Room Soundproofing

With nearly 20% of homeowners making noise complaints to local councils, it is no surprise the requirement for room soundproofing is on the rise. Soundproofing for homes to control everyday noise levels involves various techniques and acoustic products. In this room soundproofing guide, we will set out the essential noise reduction solutions to help you soundproof your home’s walls, floors and ceilings.

Soundproofing techniques to soundproof your home

Use these techniques to soundproof rooms in your home.

• Adding mass/density – Increasing the separating structure’s mass will block sound transmission. Adding high density acoustic insulation between timber floor joists will improve the sound insulation performance of the floor.

• Decoupling/isolation – Isolating one part of the structure of the room from another will reduce the transfer of sound via vibration. Decoupling an existing wall from a new acoustic wall significantly improves the noise reduction of the soundproof wall.
• Sound absorption – Improving the sound absorption capabilities of a room reduces airborne sound transfer between rooms. Soundproof membranes and acoustic insulation slabs absorb sound waves and convert the sound’s energy into heat, which dissipates the noise.

Soundproof a room against airborne and impact sound

The two main noise types are airborne and impact noise. The noise insulation method used to stop these noise types varies, so it helps to know what the different noise types are to choose the best acousti solution for your room.

Airborne sound – Sounds that transmit through the air from the sound source. Common types of airborne sounds are conversation and TV. The sound waves travel through the air until they come into contact with a surface. The sound wave then vibrates through the object and travels through the other side. When you soundproof a room, the airborne sound will be diminished. Therefore, the noise will be blocked and absorbed before it reaches the other side.

Impact sound – Sound that transmits through a structure from direct contact. Common types of impact sounds are footfall and movement across a floor. Sound vibrates through the building structure to the other side when the impact occurs. Once it has passed through the structure, the sound wave continues on the other side. Soundproofing a room to stop impact sounds typically means decoupling or isolating one structure from another, making it more difficult for the vibration to travel through the building.

The Best Methods to Effectively Soundproof Walls

Whether you are sound insulating party walls or stud walls, these tried and tested solutions will restore quiet in your home. Noisestop Systems has been providing noise reduction solutions to homes throughout the UK for many years, and over that period, we have constantly evolved our product range to meet the demands of modern living. This wall soundproofing guide will show you the most effective methods to soundproof your walls.

What are the best options for soundproofing a wall against noisy neighbours?

As this is the number one noise complaint we deal with, we thought this was the best place to start.

As soundproof systems are the best way to soundproof walls, here are our recommended systems for noisy neighbour soundproofing.

Recommended Party Wall Soundproof Systems

These systems are supplied as complete kits with all the materials needed to soundproof your walls effectively. Each system has a slightly different product combination, which alters the room’s overall noise reduction and space loss.

Recommended Party Wall Soundproof Panels

If you need to keep space loss to a minimum, these soundproof panels are an excellent choice. Soundproof walls against everyday household noises, including conversation and background TV noise, with slim direct to wall acoustic panels.

Increase the privacy in your home by soundproofing internal stud walls

Most homes are divided using timber or metal stud frames to form separate rooms. These walls are often constructed of lightweight materials, often with little or no insulation inside the cavity and a standard sheet of plasterboard on either side. This construction method allows sound to be easily transferred between rooms. Improving the noise reduction performance of stud walls is similar to methods used to insulate brick party walls acoustically.

Product combinations will significantly improve the sound insulation of stud walls. Infilling the cavity with acoustic insulation stops sound reverberation that occurs. The extra mass provided by soundproof panels and the insulation greatly reduces airborne sound transfer. The AcoustiClip system will isolate the stud frame from the new soundproof wall, absorbing the vibration sounds that normally vibrate through the stud frame.

Recommended Stud Wall Systems

These stud wall soundproof systems combine the best acoustic products to ensure you increase the privacy in your home.

Recommended Stud Wall Soundproof Panels

What are the best products for soundproofing walls?

The most effective soundproofing is achieved when you combine products in a way that blocks and absorbs as much of the energy from sound as possible. The best product combination that ensures noise reduction for all types of walls is the materials supplied in our AcoustiClip wall systems. These include the AcoustiClip, a sound and vibration-absorbing clip, and acoustic insulation slabs for mass and absorption. The Noisestop 1 Plus Panel incorporates acoustic plasterboard and mass loaded vinyl for density and absorption, a layer of acoustic plasterboard 15mm, which is denser than standard plasterboard and finally, acoustic sealants to seal edges acoustically and the perimeter of the walls.

