. The noise from the neighbours continued.
Let’s be clear, bricking up holes in the structure is a crucial part of any soundproofing project. That’s why we build it into the Quietco culture, with it forming part of the first step of our 4-step soundproofing method that gives homeowners the peaceful spaces they desire. However, any method used other than bricking it up with sand and cement will not work. It will continue allowing the noise to travel through. No amount of noise insulation fitted to a room would stop this.
It’s also worth noting that when you brick up holes in a party wall, whether they’re in the suspended floor void, loft, bedroom floors or chimney stack, you need to seek expert advice, so you don’t compromise the airflow and ventilation in these areas. Otherwise, your attempts at sound insulation risk creating damp problems in your home.
Calling in the experts for an effective soundproofing solution
But back to Laura and Mark. Still able to hear the football commentator on their neighbour’s TV, Mark and Laura called in the experts and chose Quietco’s ‘Quieter Home Soundproofing Package.’ Their home has a bay window with a roof above it which is shared with next door. Quietco discovered a hole within this bay window ceiling, which was why it still sounded like the neighbours were in the same room.
We treated the hole and void with non-combusting zero fire rated materials in a way that soundproofed the roof but still allowed it to breathe. To tackle the direct noise path, we also installed a soundproofing solution to the party wall, alcoves, and fire back, tucking the system down to the sub-floor and up to the floorboards in the bedroom above. We also treated the chimney stack with 50mm of sound insulation and added 25mm of sound insulation to the ceiling.
See Jim’s video case study showing more detail on the soundproofing installation.
We also fitted back the various fixtures and fittings, which included a new TV on the wall, an electric fire, shelving units, new USB sockets and some new lightings. This must be done in the right way, otherwise it compromises the soundproofing. Unfortunately, this is a mistake often made by those who are not soundproofing specialists.
The results of soundproofing
Laura and Mark used to avoid using their front lounge, as it was just too noisy in there. However, since we carried out the noise insulation work, they have used their front lounge every day. They now hear very little of their neighbours and no longer have to listen to the football on next door’s TV. Laura has heard a shout through the party wall when she thinks the football was on, and Mark reports an 85% reduction in noise from neighbours. They both strongly believe that the soundproofing solution Quietco provided was well worth the investment. So much so that they are happy to have Quietco’s customers phone them to discuss the work should they wish.
“Since the day they left we have been able to use our living room every day. We can no longer hear conversations or their television, the banging is almost non existant and we can’t even tell if the neighbours are in or out! Quietco truly transformed our lives.”
“Quietco is one of the best companies I have had the pleasure of working with and my mental health and happiness has improved tenfold since our soundproofing journey!”
Read their full testimonial here or on Google reviews
Both Laura and Mark realised that if they were to escape the football and have peace restored to their home, they would need to follow our 4-step method and have Quietco treat most of the pathways along which noise was travelling. Taking this decision has ensured they can now enjoy a significant noise reduction which makes their house a home and affords them the luxury of only listening to the programs and people they themselves invite into their home.
If you would like to discover what soundproofing solutions could reduce noise from neighbours and restore peace in your semi-detached home, get in touch to book your FREE noise diagnosis call.
