Soundproofing in the home

Problems with sound in new and existing dwellings are often a cause for concern. We can recommend various solutions to minimise noise transfer in new and existing dwellings.

Sound can travel in two ways:

1) Through air which is know as Airborne Sound

2) Through structures which is known as Impact Sound

Airborne Sound:

As its name suggest, airborne sound travels through the air, for example talking, televisions, music. When it reaches the separating floor, it can cause it to vibrate and create sound to travel through the floor and ceiling, into the room below.

The best method of stopping the sound is by adding more mass to the floor which in turn increases its rigidity. This means that the sound will now bounce off the floor rather than pass through to the ceiling side. The ability of a structure to stop noise transfer is known as sound insulation.

Impact Sound:

Impact sound is the hardest form of sound travel to prevent, for example, footsteps, can travel down the actual structure of the floor.

The only real method of stopping impact sound from reaching the rooms below is by isolating the floor from the rest of the structure.