Soundproof Q&A : The Sound Solution - Soundproofing Materials & Products

Help and advice on soundproofing and acoustic treatments to reduce the most common types of noise problems

Find out about solutions to some of the most common noise problems, including reducing noise in the home, soundproofing walls to stop neigbour noise and soundproofing a recording studio. Floor and ceiling soundproof solutions include complete ceiling soundproofing kits, insulation, soundproof panels and acoustic underlays.

Soundproofing in the home

Domestic soundproofing solutions range from noise from white goods such as washing machines to noisy neighbour solutions. For more information on the solutions please follow the links.

Q. I can hear my next door neighbour talking on the phone. And when they have the television on I can tell what channel they are watching. I can only afford to loose about 50mm of space in my room.

A. Apply the NSSW2+ directly to your wall, once installed you will have a good level of domestic soundproofing that is easy to fit and takes up less than 50mm of space including plastering.

Q. I have had a shower pump installed into my boiler cupboard, but was not told how loud it is. Can anything be done to reduce the noise?

A. An enclosure should be built of ply or MDF which can be lined with the 5mm Barrier Shield and NS Foam to absorb and block the sound.

Q. I can hear every word coming from next door and I am worried they can hear us. I need the best way to soundproof my walls.

A. Installing wall soundproofing kits will reduce the highest level of sound through a party wall. Wall System 1 is our recommended sloution for reducing high levels of noise and at less than 90mm thick it can be installed into most rooms in a home. 

Q. My neighbour is complaining about the noise from my washing machine when it spins, how can I stop the noise?

A. Try to isolate the washing machine from the floor you can use the floor underlays NSSF7 or NSSF7+ under the machine. Always cover the acoustic underlay with a sheet of ply or an equivalent to protect the mats.

Q. I live in a flat how can I stop the noise of my neighbours TV from disturbing me, I am willing to have the ceilings removed, but can not afford to loose a significant amount of height in the room?

A. If you remove the ceilings you can install DFM between the ceiling joists, acoustic insulation is the best way to reduce this type of noise. The complete ceiling kits we provide Ceiling System 1 and Ceiling System 2 will offer high levels of sound reduction for this type of noise. 

Q. I can hear my teenage son pacing around in his bedroom, what can I put on the floor so I don't have to hear him?

A. To reduce impact noise through the floor you should use the acoustic underlays NSSF7 or NSSF7+. The thicker NSSF7+ is better at reducing impact noise.

Soundproofing for recording studios, music rooms or just somewhere to practice

Q. I am converting my garage into a studio what is the most efficient method to do this?

A. you should build a room within a room, this will give you the best level of soundproofing. Install new stud walls inside the garage and insulate them with the DFM acoustic insulation, use the 100mm variety for this application. Soundbreaker Bars and the acoustic wall panels NSSW1+ can be used to finish the new walls. You should try to incorporate these combination of materials in the ceiling for added protection.

Q. I want to reduce sound bouncing around inside my room, the quality of sound is not very good.

A. The sound will be bouncing of reflective surfaces like plastered walls and ceilings. You should insulate the walls with Egg Box foam to absorb the sound waves. Covering one third of the wall area should make a difference to the quality of sound in the room.

For more information on soundproofing please contact us. You can speak to an adviser between Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm, alternatively you can send us an email with your enquiry.