Panel house soundproofing. Soundproofing the walls in the house: how to achieve silence from the next room? How effective is this soundproofing?

From this article you will learn:

• What are the types and sources of noise
• What materials are commonly used for soundproofing
• What are the soundproofing methods?
• How to make soundproofing of the ceiling, floor, walls, front door, joints with your own hands
• What tips should you follow to properly soundproof your apartment?
• What myths and misconceptions exist regarding sound insulation in an apartment

Today, almost half of the domestic housing stock consists of housing that is characterized by poor sound insulation, which significantly reduces the level of comfort. Given this circumstance, one can explain the popularity of soundproofing services for walls, ceilings and floors with the help of modern materials. At the same time, it is quite possible to solve such a problem on your own. Companies that work in the field of soundproofing technologies offer a wide range of solutions that even a person who does not have special knowledge in the field of construction and installation of various structures can use. You will find more complete information on how to make soundproofing in an apartment in this article.

From whom and what do soundproofing in the apartment

Before deciding how to soundproof your home, you need to understand the main sources of noise that are present in apartment buildings (MKD). The correct definition of the source of sound vibrations greatly simplifies the task. In some cases, labor-intensive and costly operations can be avoided by insulating a single structural element.

There are two types of noise:

• wave noise- spreads through the air. Sources of sound waves: loud conversations, music, barking dogs, etc.

• vibration noise- distributed in building structures and engineering communications. Its sources can be construction tools (drill, hammer, perforator, etc.) or household appliances (washing machine).

The main sources of noise in the apartment:

• Noise from the street penetrates into the dwelling through window openings. You can get rid of the noise of passing vehicles or loud voices coming from the playground only after installing a triple-glazed window system. Curtains made of thick fabric can act as additional noise insulation.
• Noise from the entrance enters through the front door. It is not very comfortable, being in an apartment, to hear the noise of a working elevator, the knock of doors and the conversations of neighbors on the landing, or, conversely, to understand that everything that happens in your home is heard in the entrance. Both problems can be solved by soundproofing the door structure. To do this, the door leaf must be upholstered with sound-absorbing material, and a high-quality sealant must be used along the contour of the door frame.

• Noise from adjoining apartments enters through wall structures, through rosettes, gaps between floor elements, etc. Too noisy neighbors (lovers of loud music, parties, home repairs, etc.) are most often cited as the decisive factor that encourages soundproofing in an apartment. It all depends on the number of "irritating" sources. If these are neighbors “through the wall”, then soundproofing of the adjacent wall structure can be dispensed with. If noisy residents surround from all sides, as well as from above and below, you will have to make complete soundproofing.
• Noise from your apartment also goes through all the constructions described here. Therefore, if you yourself like noisy parties, are fond of music, or you have hyperactive children, then, in order to avoid quarrels and visits from the district police officer, it is better to make soundproofing in the apartment as soon as possible.

Another point is related to the quality of the soundproofing materials used. Manufacturers offer a wide range of solutions that differ in price, composition used and performance.

In order to reliably isolate wall structures from the penetration of external noise, it is necessary with the help of building materials to create conditions under which noise waves would be scattered and absorbed. In addition, an obstacle should be created in the path of vibrational vibrations and an opportunity should be provided for reflecting sound waves.

Sound waves attenuate when passing through various media. At the same time, multi-layer sound insulation is more effective than single-layer, having a large thickness.

Misconceptions and myths about soundproofing in an apartment

Myth 1: To make soundproofing in an apartment, it is enough to provide soundproofing of wall structures, behind which the noise source is located.

Noise is sound waves that propagate in a straight line. Thus, the sound from the TV working behind the wall will pass not only through the wall, but also through interfloor ceilings, communication systems and technological openings (for example, ventilation). Noise isolation of the wall will only partially muffle the penetrating noise. In order to ensure comfort in the apartment, it is necessary to make an analysis of the situation, which will help to identify the weakest points in terms of sound insulation.

Myth 2: For good sound insulation, it is enough to paste over the room with expensive, thin, but effective rolled sound insulation for walls.

It is this information that can be found in various promotional materials that claim that various membrane technologies are already widely used in European countries. But in practice, things look a little different. Such membranes are ineffective on their own. They are usually used in conjunction with traditional soundproofing solutions, which only drives up the cost of the job.

One of the arguments that marketers use when promoting soundproof membranes is that in the automotive industry, membrane materials no more than 5 millimeters thick are used to soundproof car interiors. But in this case we are talking about a completely different noise suppression technology, which is effective only for thin plates. The thickness of the metal from which the car body is made is a few millimeters and less than the thickness of the membrane used. And now, let's calculate how thick this type of sound insulation will be needed for a wall structure with a thickness of, for example, 100 millimeters. In order to verify the information provided here, it is enough to familiarize yourself with the technical documentation for thin super sound insulation. In fact, it turns out that this is just a publicity stunt to increase the cost of soundproofing.

Myth 3: Solve the noise problem with sound-absorbing materials.

Popular sound-absorbing materials: Heradesign, Mappysil and Ecofon are characterized by minimal thickness and high sound absorption efficiency, but are completely unsuitable for soundproofing. To understand this, you need to understand what is the difference between sound insulation and sound absorption. Insulating materials are designed to protect from external influences, and absorbing materials are needed in order to prevent echoes and absorb sounds, the sources of which are devices and equipment located inside the room (TV, telephone, music center, etc.). Noise-absorbing materials are commonly used in home theaters.

Myth 4: You can make soundproofing of the walls in the apartment using only foam.

It will be a big mistake to decide to make soundproofing with expanded polystyrene. After sheathing a room with such material, sound insulation may even worsen. Since Styrofoams are rigid and have a closed cell structure, when in contact with a solid wall, they can cause a resonance phenomenon for medium frequency sound waves. As you know, mid frequencies are typical for human speech, therefore, with such isolation, you can hear even better what your neighbors are talking about. Only an illiterate specialist can offer to make soundproofing using foam.

Myth 5: Before buying noise insulation, you should pay attention to the airborne sound insulation index (Rw).

The Rw index does not always accurately indicate the level of sound insulation of the system. The method for calculating the airborne sound insulation index was developed back in Soviet times, so it does not take into account some noise sources, which are modern household equipment. In other words, it focuses more on loud speech, TV sound, or music, but does not take into account low-frequency sounds produced by subwoofers, home theaters, and home appliances. Fibrous insulation with high Rw will be a high-quality protection against medium-frequency sound waves. But in order to absorb low-frequency noise, it, in addition to the sound absorber layer, must have a thick facing layer.

How to make soundproofing in an apartment with your own hands: starting with the basics

Construction professionals note that panel-type houses, which were built ten or more years ago, are distinguished by high sound conductivity. In some cases, apartments in such MKDs can be compared in terms of comfort with communal apartments, where you can hear almost everything that happens behind the wall. In this regard, for the owners of such housing, the question of how to make sound insulation in a panel house apartment is very acute.

First of all, it is necessary to determine the thickness of the walls and the material of their manufacture.

If the wall structures are sufficiently reliable, then the cause of good audibility may be incorrectly installed sockets and various defects in the form of cracks and crevices. In this case, it will be enough to perform work to eliminate the shortcomings, as well as to replace window and door structures.

If the walls are in order, and the noise still penetrates the apartment, you must do the following:

1. Make wall preparation.

Before you make good sound insulation in the apartment, you must thoroughly clean the surface of the walls from dirt and check them for cracks and other defects. Identified cracks should be properly puttied, as they contribute to the penetration of extraneous sounds.

The next step will be the soundproofing of electrical outlets. If it is necessary to move the socket, then the remaining hole must be filled with mounting foam, and even better with gypsum or DSP. When performing electrical work, the safety regulations must be strictly observed.

At the end of the preparatory stage, it is necessary to insulate the heating pipes at the points of their passage in the wall structure. An elastic sealant is used to seal all seams and joints.

1. Choosing a soundproofing material

Sealing cracks in the walls is only the initial stage of arranging sound insulation in an apartment. For reliable protection against extraneous noise, you will need high-quality soundproof materials, which are presented in a wide range in the catalogs of specialized companies. It is not necessary to choose expensive options. You can choose a proven sound insulation that perfectly combines price and quality indicators.