Things to consider when planning to soundproof your walls

Other than the main soundproofing you apply to your walls to reduce sound transfer, there are other things you should consider when preparing to sound insulate a wall.

Flanking sound

The term is used for sound that bypasses the separating structure, in this case, your wall and finds an alternative route between rooms. One of the most common flanking paths in a building is the floor/ceiling cavity between joists. It is not always possible to establish if the sound is flanking in these areas, but it would be more likely if your floor joists are fitted into the wall you share with the neighbouring property. To check if this is the case, you must look at the floorboards to see which direction they run. If the flooring runs into the wall, the floor joists will unlikely be shared as they would be installed perpendicular to the boards. If the boards run in the same direction as the wall, your joists will be sitting on the party wall. If this is the case, it would be more likely for sound to flank through this area.

Resolving the issue of this type of flanking sound is normally achieved using acoustic insulation fitted under the floorboards. The insulation is used to fill the cavity of the joists up against the party wall coming back approximately 600mm. Filling this small area will act as a plug and reduce sound transfer.

Electrical outlets

Plug sockets and TV aerials can be reinstated once you have installed your soundproofing. Use acoustic putty pads inside the recessed socket box if you do not want to surface mount electrical back boxes. The putty pads mould into the back box, ensuring the acoustic integrity of the wall.

Isolating new walls from the rest of the building

If installing new walls, reduce direct sound transfer through the wall to the rest of the building using an isolation strip between the wall and the rest of the building. Isolation strips are placed between the edge of the stud frame or below breeze blocks to decouple them from the rest of the building structure. We recommend decoupling the frame with isolation strips when fitting an acoustic stud wall.

Soundproofing Accessories

Soundproofing Walls FAQs

The Best Methods to Effectively Soundproof Floors

Whether you are sound insulating a timber joist floor or concrete floors, these tried and tested solutions will restore quiet in your home. Noisestop Systems has been providing soundproof flooring solutions to homes throughout the UK for many years, and over that period, we have constantly evolved our product range to meet the demands of modern living. This floor soundproofing guide will show you the most effective methods to soundproof your floors.

Soundproof flooring solutions for timber floors

Most homes are constructed with timber joists, floorboards, or chipboards straight over the floor joist with a plasterboard ceiling. This construction method is very lightweight and provides little, if any, sound insulation meaning airborne and impact sound will transfer easily between rooms.

In this section of our floor soundproofing guide, we will highlight the best soundproof floor solutions you can use to successfully increase the sound insulation of your floors.

Impact Sound Insulation for Wooden Floors

The sound of footfall or movement across a floor is best dealt with at the noise source on top of the floor. Insulating the floor for impact sounds stops the vibration from the impact transferring into the floor and through the floor joists into the room below. The best timber floor treatments are either floating floors or acoustic underlay mats.

Airborne Sound Insulation for Wooden Floors

Conversation and TV sounds can be reduced using a high mass acousti underlay. Removing the floorboards to fill the cavity to stop airborne sound transfer may not be possible. When this is the case, use a sound absorbent overlay mat to increase noise reduction.

Acoustic overlay mats for use over wooden floorboards

Our range of soundproof mats will reduce airborne, and impact sounds through floors with timber joists and floorboards.

Interlocking floating flooring for timber joist floors

Interlocking floating floors are an alternative to acoustic underlays, which can only be used as overlay systems. Floating floors use a soundproof membrane typically bonded to the bottom of the board, isolating the rest of the floor from the joist or floorboards. An interlocking acoustic floorboard can be fitted over floorboards or directly onto the floor joists. This type of flooring is suited to new building and conversion projects that need a flooring solution as part of the construction or as a replacement for the existing floor.

Isolate the flooring from walls to reduce noise transfer

Separating the flooring from the walls is essential to diminish noise transmission. Impact noises tend to move across floors and into walls, generating flanking sounds. Ensuring an isolated space between the acoustic flooring and room walls is crucial in curbing this effect. When applying soundproofing measures, it’s especially vital to maintain a slight gap between the flooring and walls, particularly in installations involving floating floors. Use a perimeter edge strip to ensure an acoustic seal around the perimeter of the room.

