R
redwing
Guest
I've a question on sound insulation between joined houses. I've seen there's a key post on noise insulation etc., but this is on a aspect I didn't spot there.
It's a pair of semi-d's, if we just take the front of the houses the walls are built up as follows from the outside
1) an external layer of bricks
2) a cavity
3) a layer of blocks
4) a layer of insulated plasterboard
Then dividing the houses there's
5) a party wall which I believe ends at or maybe in (3) the inner layer of blocks.
This works quite well for heat insulation, however for sound it's a different story.
The external doors and windows are mostly sitting in the cavity, so if a front door or window is shut it resonates right around the cavity so can be heard anywhere in both houses. There's just air separating the two houses' window and door frames. Even if someone knocks on the door next door it'll be heard, the letter box flap springing shut is heard clearly.
This would be little more than a minor nuisance except unluckily the neighbours return home at 2:30-3:30 am from night's out at least three mornings a week.
One suggestion is filling the cavity with insulation, though I'm a little concerned about doing this as there may be a concern to do with dampness coming from what I believe are porous bricks. Perhaps remove the doors and windows - place thick insulation around their frames and replace them?
Does anyone know if there's maybe some guideline which specifies that this shared cavity isn't suitable for semi-detached or terraced houses. (If a terrace was done the same way a front door slammed at 3am would end up waking maybe 6 houses.)
Should there be some sort of divider in the cavity where the houses meet? Should the party wall extend further to block the cavity? Does fire regs come into this in some way?
It's a pair of semi-d's, if we just take the front of the houses the walls are built up as follows from the outside
1) an external layer of bricks
2) a cavity
3) a layer of blocks
4) a layer of insulated plasterboard
Then dividing the houses there's
5) a party wall which I believe ends at or maybe in (3) the inner layer of blocks.
This works quite well for heat insulation, however for sound it's a different story.
The external doors and windows are mostly sitting in the cavity, so if a front door or window is shut it resonates right around the cavity so can be heard anywhere in both houses. There's just air separating the two houses' window and door frames. Even if someone knocks on the door next door it'll be heard, the letter box flap springing shut is heard clearly.
This would be little more than a minor nuisance except unluckily the neighbours return home at 2:30-3:30 am from night's out at least three mornings a week.
One suggestion is filling the cavity with insulation, though I'm a little concerned about doing this as there may be a concern to do with dampness coming from what I believe are porous bricks. Perhaps remove the doors and windows - place thick insulation around their frames and replace them?
Does anyone know if there's maybe some guideline which specifies that this shared cavity isn't suitable for semi-detached or terraced houses. (If a terrace was done the same way a front door slammed at 3am would end up waking maybe 6 houses.)
Should there be some sort of divider in the cavity where the houses meet? Should the party wall extend further to block the cavity? Does fire regs come into this in some way?