How to choose reliable soundproofing materials at an affordable cost? It is necessary to compare the sound insulation parameters with the characteristics of the apartment. You should take into account the area of ​​\u200b\u200brooms, the dimensions of window and door structures, the thickness of the walls and their quality. The choice of soundproofing materials with an excessively large thickness can significantly reduce the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe apartment, taking away several tens of millimeters from each wall. In this regard, you can pay attention to cork wallpapers, which are distinguished by high-quality sound insulation.

How to soundproof walls in an apartment: choose a material

So, what materials for soundproofing are usually used?

Soft noise isolation

• soundproof membranes. They can be ordinary and self-adhesive. Such membranes are produced from synthetic or natural fibers. In the assortment of such products, bituminous polymeric sound insulation for floors with a layer of polyester fiber is separately presented.

• Acoustic insulation made of needle-punched fiberglass. Such materials are used for ceiling structures and walls. This is the most successful option in order to make high-quality sound insulation of frame structures.

• Polyester backing available for floating floors, but can also be used as a base for laminate flooring.

• Mineral wool- the most common material, which is distinguished by an affordable price and good heat and sound insulation characteristics.

Solid insulation includes structures in the form of plates and panels made of soundproofing materials

• Combined panels consist of two sheets and a layer between them. They are made from particle boards with the inclusion of synthetic or cork materials. Mineral wool or quartz sand is usually used for the layer.

• Basalt slabs are made from natural fibers. There are basalt slabs treated with special water-repellent mixtures.

• Polyester fiber boards are a synthetic material that has been widely used in frame construction technologies.

• Staple weave fiberglass boards are used as a filler for the inter-profile space, as well as for sound insulation of suspended ceilings and frame wall structures.

• Cork slabs as finishing panels as well as cork flooring can be installed without the use of additional noise insulation.

• Foam boards are the most affordable soundproofing material. Despite the fact that in terms of their characteristics they are inferior to more modern sound insulation, such plates are still very popular when performing budget repairs. The company "My Repair" performs high-quality and inexpensive repairs in Moscow and the Moscow region.

Liquid insulation

Soundproofing materials have a serious drawback - they take up a lot of free space. After their installation, the room will lose in area. The use of liquid sound insulation will help to avoid this.

For its arrangement, you will need a special adhesive composition, which does not take up much space. It is often used between layers of GKL, GVL and plywood. A small layer of such insulation is not inferior in quality to traditional materials of large thickness.

It is worth mentioning the improvised soundproofing

Many are interested in how to make soundproofing in an apartment if the wallpaper is already pasted. In this case, you can use a number of interior decor elements that will reduce the noise level by almost 30%:

• Large carpet on the floor or wall.

• The furniture wall, located along the wall, will turn loud sounds, the source of which is located at the neighbors, into a soft hum.

• Thick curtains on the windows will reduce the level of street noise in the apartment.

It should be noted that only the right choice of soundproofing materials will achieve a good result. When deciding what kind of sound insulation to make in an apartment, pay attention to other characteristics of such materials: thickness, thermal insulation performance, etc.

Ways to soundproof an apartment

There are three ways to make soundproofing in an apartment:

1. Wireframe method involves the arrangement of guides on which the facing panels will be fixed. After installing the sound-absorbing material, sound-reflecting panels are placed between the rails.

The advantage of this method is that when the panels are installed correctly, a high level of sound insulation is achieved. At the same time, this option is quite expensive and takes up a lot of free space in the room.

1. Installation of plates and membranes involves the installation of sound insulation directly on walls, floors or ceiling structures. After installing the plates with the help of special fasteners or glue, they are covered with thin facing panels. In terms of the quality of protection against extraneous noise, this method is not inferior to the frame technology, but it is much cheaper.

1. "Floating" the method is used for soundproofing floors. To do this, a soundproofing material is spread on the prepared surface, which is covered with waterproofing on top. A reinforcing screed is installed on top of such a flooring, on which a floor covering is installed. Since this soundproofing option does not use rigid mounts, it provides reliable protection against vibration noise.

How to soundproof the ceiling in an apartment

The most practical and effective option for soundproofing an apartment from upstairs neighbors is to install suspended or suspended ceilings. Such work should be carried out by experienced specialists who are well aware of the features of the technological process. For high-quality repairs in Moscow and the Moscow region, you can contact the My Repair company.

In order to save money, you can independently make soundproofing of the ceiling in the apartment using multi-layer structures. This option is within the power of even a novice master. It includes the following steps:

1. Dismantling of the old coating.
2. The ceiling is pasted over with a special acoustic material, additionally fixing it with dowels.
3. Hanging profiles for installing drywall must be fixed at intervals of 60 cm.
4. Soundproofing plates are installed in the resulting structure in such a way as to leave a small air gap between the acoustic coating and the plates (from 50 to 100 mm).
5. The resulting structure is lined with sheets of drywall.

Pay special attention to the quality of the materials used. This will ensure your comfort and coziness in the future.

Soundproofing the floor provides protection from noise coming from the floor below, and also saves you from complaints from neighbors living there about loud sounds coming from your apartment.

There are also two solutions here: make soundproofing with your own hands or turn to professionals. In the first case, it is necessary to strictly follow the installation instructions for soundproofing the floor.

1. Sealing joints.

At the stage of preparation for installation work, it is necessary to inspect the joints of interfloor ceilings and walls. If cracks are found, they should be repaired with cement mortar or mounting foam. Cracks in building structures most often act as a factor contributing to increased sound conductivity.

1. Plinth installation.

There is an important feature of installing the skirting board on the floor with a "floating" base. Such systems can move, which will lead to deformation and destruction of the baseboard, so it is attached only on one side. To increase the quality of sound insulation, strips of special material are installed under the plinth.

1. Lag installation.

When installing the log, avoid direct contact with the walls and the base of the floor. In these places, gaskets made of rubber or other noise-insulating material should be placed. Do not use rigid connections for mounting the log, as they will be conductors of vibration noise.

1. Substrate arrangement.

For laminate flooring, you need to use a polyester fiber underlay, which provides good sound insulation.

The carpet on the floor will help to increase the effect.

With any option for soundproofing the floor, it is necessary to follow the procedure and use high-quality materials.

How to soundproof walls in an apartment

It makes no sense to soundproof all the walls in the apartment, including interior partitions. It is enough to isolate structures that are adjacent to neighbors and the stairwell.

Soundproofing membranes on "self-adhesive", combined panels or plates, which are placed on a special frame, are used as soundproofing for wall surfaces. It should be noted that thicker materials will reduce the amount of usable space in the rooms.

An important condition for high-quality sound insulation is the absence of through sockets. If there are any, the space between them should be filled with noise-absorbing material or mounting foam.

Before installing sound insulation, it is necessary to carry out preparatory operations:

1. Dismantling of the old wall covering (wallpaper, decorative panels).
2. Dismantling electrical outlets and switches. If there is a junction box for wiring, you need to remove the cover from it. Be sure to de-energize the wiring first.
3. Pull the wiring out of the box and sockets for switches and sockets.
4. Extend the wiring for the switch and sockets to the width of the future insulation.
5. Temporarily insulate exposed wire ends.
6. Fill the nests and the box with mounting foam.
7. Check the wall for cracks.
8. If cracks are found, they must be sealed with cement mortar.

If you do not have the relevant knowledge and skills, invite a professional electrician to perform electrical work.

The most effective option for soundproofing in a panel apartment is the frame method. Let's take a closer look at its stages.

1. Stick a soundproof membrane on the wall surface. For this, a self-adhesive membrane or a regular one, which is mounted on a special glue, is suitable.
2. Make the frame of the frame using vertical guides along the edges of the wall and horizontal ones under the ceiling and on the floor. Dowel-screws are used for mounting guides.
3. At a distance of 0.4 - 0.5 meters from each other, install vertical guides inside the frame.
4. Install the noise insulation between the frame rails with glue or flexible metal tape that is attached to the rails with screws.
5. In the resulting frame there should be no voids and gaps.
6. Lead the wires of the switch and sockets through the soundproofing
7. Fasten drywall sheets or decorative boards to the frame. Holes must be made in sheets or slabs for the junction box, electrical outlets and switches.
8. Carefully seal the interpanel seams.
9. Finish the walls with wallpaper or plaster.
10. Install electrical outlets, switch and junction box.

How to make soundproofing the front door in the apartment

The front door is one of the most significant structures in terms of soundproofing an apartment. The main condition that will help get rid of extraneous sounds penetrating from the landing is the absence of gaps in the door structure. To reduce sound transmission, rubber seals should be installed along the entire perimeter of the door leaf and a small threshold should be equipped in front of the door frame. If there are gaps between the box and the wall, they should be sealed with cement mortar.

