Ceiling Sound Insulation

[dynamix]

Hey all..

This is more of a 'neighbours rom hell# type topic but this forum seems the most likely to relate to and help me with my problem.

The neighbours upstrairs have been causing huge, unrelenting amounts of noise since they moved in the flat above me. They have nothing over the bare floorboards and I can take the racket of their fat footfalls, loud music and constant dropping things !

I wanna insulate my existing (i think its plater board) ceiling.

Any advice on how I can achieve this and what materials would be best for an urban flat?

Thanks ever so much!

 

[GRC]

From The Scotsman newspaper today;

"Headache of wooden floors


HOME makeover programmes have a lot to answer for. It may be cool and cutting edge to rip up carpets and lay a gleaming new wooden floor, but what may be a visual joy brings earache for thousands. Neighbour disputes over noise pollution have soared. Not only do wooden floors fail to insulate noise, but they also tend to magnify it. Amplified sound and vibrations from hi-fi speakers can make neighbours feel like involuntary attendees at a live concert.

Now comes a study from Napier University that finds walking on a carpet is 22 decibels quieter than walking on a wooden floor, and recommending a change in the law. Quite why a study was needed to state the obvious is moot. But the problem is especially acute in buildings that have been divided into flats, and in Scotland 38 per cent of the population live in flats against 20 per cent for the whole of the UK.

Leaflets and guides seem ineffective, while an outright ban would be overly drastic. Making new floorboard installation subject to planning controls might curb the more thoughtless enthusiasm while enforcing requirements for sound insulation. And it is thoughtlessness that is the problem until carpets make a come-back.
"

GRC - The above is the editorial, there's a more extensive study in the print edition.

From my limited knowledge of soundproofing, I gather that higher mass = more soundproof. THe heavier and denser the material you can squeeze between your plasterboard and the upstairs' floorboards, the better. It's just a question of how much mass you can cram in and still have a structurally sound ceiling.

Have you tried negotiating with the neighbours, maybe suggest they could put down a rug or two?

Regards, Graham

 

[jbonding]

if your going to board over use sound proof plaster boards they are light blue in colour, but if youve got the height it might be worth dropping a new ceiling below the existing one, insulate between and board over using the same boards.

 

[chappers]

You can fit what are called resillient bars at right angles to your joists you then screw your plasterboard to these, you must make sure you don't screw all the way through and into the ceiling again or the sound will be transmitted back down through the screws.if you can be bothered you can fit rubber washers between the ceiling and the bars too.As jb says use double check plasterboard and preferably two layers or as he says even better a false ceiling with dense mineral wool in the void.
Check to find out what the score is with the lease on the falt my brother-in-law just bought a flat and as a covenant to the deeds it forbids having bare floorboards.
Check out www.soundservice.co.uk

 

[dynamix]

Thanks ever so much for your detailed replies guys. I think I'm almost getting the hang of this.. One question:

If possible, could you please list the exact materials I'd need to make this work? Someone actually told me to use rockwool, some say mats etc.

PS: I actually have a guy ready to do the works on my ceiling.. He specialises in ceilings and this is what he told me to get:

- MT Platerboard (I think it says MT, he has bad hand writing.. It's definately M 'something')
- Ceiling fixings
- 6x3 plasterboard
- MF7 and MF5
- Rockwool Insulation

Can anyone knowledgable enough tell me if these materials are suitable for blocking neighbours above providing they are using the bare floodboards?

I just wanna know my guy knows enough and that I am getting the best sound proofing on the market.

If not, please guide me! I am so unknowledgable in this area it's unreal.

Thanks so much again.

 

[felix]

GRC had it right. Mass blocks airborne noise. What you have is impact noise so you must arrange an air gap below the existing ceiling. This will force the impact noise out into free air so that you can block it with mass. Did that make sense? Remember that anything you fix to the existing ceiling can potentially transmit the impact noise through to your mass layer.

This is where my knowledge of building materials runs out. Those resilient bars and rubber washers that chappers mentioned sound promising.

 

[chappers]

they definitely work we did a conversion to two flats and used them on the ceilings and with people working on the floor above it was noticeable straight away with resilient bars and one layer of double check plasterboard and by the time we had added a second layer and upgraded the floor airborne noise was virtually eliminated, there was some impact noise but it was immensely reduced and normal footfall couldn't be heard.
speak to sound service they will help you out especially with the number of screws etc to use to fix the resillient bars because as felix previously said the more stuff you fire into your existing ceiling the more chance you have of transmitting sound through and as he also pointed out the best way is to have a non-contact break filled with acoustic wool.

 

[jbonding]

sounds like hes putting an mf (metal frame) ceiling in, if he specializes in ceilings why are you getting the gear why dont you get a price for supply and fit its less hassle, also use soundproof plaster boards 15mm.

 

[dynamix]

Thanks for the guidance guys...

One more thing.. I don't think my guy has listed anything about resillient bars..

What should I do/say lmao?

 

[dynamix]

sounds like hes putting an mf (metal frame) ceiling in, if he specializes in ceilings why are you getting the gear why dont you get a price for supply and fit its less hassle, also use soundproof plaster boards 15mm.

Soundproof plasterboard 15mm? Can you link me to a site where I can get that please? He did ask me to get purchase plasterboard but he didn't specify a depth..

PS. I can't ask for supply and fit because he's a friend of the family and offered to do the labour for free but asked me to get the materials. I guess it's an okay deal ?

 

[masona]

They are called Sound Bloc plasterboard

 

[chappers]

sometimes also known as double check plasterboard any good builders merchants should be able to help you out, it is about 3 times the price of normal plasterboard though so dont be shocked, expect to pay about £15+VAT a sheet it is heavy and doesn't cut anywhere near as easily as normal plasterboard because of the fibers in it. For really neat edges use a saw or a surf after cutting it with a stanley.

 

[WoodYouLike]

From The Scotsman newspaper today;

"Headache of wooden floors


HOME makeover programmes have a lot to answer for. It may be cool and cutting edge to rip up carpets and lay a gleaming new wooden floor, but what may be a visual joy brings earache for thousands. Neighbour disputes over noise pollution have soared. Not only do wooden floors fail to insulate noise, but they also tend to magnify it. Amplified sound and vibrations from hi-fi speakers can make neighbours feel like involuntary attendees at a live concert.

Yep, that's true, but........
The problem is caused by buyers/installers not choosing/buying the correct (sound)insulation with the wooden flooring they purchase.
Any good retailer will advice the customer on the correct product needed for any circumstances (e.g. heavier sound insulation when installing floor in apartment/flat) and advising to leave expansion gaps at every wall, pipes, doorway etc to prevent sound being transferred to other areas.

It's not the wooden flooring causing the headaches - it's the owner not willing to spend some money on a decent underlayment

 

[JayS]

If you don't wear stiletto heals at home it won't be problems...slippers are quiet...

"I'm a lumber-jack, and I'm ok..."

 

[Autonomous]

Are we talking leasehold flats here? It's very common for a flat lease to contain a clause specifically prohibiting bare floorboards. If so, a letter to the freeholder (+/- the leaseholder above) might be a cheaper option than industrial noise insulation measures...

Just a thought.