How can I improve soundproofing on polycarb roof ?

[culpano]

Hi all,

I have a small conservatory with a polycarb roof and the neighbours recently told me they can clearly hear my music and even our conversations when they are upstairs and their window is open.
The sound is coming through the polycarb roof. We don't even play music loud but I'm concerned at disturbing their peace and I'm not particularly delighted they can hear our conversations.

Does anyone know of any solutions to improve the soundproofing without having to replace the polycarb with glass ?

I have Googled to death and nothing relly comes up for this. All the soundproofing relates to walls or celings and involves material that would completely block out the light from the roof. One website hinted that acrylic sheets are good for soundproofing. I am considering buying a few sheets and sticking them internally under the existing polycarb onto the supporting beams and sealing it so there is an air gap.

Or is there some material that can be layed on top of the conservatory to deaden the sound a bit ? Or some stick on sheets ? I'd try anything !

I'm not interested in completely cutting out the sound but just taking the edge of it.

Any ideas ?

Thanks,
Gary

 

[flameport]

Soundproofing or sound reduction relies on mass - something which lightweight polycarbonate sheets simply do not have.

Gluing additional sheets to the roof will look terrible, and any space between them will collect dirt, insects and so on.

Are there any gaps in the roof, or at the edges, or where the panels join? Any gap, even a small one will cause a significant level of sound to pass through.
Even if the roof doesn't leak water, there may still be gaps where air/sound can pass through. How is the roof actually constructed?

 

[Mw Roofline]

Soundproofing or sound reduction relies on mass - something which lightweight polycarbonate sheets simply do not have.

Gluing additional sheets to the roof will look terrible, and any space between them will collect dirt, insects and so on.

Are there any gaps in the roof, or at the edges, or where the panels join? Any gap, even a small one will cause a significant level of sound to pass through.
Even if the roof doesn't leak water, there may still be gaps where air/sound can pass through. How is the roof actually constructed?

Especially where the highest part of the roof meets the wall, it maybe lead flashed but could still be gaps. If it's the bass of your voice that they can hear then carpet, rugs etc will absorb some of it.

 

[joe-90]

Your neighbours are listening for it now. There's no way other than glass that will appease them.

 

[foxhole]

Typical of any conservatory, you can't sound proof it, just don't talk about the neighbours in there.

 

[cantaloup63]

Or put a CD player on down the end of the garden to draw their attention away from your conservatory

Suppose that ceiling blinds for the evening might help, plus eliminate light pollution

 

[50tony]

I built my own conservatory in 2001. It had a wooden frame, uPVC windows and doors and a wooden framed Polycarb roof (20mm).

It was completely soundproof.

To speak to someone standing just outside the window it had to be opened. Not even shouting could be heard.

The pitch of the roof was half that of a normal uPVC conservatory but it was sufficient to allow the rainwater to run off.

I had a fire and the conservatory was replaced by my insurance company. It had a uPVC frame and Polycarb roof.

There was no sound insulation at all.

Whispers could be heard and the noise coming into the conservatory from outside proved it had absolutely no sound insulation.

It is not the Polycarb roof, which is now (50mm), its the uPVC covered metal frame that allows the sound to flow through in both directions.

I should have insisted on another wooden framed conservatory, but even I didn't know just how bad the uPVC clad metal frame was and nobody told me how bad it was either. Most uPVC sales people don't even know how bad the metal frame is.
If you must have a metal framed uPVC conservatory check how thick the uPVC is. Some are very thin. The thicker the uPVC clad metalwork, the more soundproof it will be.

Nothing will beat a wooden frame as wood doesn't transmit sound.

Metal is hollow and acts as a sound conduit, often amplifying the noise at various resonant frequencies. (The human voice is a perfect example.)

Glass or Polycarb is up to the person to decide. Glass will make rain and hail stones a lot quieter, but it does cost a bit more. Both are good at blocking airborne sound.