For more effective sound insulation, in addition to the main entrance door, you can install an additional one. The vestibule formed in this case will dampen sound waves.

How much does it cost to soundproof an apartment

The cost of noise insulation in an apartment depends on several factors, including the existing and required level of sound transmission, materials and quality of building structures, as well as the method of solving such a problem. For reference, we can say that soundproofing 1 m 2 of a wall costs from 310 to 400 rubles, and installing an acoustic suspended ceiling structure from 240 to 600 rubles. for 1 m 2.

When solving special tasks for arranging sound insulation in rooms with special requirements (for example, a home theater, a recording studio, etc.), the cost of sound insulation will be higher than under standard conditions.

People from panel houses and new buildings mainly complain about poor sound insulation. This is due to the fact that in panel houses the sound insulation parameter is at a very low level.

The best ways and technologies

It will be impossible to arrange comfort and get peace if extraneous sounds constantly interfere in your life. This includes the screams of neighbors, the sounds of a working TV, and much more that can be fully considered interference. The cheapest way to soundproof is a conversation and an agreement with all neighbors on the observance of certain rules of conduct, but this is very problematic to implement. Sooner or later, the neighbors will begin to violate them, wanting to spend time in comfort.

You can get out of this situation through high-quality sound insulation. You can entrust this process to professionals, but their services usually cost more than the materials themselves, so you can do excellent sound insulation yourself, which is the best option. The most important point is the choice of material and awareness of the features of this process.

The best material, according to the observations of apartment owners with similar sound insulation, is mineral wool. It is characterized by a high level of sound absorption, which no other insulator can boast of. The material can be purchased in slabs, mats and rolls. The most convenient to use are plates. It is important that the cotton wool is not pressed. Yes, the presented material will take up less space because it is thinner, but absorption rates will be significantly lower.

Cotton wool is a thick material and nothing can be done with this setting.

There are thin materials that can save space, however, you are unlikely to live comfortably in an apartment if the sound insulation is not done well.

Such sound insulation takes about 10 cm from each wall, ceiling and floor. You should not count on complete sound insulation, since this cannot be done in panel houses. It is impossible to get rid of structural noise, including sound vibration waves transmitted through the building structure. Therefore, if someone decides to use a puncher, people will hear about it even after several floors.

Vata has positive feedback from acousticians. It helps to improve any room in the house and is suitable, for example, for a toilet.

Causes of poor insulation

The most common reason is the poor quality of work. During the construction of a building, even small cracks and cracks should not occur between the enclosing structures. If such appear, then they must be cleaned and filled with sealant.

When it comes to internal walls made of brick, concrete or ceramic blocks, they must be carefully filled and plastered on the second side. When it comes to panel houses, this work is usually performed poorly. You can see such shortcomings only if you buy an apartment without finishing.

Incorrect technology for installing inter-apartment and inter-room partitions can also lead to a violation of sound insulation. In any case, you must strictly follow the instructions. It must be understood that the panels used for inter-apartment partitions have their own voids. They are tested, however, without taking into account the fact that there will be hidden wiring in the walls and sockets installed.

Fundamental rules

Considering the following points will help you understand how to properly soundproof a panel house, for example, for a bathroom:

• First of all, you must decide whether you are ready to lose a few centimeters of living space in exchange for comfortable living without extraneous sounds, or is it better to tolerate noisy neighbors, but keep the space in its original size. The funds and time that will be spent on soundproofing work will pay for you after a month of use, through your cheerfulness and healthy sleep without extraneous sounds.
• The issue of sound insulation should be considered as a separate project. Many realize the importance of soundproofing only after they make major repairs and move into an apartment. They constantly quarrel with neighbors or simply endure this noise. Someone with poor sound insulation can generally force them to sell their home or dismantle the repairs made and perform effective soundproofing.

• The soundproofing of the apartment is carried out at the rough stage of work, that is, at the very beginning of the repair.
• In this situation, it is extremely important to follow the instructions and correctly follow the technology. You can not miss a single stage of work, even if it seems insignificant to you.
• Any soundproofing work involves the fact that you have to sacrifice a small area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe premises and its height. We recommend that you seek the help of a professional at the design stage of the project, even if you do not plan to use their installation services. This will allow you to receive recommendations regarding the creation of the necessary structure, since they will select the best option, accompanied by minimal loss of space and height of the room.
• Soundproofing work begins with the walls. Next is the ceiling, and lastly the floor.
• Protect you from noise, renovation sounds, music will best help metal frame soundproofing on vibration suspensions. This design is mainly concerned with solving the problem of airborne noise. It helps to mute the volume of the TV behind the wall, the crying of a child, loud neighbors and barking dogs.

• Be sure that light and soft materials are not soundproof, despite the fact that some manufacturers indicate such properties on product packaging. Glass wool and foam are able to absorb sounds, but do not interfere with their passage. Basalt wool is included in the structure and allows you to remove the rumble inside it. It focuses on sound absorption.
• The main rule in soundproofing is layering and high weight. Therefore, the heavier the material and the more layers it has, the less sounds it will miss. To date, multilayer cardboard, which is filled with quartz sand, is especially popular. One square meter of such material weighs approximately 20 kg.
• It is important that the metal parts of the frame do not touch the walls. All metal elements must be glued with vibration damping tape.

• Particular attention should be paid to switches and sockets. They require the use of special socket boxes with soundproofing effect. This seems like a trifle, however, failure to comply with this stage can lead to the futility of all soundproofing work.
• There must be a gap of at least 5 mm around the perimeter of the walls, floor and ceiling.
• To seal gaps, joints and seams, it is imperative to use special soundproof sealing agents.
• For soundproofing, you must use only safe, hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly materials. It is best to opt for those that are of natural origin. They do not contain chemicals, resins and glue.

Getting rid of the stomp

Work begins from the ceiling. First of all, you need to make a frame for drywall. Please note that the corners must not be screwed directly to the ceiling. In this matter, it is important to use a special soundproof tape that will prevent the penetration of vibrations coming from above. If you have finances, you can lay a thin membrane around the perimeter that can absorb not only sounds, but also vibrations.

Once you have made the frame, you will need to fill the space between the profiles with mineral wool. In this case, it must be done tightly so as not to leave voids. This is a simple procedure, however, do not forget about basic security measures. Be sure to wear protective goggles so that the cotton wool does not get into your eyes. After all the gaps are filled with materials, it is required to sew up the ceiling with drywall.

Advice! It is known that sound insulation takes a few centimeters from the height of the room. To make it feel less acute, we recommend that you stop not at the chandeliers, but at the lighting in the ceiling plinth. This is due to the fact that the chandelier takes a certain height from the ceiling, making it visually lower.

Protecting all surfaces

As an initial work, it should be noted the removal of all floor skirting boards. After carrying out the work, you can return them to their original place, so when removing them, be careful not to damage them. If you have old linoleum or laminate on the floor, then you can lay sound insulation directly on the floor. But if we are talking about a new floor covering that is in good condition, it should be disassembled and reassembled after soundproofing work.

The first step in soundproofing is the installation of fiberglass flooring.

When doing this work, be sure to wear protective gloves and goggles. The fine fibers of the material in question are very irritating to the skin.

After laying fiberglass, it is required to lay wooden blocks, the distance between which should be equal to the width of the cotton slabs. It is required to leave a small space between the ends of the element and the walls. The bars do not need to be fixed.

Next, you need to lay mineral wool in the spaces left between the bars. Then they are covered with gypsum fiber boards in two layers. It is important to process all joints with damping tape. In this case, the soundproof floor is considered almost ready. All you need to do is select and install the floor covering.

Next, we will consider the soundproofing of the walls. The process is very similar to that which was performed for the processing of the ceiling. It is required to install a frame under drywall. Soundproof tape must be used. The frame must be in contact with the ceiling and floor through special gaskets. The effectiveness of this work will largely depend on how thick the layer of soundproofing material will be.

Most often, mineral wool is used in this case.

If you have the required budget, then in addition to the layer of insulating material, you can lay the membrane.

If space permits, leave a small air space between the drywall and the wadding. This trick will allow you to more effectively scatter incoming sound waves.

After the space is filled with mineral wool, it is necessary to sew up the walls with drywall. Next, you need to start finishing work. The effectiveness of soundproofing will show itself immediately. The music and voice of the apartment will sound different because the sound waves will be reflected and absorbed. Therefore, you not only protect yourself from extraneous sounds, but also do not let your neighbors hear the details of your life.

