Noisy extension

[s999]

We just had a two storey extention built on the side of our house consisting of a lounge downstairs and a bedroom upstairs.

When you walk or even talk in the bedroom upstairs then you can hear everything in the lounge downstairs, and vice versa. I don't understand.
We don't have this problem in the existing house.

They both have the same things separating them........ plasterboard ceiling, joists, and floorboards.

 

[Mr Winston]

If it is a recent extension (in past year) the sound insulation should be better in the extension.

If your existing house has lathe & plaster ceilings this is normally more dense than current plasterboards and hence reduces sound transmission

 

[Deluks]

They both have the same things separating them........ plasterboard ceiling, joists, and floorboards.

The sound is probably travelling through the carpet, through the gaps in the floorboard and straight through the plasterboard.

..also the joists are acting as a bridge between floorboard/plasterboard.

This problem would have been reduced greatly if dense 'rockwool' type insulation had been used between the joists and a double layer of 12mm plasterboard, with all cracks and gaps sealed with mastic.

If the ceiling is as yet unfinished you can easily add another layer of plasterboard, which will be a great help.

If the whole jobs finished and you can't alter the construction, then I'd suggest sealing all the gaps in the upstairs floorboard with expanding foam/mastic and adding a heavy duty underlay. This stuff looks usable,

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20604&item=4383846366&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I've never used it personally but at that price I'd give it a try.

Also have a look here for solutions...

http://www.customaudiodesigns.co.uk/help.htm

...you should get a better understanding of your problem, but beware their prices.

 

[s999]

^ Thanks for that.

I just thought the other day...... there are 9 spotlights in the ceiling. Which means there are 9 holes drilled in the ceiling. Even though they're covered with the spotlights.......... could this still be the reason?

 

[masona]

Doesn't help, Is it possible to put a false ceiling below with rockwool which will mean to move all the spotlight again or maybe suspended ceiling tiles if you like them.