Soundproofing Floors FAQs

Guide to Soundproofing Ceilings

This guide will show you the best ways to soundproof your ceilings. Whether you are trying to block the noises of footsteps from above or conversation and TV noise, we will show you the simplest and most effective methods of soundproofing your ceilings. All these solutions can be used to soundproof ceilings with timber joists and concrete ceilings.

Are you soundproofing a concrete ceiling or a ceiling with timber joists?

Before you begin soundproofing your ceiling, you will need to check the construction of the existing ceiling; you will need to know whether it is a concrete ceiling or a timber ceiling with joists. Purpose-built flats usually have concrete ceilings, and most other types will have timber joists.

What is the type of noise you are soundproofing against?

The two main noise types are impact (footfall and movement) and airborne noise (TV and conversation).

Airborne Sound occurs when a sound transfers directly from a source to the receiver. Small holes or openings in the construction, along ductwork, or through ceiling cavities. Airborne noises include conversation, TV noise, music, and barking dogs.

Impact Sound is structural vibration transmitted from the point of impact through a structure and experienced as radiated sound from a vibrating surface. It is commonly caused by an item hitting the floor from where the impact results in vibrations transferring through the building’s structure. The most common path for the noise is generally to the ceiling of the lower property or room. Impact noises include footfall, dropping items on the floor, and children running.

Acoustic ceilings with the highest level of noise reduction

The Acousticlip Ceiling Systems are the most effective ceiling sound barriers. The specially designed ceiling isolation clip system decouples the soundproof ceiling from the existing one. The solution is used on timber joists and concrete ceilings that require insulating against airborne and impact sounds.

The AcoustiClip System is used to create a complete acoustic ceiling system

• Decouples the ceiling
• Increase the sound absorption
• Incorporates high density ceiling insulation
• Improves the sound dampening 
• Soundproof ceiling panels with mass loaded vinyl

High performance acoustic ceiling systems for concrete and timber joist ceilings

More about ceiling soundproofing products

Our ceiling insulation products and soundproof systems offer exceptional noise reduction. The individual components used to create acoustic ceilings will increase the ceiling isolation and sound dampening ability against unwanted noises. Here are some of the best products to insulate ceilings for sound.

AcoustiClip – Decoupling sound isolation clip for timber and concrete ceilings

The Acousticlip decoupling sound isolation clip is fitted onto ceiling joists or concrete ceilings. The sound clips are screwed in place through the dual fixing points making these clips stronger than other clips which only have one fixing point. The clip combines steel for strength and antivibration rubber to absorb vibration sounds. The Acousticlip forms the base for the new ceiling, which isolates the ceiling structure from the new ceiling.

Acoustic Insulation – Slabs of high density sound insulation to add mass and sound absorption

Acoustic insulation slabs are a vital part of soundproofing ceilings. We use acoustic slabs for ceilings in all our soundproofing systems due to their density and sound absorption properties.

Due to the lack of mass and sound absorption, airborne sound will easily transfer through an untreated ceiling with timber joists. Acoustic insulation significantly improves the performance of a ceiling against airborne noise, reducing sound reverberation inside the joist cavity.

Most timber ceilings require 100mm of acoustic insulation between the joists. The recommended density to use should be 60kg. Noise reduction does not improve using higher density slabs inside the joist. It is more important to completely fill between each joist and not leave air gaps.

Noisestop 1 Plus Panel – Soundproof panel combing acoustic plasterboard and 10kg mass loaded vinyl

The Noisestop 1 Plus Panel is a slim soundproof panel used in wall and ceiling soundproofing systems. The board’s composition adds mass and sound absorption within 18mm, making this the most versatile soundproofing board.

The pre bonded layers of 12.5mm acoustic plasterboard and 10kg mass loaded vinyl makes these panel quick and easy to fit onto ceiling systems, unlike other solutions that require fitting separate plasterboard and awkward rolls of the acoustic membrane. This saves time and money on the fitting.

Implementing these techniques and products will ensure the best noise reduction for your ceilings. Regardless of the type of ceiling, the Acousticlip System will enhance the acoustic integrity of your ceiling against unwanted sounds that transfer between floors through your ceilings.

Room Soundproofing Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed reading our room soundproofing guide and that you know everything you need to soundproof your rooms. If you do need help with your room soundproofing, please get in touch today.

Please send us your enquiry, and one of the team will get back to you.