The reinforced concrete floor of a large-panel building has poor sound wave suppression capabilities. This is due to the properties of the material, the high density of concrete, the longitudinal cylindrical holes in the panels, which reduce the thickness and reduce the weight.

The recognized disadvantages of the panel structure include through assembly joints, the sealing of which requires care and a responsible attitude, which is not always enough for builders. Therefore, the sound insulation of the floor in a panel house causes criticism if a set of works to eliminate shortcomings has not been carried out in it.

If in new buildings the problem is the poor quality of filling joints, then in old houses cracks are added to this, which are the result of deformations and displacement of elements. These defects allow sounds to freely penetrate structures. A soundproofing device without the elimination of through gaps will not provide confidence in the final result, since the protective layer will be insufficient.

If work is carried out on a bare floor base, then you should carefully evaluate the joints between the panels and the interface lines between the wall panels and the ceiling. If cracks, chips are found, the cement or other sealing filling is removed to the base material, and the resulting void is filled with mounting foam or non-hardening building sealant.

Treatment of joints and cracks in floor panels.

When improving the properties of the existing coating when performing repairs without completely dismantling the base, it is recommended to open it along the perimeter to the base, fill the joint with sealant and cover it with a cement-sand screed to the level. Sometimes they do not pay attention to the passages of pipelines through the floor panels located in the bathrooms and kitchen. By eliminating through gaps around them, they reduce the penetration of sounds and uncontrolled air exchange, which is a source of extraneous odors and affects the microclimate of the premises.

Soundproofing methods

To reduce the intensity of extraneous noise, you can install absorbing material in the way of their propagation. This refers to the sounds coming into the room coming out of it. The social norms of coexistence in an apartment building are supposed to protect those living on the floor below from sharp percussive sounds made by footsteps or moving furniture. The same insulation works in the opposite direction, protecting the apartment on the top floor from acoustic impact from below.

Roll underlayment with reflective foil coating.

When overhauling the floor or arranging a new room, it is recommended to arrange a sound-diffusing coating, which is usually also a heat insulator. For this, plate, sheet and bulk materials several centimeters thick are used, which, due to their porous structure, provide absorption and damping of acoustic vibrations. The structure is erected on floor slabs, otherwise it will raise the level of the finished floor by several centimeters and problems with the height of openings and door panels.

Basalt fiber insulating boards.

In a cramped position and during current repairs, the soundproofing of the floor is done in a simplified version, laying sheet and roll materials, which are further covered with a finishing floor. The solution gives satisfactory results in protection against impact noise, but is not effective enough for isolating sounds from other ranges, so it is sometimes supplemented with elements related to drapery - room carpets or felt-based carpets.

Soundproof underlays

This group of building products allows you to increase the insulating properties of the coating in a panel house without completely dismantling existing structures. Due to the small thickness, the materials do not cause the floor level to rise from the top of the allowable. Depending on the type of finish layer, acceptable height, acoustic characteristics of the substrate, a product with suitable parameters is selected.

Roll and slab substrates based on natural cork are popular. In addition to environmental friendliness, durability, immunity to moisture, they successfully combine low thermal conductivity with the ability to absorb acoustic vibrations. A tangible result is achieved by using modern multilayer products, for example, a felt coating reinforced with a polymer base.

Underlay made of natural cork.

Cheap and relatively effective materials include soft fiberboard substrates, despite the name, the material is not subject to deformation, retaining its original thickness under load, which allows it to be used under type-setting and panel parquet and laminated coatings. The choice of soundproofing substrates in the distribution network is significant, manufacturers are constantly expanding the range of products, but when buying them, one must not forget that, despite advertising promises, the possibilities of thin materials are limited, although often sufficient.

Soundproof base

This design is sometimes referred to as a “floating floor”, emphasizing the separation of the finish floor and interfloor panel. The functions of sound insulation in it are performed by rigid slabs of ecowool, mineral wool or extruded polystyrene, as the most suitable for this purpose. They are laid on a leveled base along a waterproofing membrane, the perimeter is filled with soft stone wool for three to five centimeters.

A protective leveling screed with a thickness of one and a half to five centimeters is applied over the insulating boards, on which a clean floor is mounted. Such a coating effectively dampens the energy of sound waves, although polystyrene is often distrusted, considering it more of a heat insulator.

Soundproofing with bulk material, dry screed.

Good performance is provided by bulk materials, among which expanded clay of small and medium fractions is in the lead. It is used to create a base for a screed, as a sound and heat insulating backfill between the lags and for laying floors on a dry screed. An alternative to expanded clay is perlite or vermiculite, traditionally used for insulation and insulation of floors.

Some rules for soundproofing

The finished floor and screed are separated from the surface of the walls by a gap of two to three centimeters, filled with soft mineral wool. This prevents sounds from spreading through the wall panel and vice versa. A layer of rolled waterproofing is laid under the soundproofing material. If a cement-sand screed is not made, for example, when filling expanded clay or perlite under the floors, a film is installed on top to prevent the circulation of air vapor.

findings

The structures of walls and ceilings of multi-apartment panel houses conduct well acoustic waves of a wide range, including percussive ones. To create a comfortable environment, it is recommended to install soundproof coverings, especially at floor level. When redecorating, thin rolled and sheet materials are used for this, laid under the finishing flooring.

Laying felt roll insulating material.

Performing a complete dismantling of the old foundation or building in a new panel house, it is recommended to use bulk and slab soundproof materials with the best characteristics for soundproofing the floor. With your own hands, without the involvement of specialists, you can do preparatory operations, with some skills, perform the entire amount of work.

Ways to insulate walls from the inside

Now about interior wall insulation different ways. In general, the methods are the same as for outdoor insulation. Here are the technologies for internal insulation, not only with those materials that were recommended earlier, but also with others. Well, because the author guesses that some of the people will still "go their own way", so let this path be as "light" as possible.

How to prepare a wall for insulation inside?

The surface to be insulated must be prepared in advance.

Before insulating "wet" (including gluing), the inner surface of the wall must be prepared: cleaned of dust, oil stains, other contaminants, plaster with cracks and peeling. In any case, the surface temperature should not be lower than +5.

The surface must be flat - with a deviation of no more than 2 mm per 1 m. So that after sticking the insulation there are no voids between the layers. This, of course, does not apply to insulation by spraying or mineral wool.

When sprayed, liquid insulation will fill and level any irregularities, even very impressive ones. Well, mineral wool ... you understand.

Tip 1: Tired of the noise from your neighbors? Exit - soundproofing in the apartment

The wall must be dry and treated with an antifungal compound.

Insulation of the walls of the house inside by spraying

Foamed insulation is applied to the wall to be insulated (for example, polyurethane foam - if there are no special requirements for finishing the room), which has a light cellular structure.

The advantage of this method of insulation is that no fasteners are needed (screws, corners, "fungi", etc.), the insulation simply sticks to the wall due to its ability to do so.

The second advantage of spray insulation is the ability to qualitatively insulate any curved surfaces, which makes it possible to avoid one of the disadvantages of internal insulation: the formation of cold bridges at the junction of walls with ceilings.

The thickness of the sprayed layer of 25 ... 30 mm fully provides the required level of thermal insulation (for the middle strip).

If there is a finish with some kind of facing material, then we spray on the frame:

Insulation of the walls of the house inside with warm plasters

Warm plasters are mortars, the basis of which can be cement or gypsum, and the filler is any material that gives the solution a cellular structure (perlite, wood fiber / sawdust, fiberglass, basalt fiber, vermiculite, etc.).

Such mixtures provide not only heat, but also sound insulation. Also, they don't burn.

Gypsum-based plasters are used for dry rooms (with humidity up to 50%). For rooms with high humidity, the plaster should be cement-based.

You can, of course, make a mixture for warm plaster yourself.

But you can take ready-made, factory-made, examples of which are in the photo below:

The very process of warming the wall with warm plaster is the same as finishing with ordinary plaster.

First, the surface is cleaned of dust, oil, loose plaster, paint, etc.

p. Then beacons are installed on the wall to control the evenness of the plastered surface:

We fix perforated corners at the corners:

- the task of which is to protect corners from chipping.

A fiberglass mesh is glued to maintain the integrity of the plaster layer:

- after which the plaster of the desired thickness is applied.

Insulation of the walls of the house inside the frame

This method involves mounting a frame (wooden or metal) on the wall:

- between the racks of which a heater is laid.

