Noise through chimney

[749s]

Apologies if this is in teh wrong section.

I'm in an end terrace and a fair amount of noise comes through my fireplace from next door. The walls seem fine but you can hear every word spoken if you put your head close to the fireplace and it's beginiing to annoy me.

I'm not sure on the correct term for the fireplace as it currently is - it's basically just an open brick cavity in which I've got a basket. It's used often in the winter.

I'd like to install/have installed something like this

my question is as follows:

If this is correctly installed with the excess gap behind filled with fire bricks and then vermullicite (sp) - in people's experience will this create a decent block to the sounds coming through?

Also - I'd be interested in hearing any other thoughts on the sound travel.

Many thanks.

 

[gday2uk]

I wouldn't have though so as it's only the bottom half or so which is back filled and there is a big hole (for the smoke to go up) which will let any sound through. Filling the chimney with insulation and boarding up the opening may help (not the ventilation though).
Put your stereo speakers in the opening facing towards next door for a few weeks until they get annoyed and do something about it on their side

 

[749s]

Hi Gary

I was under the impression that it was backfilled right up to the top.

Why would you only do it halfway?

 

[gday2uk]

It's only back-filled to roughly the same height as the throat of the fire (which is usually 2/3 of the way up); a little higher if anything so you can slope it down so ash etc. rolls back into fireplace. Not to the full height of the fireplace.

 

[749s]

I see what you mean now - thanks.

I wonder if it would still make a significant difference, sound wise.

 

[gday2uk]

Try it!
Stack some bricks up inside the fireplace to where you think the fire throat would come and then cut a square of plasterboard larger than your fireplace opening, cut a hole in that to replicate the throat of the fire and wedge it up against the front of the chimney breast.
Hey presto - it now looks like a 3 year old has designed your new fireplace!
But it should replicate the situation quite realistically.

 

[749s]

Just to update this thread - I ended up getting a brickie to put another skin of bricks on the back wall and the difference is amazing. It's quiet once more!