Insulate with mineral wool:

- or polystyrene foam (polystyrene foam):

I write: "warm", but only because they really do, and not because I myself agree with it. In the last article, I scolded the insulation of walls inside with mineral wool. Well, about wood plus polystyrene, the result is written in the topic of attic insulation.

"The air gap between the wall and drywall will increase the thermal insulation of the wall," many "authorities" say.

And they are probably right: the air layer increases thermal insulation. But in this air layer it will be warm, damp (but what about?), A paradise for bacteria, fungus, mold.

Therefore, we sew drywall directly on top of the foam, without any gaps. If you doubt the insulation and want to increase the thermal insulation of the wall, then add a layer of insulation. The same. This is done in heat loss calculations, i.e. during design, so that in practice it does not have to be redone.

Attention should be paid to the sealing of the joints between the sheets of insulation.

Somewhere I read a review of a person who “insulated” a house (in my opinion, a frame house) from the inside with drywall.

So: drywall is not suitable for insulation, because it does not insulate. And especially for insulation, there are plasterboard combined panels (GKP), which are a sheet of drywall with thermal insulation glued on one side:

Foam, felt, mineral wool can be used as thermal insulation here.

In general, it’s convenient ... if the price of the issue (or the issue of price?) suits you and there is where to buy such material, then the choice is good.

If not, then the frame the method of insulating the walls from the inside will be the same as outside (see

Insulation of the walls of the house from the outside with your own hands and Insulation of a wooden house from the outside with mineral wool or foam). It is only necessary to take into account the vapor permeability of materials (see Insulation of walls inside the house: advantages and disadvantages), but otherwise the insulation technology is the same.

Internal wall insulation by gluing insulation

Whatever material we choose, the following installation rule is mandatory. FIXING the insulation to the walls is possible only with GLUE. No dowels! The dowel damages the vapor barrier, leading to the penetration of moisture into the wall.

Why are dowels used on facades, a too meticulous reader asks?

Because outside the big wind loads. This is not the case indoors, the strength of adhesives is sufficient - if we have prepared the surface: cleaned, primed, dried. Then the insulation was put on.

Let me remind you that extruded polystyrene foam must have a "groove-comb". The surface of the plates must be notched (corrugated). If there is no notch, then you need to do it yourself: with a hacksaw for wood, on both sides.

Styrofoam is glued in two layers with overlapping joints.

Stick foam glass on polyurethane foam glue or on mounting foam.

Unlike polystyrene, foam glass has rough edges. Therefore, to seal the joints, foam glass is placed either on bituminous mastic (which is not environmentally friendly), or on silicone sealant, or on liquid rubber.

And further finishing is the same for all materials: we glue the usual nylon mesh over the insulation, putty, glue wallpaper or paint (see photo).

diagram above).

Here are some ways to insulate walls from the inside of the room. They are fit to make wall insulation from the inside of a frame and wooden house(whether from a bar, log - it doesn’t matter), extensions or verandas, insulation of the apartment from the inside or at least one room or balcony in the apartment.

So choose and apply. Good luck.

interior wall insulation

When a neighbor from above has a party for the second night, or behind the wall they have begun a major overhaul of the apartment with redevelopment of partitions, life will seem like a pretty penny.

Noise in the neighboring apartment - what can I say, in apartment buildings, many suffer from it. Agree, when you want comfort and peace, hearing the sound of a perforator at home all day long or loud music and the clatter of feet from above, this cannot but annoy. Moreover, the right to silence is written into our laws.

DANCE FOR 5 THOUSAND

Here is the latest order for Moscow and the Moscow region.

This law of March 22, 2014 strictly prohibits citizens from making noise from 21.00 to 8.00 on weekdays, from 22.00 to 10.00 on weekends, and from one to three daily. The punishment for noise in the apartment is also prescribed, for example, due to redevelopment by neighbors.

The fine for violators of silence ranges from one to five thousand rubles. True, it will not be so easy to punish violators.

So, the right to draw up a protocol on the fact of a violation of silence was given to inspectors from the State Administrative Technical Supervision. It turns out that, having heard the noise of a drill from the neighbors, it is necessary, without wasting time, to find at least one inspector. And how to do it, for example, on weekends or at night? There is nothing in the law about this.

In addition, there are certain sanitary standards for living in residential buildings.

In particular, the permissible noise in the apartment should not exceed 45 decibels. What, the inspector will come with his equipment for measuring, or will the very fact of the violation be enough for him? One gets the impression that the new law on ensuring peace and quiet for Muscovites will not solve this long-standing problem.

So what to do if the noise in the apartment interferes? Is it really necessary to start a protracted war with neighbors and catch the mentioned inspector for this?

If this situation bothers you, you can go the other way - to improve the sound insulation in the apartment.

WHY IN OUR HOUSES HIGH AUDIBILITY

How to soundproof walls, floors and ceilings in an apartment?

Before starting work, it is desirable to know where high audibility comes from in apartment buildings.

After all, they are all built according to SNiPs, in which there are certain requirements for sound insulation. However, the problem is that these requirements are based on the so-called airborne noise. These include the sounds of the TV, radio, conversations of your neighbors. Overlappings in multi-storey buildings cope with them quite well, but walls do not always. The latter depends on the material. Thick brick - the noise will be extinguished, but the walls made of foam blocks are unlikely.

In addition, existing cracks, especially in panel houses, contribute to the spread of extraneous sounds.

I'll give you a specific example.

Hey you up there: What to do if the apartment has poor soundproofing

Once I moved into an apartment in Strogino. Early in the morning, having breakfast in silence in the kitchen before going to work, I often heard the noise of a teaspoon, with which a neighbor was stirring sugar in a glass. Once, when it was still dark, tearing off the edge of the wallpaper in the corner, he saw a gap from which electric light came from the neighboring kitchen, and greeted his neighbor in a low voice.

Another type of noise in apartment buildings is the so-called impact noise.

It is not transmitted through the air, but through concrete surfaces, much better than through the air. The source of such noise can be not only a drill, but the elevator in the house and even the knock of the neighbor's heels from above.

This is especially noticeable in the apartments of panel houses.

REDUCE AUDIBILITY

So how to improve the sound insulation in the apartment, or at least reduce the level of extraneous noise? Technically, fixing this problem is not so difficult. Consider the options.

The first option is to make a frame for soundproofing mineral wool boards along the walls, and then sheathe it with drywall.

For these purposes, you can also use special panels with a thickness of 4 centimeters or more, having a tongue-and-groove connection. True, keep in mind that after such soundproofing of the apartment, hanging cabinets and bookshelves on its walls can be problematic.

What to do for those who bought an apartment without finishing, or even without interior partitions.

How can they improve its soundproofing?

It’s clear with the floor - we make a screed, lay a sound-isolating layer, and top with a finish coat. It will be more difficult with the ceiling, because extraneous noise usually comes from above. The soundproofing structures serving for these purposes have a thickness of no less than 8 cm or more.

Acoustic felt is usually used as the material. At the same time, this method of soundproofing will not only reduce the height of the rooms in the apartment, but also reduce impact noise by only 10 decibels.

This is clearly not enough to live in peace and quiet.

A more effective way to reduce the level of noise coming from above is the so-called vibration suspension with a soundproof membrane, which has an air gap between the structure itself and the ceiling.

In this case, it will be much easier to deal with shock sounds propagating through the floor slabs.

Thus, in order to improve the sound insulation in your home, you will have to spend money. But then to live in comfort and peace, keeping your nerves. Silence in a metropolis cannot be cheap.

5 ways of practical recommendations from personal experience.

The problem of sound insulation is familiar, perhaps, to every inhabitant of Russian cities. Especially, soundproofing excites people who live in panel houses. Noise from above and below, voices behind the wall, music from an apartment located three floors below in the next entrance, noise from a running car in the yard or a taxi in Moscow at the entrance ... Yes, there are a lot of other noises.

In general, it would be nice to somehow provide this notorious soundproofing.

I tried to do something when renovating an apartment. At first I read that there is about this on the Internet, I found not so much. In particular, a useful article is posted on the MasterOK construction portal (stroim.elport.ru) in the Articles section. I read this article and did it according to these recommendations and in my own way. In fact, nothing special and nothing specific.

Just tried to eliminate some of the shortcomings of the builders. Below I offer my recommendations.

So, I give a description of the situation: a multi-storey panel house (not bad, however, located relatively far from the streets); apartment at the end of the house, neighbors from below and above.

An apartment at the end of the house means that there are no neighbors on one side of the apartment. And this is good. However, there is a danger that not only noise, but also wind and water can penetrate from this side from the street (many people know that this often happens).

The state of sound insulation before repair is characterized by the following parameters:
# Above and below you can hear a phone call, an alarm, as well as loud and not very loud conversations.

(In this regard, one story happened to me when I went on vacation for a couple of weeks and left my electric alarm clock on for 8 hours. Every morning for 5 minutes, the alarm clock turned on and played with its electronic voice "in the garden or in the garden." Not I know how the neighbors are, but I would probably go mad);
# from the neighbors on the side (on the one hand they are still there) through the wall you can hear not very loud conversations on the phone, and of course music, movies, etc.

The following sound penetration points have been identified and appropriate action has been taken:

1) ELECTRICAL SOCKET.

You could hear a lot through the socket just by putting your ear to it. It turned out that an unsecured plastic cup was placed inside, and behind it a deep cavity, almost to the neighbors. I cut the foam rubber into cylinders and filled this cavity. At the very top, I reinforced everything with cement mortar. Sounds and conversations ceased.

That is, putting the ear to the socket showed the unconditional effect of the event.

2) HEATING BATTERIES. Battery pipes go to the floor and ceiling.

And these places by default are the best for sound penetration, as well as smells from neighbors, as it was for me. There are two options here: a) the battery pipe is not inserted directly into the cement floor, but into another pipe.

And between these pipes there are gaps through which it was possible to see the light from the apartment below. I sealed these gaps with regular sealant. b) the pipe is embedded directly into the floor.

For both case a) and case b), I used a chisel and a hammer: I removed the cement base around the batteries.

This turned out to be quite easy to do.

Noise isolation of an apartment and a house: highlights (22 photos)

The fact is that in the plate in this place there is a special hole for pipes. And the builders close it up after heating. So I had this - a small layer of plaster on top, and under it - different pebbles, i.e. construction debris, which the builders probably swept into the hole with a broom. I pulled these stones out with my hands until they were pulled out (I did not make my way to the neighbors, but perhaps it was worth doing). Further, having primed, filled everything with plytonite (plaster).

I remember it took about 4 kg of plytonite for one room (for two holes for pipes). You can imagine how voluminous and deep the holes were.

3) FULL SEAMS. This is the place under the skirting boards where the floor slab meets the wall. It all started with the fact that in winter we noticed that frosty air was coming from under the plinth.

Upon closer examination, it was found that under the thin and often broken layer of plaster there were large cavities into which it was quite possible to stick a pencil without it reaching the wall. From these cavities comes cold fresh air. At first, I even had an assumption that these were holes through and through, i.e. to the street. But I didn't see anything from the street.

These cavities often extended not only deep into, but also down. I think they were a good sound guide.

And therefore, their termination was needed both for thermal insulation and for sound insulation.

I sealed it all with foam and covered it again with plytonite on top. By the way, I needed two cans of mounting foam for one wall in one room. I thought that the foam would come out of the house, however, this did not happen. It looks like she's all there and stayed inside.

On other walls, I did not gouge everything in a row - you are tormented.

I just walked along the wall with a hammer - I was looking for where the “empty” sound is heard. Found a cavity in another room on an outside wall. Made it the same way.

4) UNCEILING SEAMS. A similar picture appeared on the ceiling.

It all started with the fact that I removed the old wallpaper to paste new ones. There were some cracks in the plaster under the wallpaper. He began to pick them, i.e. to close up later. And in the process, I found voids (again, by sound) both on the side wall and above the window. I had to expand access to the voids with a hammer and chisel. Closed up as before - with foam and plaster.

5) EMPTY AROUND ELECTRIC BOXES, etc.

The panel plate has service voids and holes for mounting electrical cables. Around the box where the wires converge, these voids are easy to detect, because. the box is clearly visible.

I tapped a little with a chisel and everything that was needed flew off, revealing amazing openings and secret passages to my eyes. These holes, cavities and voids, in my opinion, should also be a good sound guide. Therefore, I also closed them up with plytonite.

I found one cool cavity at the top, near the front door to the room. Found again by sound. I did not knock down the entire layer of plaster. Only made a hole to get to the foam cavity.

These are simple manipulations, which, however, take time.

However, there is also a tangible effect. At least now I don’t hear how the neighbor downstairs snores at night, how the neighbors on the side talk on the phone and how the alarm clock from the neighbors upstairs rings.

My next steps are to install three-chamber plastic windows and lay flooring. I think this should enhance the achieved soundproofing effect. There are, of course, more recommendations (read in the already mentioned article on the Master OK construction portal!). For example, you can make suspended ceilings, make soundproofing on the wall.

I'm thinking about this for now. Maybe next time…

Nick Masterov

P.S. Unfortunately, all these measures do not make the soundproofing as good as we would like.

So, the low-frequency noise from the music speakers, which spreads along the walls, remains almost at the same level. But there is one very effective method. Little is written about him in articles on soundproofing problems. Sometimes it even seems that it is hidden by masters - sound insulators.

So what is this secret method to radically improve the sound insulation in an apartment? But it is simple and elegant - you need to change an apartment in a panel house for an apartment in a good brick house ... on a quiet street in a prestigious area of ​​\u200b\u200ba cultural city ... By the way, on the same MasterOK construction portal, real estate agencies are presented that will help you find apartments in different cities of Russia and beyond.

Most houses in prefabricated houses are characterized by rather low sound insulation, which is due to the small thickness of the overlapping interconnections and the weakly connected plate. Therefore, each source of sound, whether it is trawl furniture, working television, loud conversations and even footsteps, causes significant inconvenience. And if the neighbors start renovating or forest holidays, then the rest in general should be forgotten for some time.

It should be noted that the human need for silence is not only psychological, but also physiological.

Noise levels around 40 decibels will not allow you to completely free yourself, and noise above 85 decibels is dangerous to health and can cause serious mental disorders. The only thing that can help in the fight against noise in a residential building is the complex soundproofing of an apartment.

The noise entering the apartment can be acoustic or vibrational in nature.

The volume is associated with the reproduction of sound vibrations through the air and enters the apartment due to the presence of a gap between walls and ceilings, sufficiently dense windows and door frames through holes and outlets. This noise may include loud music or voices in a neighboring apartment, the sounds of passers-by, the noise generated by the elevator, etc.

Vibration noise is an acoustic vibration propagating in a solid medium.

The source of such noise can be concrete walls, fittings of columns and building transitions, as well as water pipes and heating systems. Many of us in our experience know how good it is to hear it when upstairs neighbors are rearranging furniture or throwing heavy objects on the floor. And if someone at the entrance acts as a puncher or a tractor, then the terrible brown color is not only in the neighboring apartments, but also in the entire lifting part of a multi-storey building. This is vibration noise.

Shoes in the apartment

Thick concrete walls and high-quality floor joints provide good noise protection, but the design and construction of typical prefabricated houses are not considered important as an acoustic factor, as well as sound insulation.

Most residents of "skyscrapers" thought at least once how, how to make noise isolation in the apartment. Sound insulation of walls, floors and ceilings with sound-absorbing materials is required to ensure complete noise protection.

In addition, you should pay attention to such sound sources as:

• sockets and cabinets
• Pipes for heating and water
• connects between walls, floor and ceiling
• window frames and front doors.

Below we will see how to implement it. residential soundproofing.

Soundproofing the walls in the apartment

In prefabricated houses, walls and bulkheads are usually of low thickness, so they do not absorb sound well.

Provide the necessary soundproofing walls in the apartment usually increase the thickness with drywall. The space between the wall and drywall is filled with a porous material: mineral wool or foam rubber, which will prevent the propagation of sound vibrations.

First, the frame is made of steel profiles. In order to prevent the transmission of vibrations from walls and floors, rubber or other elastic seals must be made at the points of fastening of the profiles.

When the frame is ready, the sound-absorbing material is glued to the wall, which should cover the entire surface, and the thicker the layer, the more effective the soundproofing. The drywall plates are then screwed onto the frame.

Soundproofing the ceiling in the apartment

Insulation of ceiling noise in an apartment is extremely important, because, as practice shows, the most unpleasant is the consequence of noise caused by neighbors from above.

Ceiling insulation is carried out according to the same principle as wall insulation: first go to the frame of the profiles, at the same time we must not forget the rubber rings in their mounting bracket, and then the entire interior space is filled with the sound absorption of the material.

To do this, you can use foam rubber, glass mats or special soundproofing panels made of mineral or basalt wool. These plates have excellent absorption characteristics at a relatively low thickness, and once installed, the height of the ceiling in your apartment is not significantly reduced.

Floor insulation in the apartment

If there is no intermediate layer between the floor and floor coverings, then sounds from the lower apartment

it will freely penetrate you.

At the same time, the neighbors will hear everything that happens in you, the sounds of stairs and moving chairs.

How and what materials to soundproof an apartment

The soundproofing of the floor is solved with a special sound absorption material, which is of low thickness and consists of fiberglass, special paper, foam polymer or other synthetic material. During repairs, depending on the material of the absorbent layer, it can be placed under the laminate or directly under the screed.

Due to its plasticity and elasticity, this type of sound insulation effectively damages vibrations and influences the impact effect.

When applying a soundproof layer on it, a waterproof film is installed, which should not touch the walls.

Silencers and installation cabinets

Sockets and cabinets are also sources of noise.

The fact is that reinforced concrete slabs have specially installed holes for mounting electrical equipment and accessories.

To ensure the soundproofing of the socket, it must first be turned off. Separate the sockets and pull out and then insert a dense absorbent material into the hole of the washers: cardboard or pressed stone wool, then carefully grout with a mixture of plaster.

Collectable boxes are located under the ceiling, usually in the middle of the wall. In some cases, they are hidden in the background and for their perception it is enough to click on the wall.

Insulating boxes follows the same principle as sockets - take a plastic plug, then install and cement a washer made of sound material. Before performing work, make sure that there is no voltage in the network.

Soundproofing of central heating systems

In accordance with the design standards, the elevators are laid out on top of each other with the help of special sleeves, which should prevent the spread of noise.

The seal is part of a larger diameter pipe installed in the ground. The distance between the sleeve and the filler is filled with mineral wool or other sound-absorbing material. In practice, builders often cement risers without the use of sleeves.

Over time, the cement breaks down, the gap between the pipe and the wall increases, and the sound from the upper casing can easily penetrate the resulting cracks. To ensure noise isolation, the concrete around the pipe must be carefully removed to a depth of no more than 10 cm.

Exhausted pipes should be wrapped with glass fibers or mineral wool and then re-cemented. Excess noise-absorbing material is cut off and the area along the pipe is puttied.

Soundproofing joints

During the operation of panel buildings, cracks often appear along the joints between two walls, as well as between the wall and the floor, through which sound from neighboring apartments can penetrate.

The causes of such cracks can be various deformation of the building, as well as poorly installed plates between themselves. To provide acoustic isolation of the joints with a chisel or screwdriver, the cracks can be widened as much as possible, cleaned thoroughly, polished and covered with plaster.

When the dew is dried, the surface of the joints is covered with an acrylic seal.

To remove the gap between the wall and the floor without removing the parquet, simply fill it with silicone sealant and glue it with special tape, and then install it in place.

If you decide to increase the noise in your apartment, remember that a good result is possible only with an integrated approach.

In this case, use only high-quality and proven materials.

Panel and block houses have one significant drawback - day and night you will hear the barking of dogs from the side, the cry of the children from the apartment below you, the operation of the TV from the neighbors above you and many more entertaining sounds. And only the soundproofing of an apartment in a panel house can make your life quiet.

The best soundproofing for an apartment - we invite silence to visit

Comfort and peace in your family nest is impossible if strangers invade your life around the clock. They seem to invade not physically, but the sensations of screaming, loudly working TV at 5 in the morning, squabbles between neighbors will fully correspond to a full-fledged intervention.

The cheapest soundproofing option is to agree with all neighbors (including from below and above) about reasonable rules of conduct. However, this is easy only in words, but in practice it is unlikely that anyone could do it. It's not even about the neighbors - which of us at least once in our lives did not want to make some noise at 3 o'clock in the morning with friends at the TV? And it happens more often than once in a lifetime. So the rules you set will have to be broken sooner or later!

High-quality soundproofing is the only way out. Of course, you can entrust the matter to acoustic professionals, but such services will cost you more than the materials themselves. Do-it-yourself soundproofing in an apartment, whatever one may say, is the best option. This is not so difficult to do, the main thing is to choose the right materials and remember some of the intricacies of the process.

The experience of many owners of apartments in panel houses proves that there is no better sound insulator than mineral wool for "panels".

Other materials can be perfectly combined and complement the mineral wool, but no insulator has such a high sound absorption coefficient! You can only choose from different types of wool - basalt wool, glass wool. There are different options for feeding the material - in rolls, mats or plates. The last option is probably the most convenient for your purposes. It is important that this is not a semi-rigid type - pressed cotton wool. Although such a material is thinner, however, its sound absorption coefficient is lower.

Subtlety - that's what cotton products lack, but there's nothing you can do about it. save you space, but will you live in this space really comfortable - that is the question! Taking into account the thickness of the drywall with which we will close the crate and mineral wool slabs, the thickness of the finished cotton slabs, the construction can take 10 cm of living space from each of the walls, floor and ceiling.

Exactly - it is necessary to isolate not only the walls, but also the floor and ceiling, as well as many small details that you wouldn't pay attention to. In addition, do not count on absolute, complete sound insulation - this is impossible in principle, since during the construction of panel houses they do not adhere to the standards for isolating building structures from structural noise. Structural noise is sound and vibration waves that are transmitted through the structural elements of a building. So even if someone on the 6th floor decides to hammer the walls with a perforator, he will be heard on the 12th floor as if they were hammering in a neighboring apartment. This type of noise can be reduced, but it can be completely eliminated only by rebuilding the house. Fortunately, the neighbors do not make repairs every day.

How to make soundproofing in an apartment - where to start?

You should start with small, at first glance, details: sockets, pipes, mounting boxes, cracks, crevices. Sound waves pass through them with virtually no obstacles. Slots and cracks should be covered with putty, sockets and junction boxes should be disassembled and soundproof the holes in the wall with all the same cotton materials, the pipes should be wrapped with vibration-absorbing insulation.

The next step is to calculate how much insulation material you will need and what you will have to sacrifice. For example, if you need to seriously isolate the floor and ceiling, then such measures will reduce the height of the room by at least 10, or even by all 20 cm. Apartments in panel houses are not very high, so you have to get rid of the chandelier. Lighting replacement options will be discussed below in the article.

From the basic materials you will need: mineral wool (in rolls or slabs) for walls, floor and ceiling, fiberglass floor mat, wooden blocks 10 cm * 10 cm for arranging a soundproof floor, sound-absorbing (damping) tape for isolating materials from walls, profile for forming a frame for drywall sheets, drywall fasteners, drywall itself for walls and ceilings, GVL boards for the subfloor, a screwdriver, putty for finishing drywall, a spatula, scissors for cutting cotton wool and a hacksaw for drywall.

Soundproofing the apartment from the neighbors from above - getting rid of the clatter

Let's start from the ceiling. Your task is to mount the drywall frame. It is important to screw all the corners not butt-to-ceiling, but through soundproofing tape, otherwise the frame will transmit all vibrations coming from above. If the budget allows and you are wondering how to further improve the sound insulation in the apartment, we recommend placing a thin membrane under the frame around the entire perimeter. There are many options: loaded vinyl, technical cork, Texound membrane, you can’t list everything. The membrane, in addition to sound insulation, must have high vibration absorption characteristics.

After completing the frame, fill the space between the profiles with mineral wool, trying not to miss a single inch. This is not difficult to do, but do not forget to wear safety glasses so that the pile does not get into your eyes. After filling in the gaps, we sew up the ceiling with drywall.

In order not to return to the issue of lighting, which should be done after the soundproofing of the walls is completed, let us clarify the following - the loss in the height of the room will not be noticeable if you make lighting in the ceiling plinth instead of a chandelier. Of course, the plinth for this must be with a massive lower part, which is glued to the wall, and empty inside. A separate article is devoted to the question of how to glue ceiling plinths, which it will be useful for you to read.

We tame the floor and walls - it is not forbidden to sing loudly!

First, get rid of the skirting boards that border the floor. You can put them back in place later, so it makes sense to take them off carefully. If there is an old linoleum or laminate on the floor, soundproofing can be laid directly on top of the floor covering, this will not harm the case. However, if the flooring is new and can be disassembled and reassembled, it would be more rational to do just that.

The first step in soundproofing a floor is to install a fiberglass layer. Do not forget about safety glasses and gloves, the fine fibers of this material are very irritating to the skin. We lay wooden blocks on top of the fiberglass, keeping a distance between them equal to the width of the cotton slabs and leaving a small space between the ends of the element and the walls. The bars do not need to be fixed with anything - a rigid mount will allow sound waves to be transmitted through the tree, since it does not have a high sound absorption coefficient.

We sew up the walls with drywall and proceed to the finishing finishing work. The effectiveness of sound insulation will immediately make itself felt - the sound of your voice or music in the apartment will become different, since sound waves will be reflected and absorbed. Not only have you protected yourself from the noise from the neighboring apartment, but now the neighbors will not hear the details of your life!

Soundproofing walls, floors and ceilings.
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to single out any type of house that would clearly outperform the rest in terms of sound insulation quality. At the same time, the vast majority of noise complaints from neighbors come from residents of panel and block houses.

If you live in a panel house and decide to soundproof your apartment, it is best to contact an acoustic engineer and get professional advice.

Today, there are a number of special materials and technologies designed to increase the sound insulation of building envelopes. This is a floating floor structure, installation of a soundproof suspended ceiling, construction of additional soundproof wall cladding using soundproof fasteners.

All these methods have a fairly high efficiency, but require rather large financial costs for special materials and installation work.

But it turns out that sometimes you can reduce the noise from your neighbors without resorting to expensive soundproofing technologies. It is only necessary to eliminate some shortcomings of the builders.

There are quite effective measures that can be applied in practice independently. Despite the outward simplicity of the recommendations below, their implementation can significantly improve the acoustic comfort in an ordinary residential apartment of a panel house.

1. ELECTRIC SOCKETS

An electrical outlet mounted on an inter-apartment wall is very often one of the most likely routes for noise from neighbors. This is easy to verify by simply putting your ear to it (just try not to get electrocuted). The fact is that in some reinforced concrete wall slabs, even at the production stage, through holes are provided for the installation of electrical accessories. Then the builders simply mount sockets in two adjacent apartments, leaving a through channel through which noise can almost freely enter your apartment.

Advice:

Dismantle the electrical outlet and junction box, adhering to the rules for electrical safety. You may be able to see the bottom of the neighbor's outlet box when you do this. Insert a “washer” made of dense mineral wool, asbestos fabric or basalt cardboard into the hole. Then seal the hole with gypsum putty or cement mortar, leaving room for your electrical outlet. For this operation, it is recommended to use the services of an electrician.

Note: Do not use mounting foam to seal the hole without subsequent plastering. Polyurethane foam is not a soundproofing material and, in addition, is highly flammable.

2. INSTALLATION BOXES

Mounting boxes for connecting electrical cables are usually located under the ceiling in the central part of the inter-apartment walls. Often they are hidden under the wallpaper, but they are easy to detect by "tapping". Very often, mounting boxes are installed in through holes in the walls and closed with thin plastic covers.

Advice:

3. RACKS OF THE HEATING AND WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM

The risers of heating and water supply pipelines, according to building codes, must be laid through interfloor ceilings using vibration-isolated sleeves. To do this, a metal pipe of a larger diameter compared to the riser is embedded in the ceiling. The gap between the two pipes must be filled with non-combustible sound-absorbing material and sealed with a non-hardening sealant. In practice, this is often not done. Builders either do not close the gaps in the sleeve with mineral wool, or simply do not use sleeves, sealing the riser directly into the ceiling with cement mortar. After many years of operation, gaps necessarily appear between the riser pipe and the floor slab. Sound from neighbors below and above can easily enter your apartment through cracks and leaks. In some cases, unwanted odors also penetrate through such cracks.

Advice:

If the riser is routed through the slab in a sleeve, it is recommended to seal the gap between the sleeve and the riser with heat-resistant silicone sealant.

If the riser is laid directly through the ceiling, around the pipe it is necessary to clear and remove the damaged layer of cement mortar as far as possible (preventing penetration into the neighboring apartment). Then it is recommended to wrap the base of the pipe with soundproofing material (for example, Vibrostek fiberglass or asbestos cloth) and cement the broken area of ​​the floor and / or ceiling. Excess insulating material is cut off, and the joint is sealed with silicone sealant.

4. JOINTS BETWEEN FLOORS AND WALLS

In places where the floor overlaps adjoin the walls, deep cracks often appear. This is due to poor-quality construction joints and the low quality of the floor leveling screed. Cracks and cavities formed over time can serve as a good conductor of sound from a neighboring apartment.

Advice:

Remove the skirting boards around the perimeter of the room. If possible, use a chisel and a hammer to make a 30-50 mm wide seam along the walls in the floor to the entire depth of the screed. Fill the joint with fresh cement-sand mortar. After the cement mixture has dried, treat the joint with a non-hardening silicone sealant.

If parquet is laid in the apartment and partial dismantling of the screed is not possible, then simply carefully fill the expansion joint between the wall and the edge of the parquet flooring with silicone sealant. Then fix the skirting boards in place.

5. JOINTS BETWEEN "WALL-CEILING" AND "WALL-WALL" PLATES

Long-term operation of panel houses, as a rule, leads to the formation of deformation cracks between reinforced concrete slabs of walls and ceilings. These cracks are "life companions" of almost all residents of panel houses. Very often they hide behind wallpaper and do not disturb the appearance of a residential apartment. However, these cracks can serve as a channel for noise from the neighboring apartment.

Advice:

Remove old wallpaper. Expand the joints between the concrete panels. Fill the resulting voids and cavities with gypsum putty or cement mortar. After the putty has dried, coat all wall-to-wall and wall-to-ceiling joints with acrylic sealant. After removing excess acrylic sealant, you can paint or paste over the room with new wallpaper.

6. WINDOWS

Through the windows, not only traffic noise from the street can penetrate into the apartment, but also the sound of the music center from the neighboring apartment. Replacing old wooden windows with metal-plastic window structures can solve this problem, but often a simple upgrade of an old window leads to even better results. It should be noted that often after the dismantling of old wooden windows and the installation of metal-plastic ones, some sounds from indoor sources become more audible. This is due to the disappearance of the masking effect of these sounds by street noise.

Advice:

To increase the sound insulation of an old window, it is recommended to replace the existing 4 mm glass with thicker ones, for example 5 or 6 mm.

Before installing new glass, generously coat the window sash mounting points around the entire perimeter with a transparent, neutral silicone sealant. Firmly press the glass into the silicone “roller” in the sash. Then mount the glazing beads and remove excess silicone.

In each window sash, fix a rubber seal with a section in the form of the letter “D” along the entire contour of the porch. Today, hardware stores offer a fairly wide selection of various inexpensive seals.

If the window is difficult to close after sealing the porch, you will have to turn to the services of a carpenter.

All these tips are effective if the sashes in old windows are not strongly deformed from time to time.

If you still decide to purchase metal-plastic windows, then remember that double-glazed windows, as a rule, do not provide higher sound insulation compared to single-chamber double-glazed windows of the same width and the same total glass thickness.

Note: It is not recommended to level window slopes with drywall sheets. Resonance phenomena in air cavities can significantly reduce the sound insulation of a window. It is best to use cement-sand plaster for finishing slopes.

7. ENTRANCE DOORS

Unfortunately, increasing the soundproofing of the front door will not be able to reduce the noise from the movement of the elevator cabin or the operation of the elevator winch (these noises propagate through building structures), but it will help get rid of the noise from the neighboring apartment, the noise of closing elevator doors, the sound of heels on the stairs and other household noises .

Advice:

To ensure high sound insulation, it is necessary that the doors in the closed position have no gaps and leaks in the fit of the door leaf to the frame. To do this, door frames must necessarily have a threshold and a sealing gasket around the entire porch. As a gasket, it is best to use profiled rubber seals with a section in the form of the letter "D". The difference in sound insulation of a door with and without a threshold can reach 10-15 dB.

Very often, builders fill the mounting gap between the door frame and the doorway with mounting foam, and through it the sound easily penetrates into the apartment from the common corridor. In this case, it is necessary to remove the mounting foam and fill the mounting gap and all voids in the box with cement mortar. After the cement mixture has dried, the places where the door frame adjoins the wall structure must be carefully sealed with silicone sealant to prevent future deformation cracks.

8. WHAT NOT TO DO

Very often, builders recommend sticking foam sheets on walls or ceilings to increase sound insulation and then plastering them. In fact, such a “soundproof construction” does not increase, and in most cases even reduces (!!!) the soundproofing of the fence. This is due to the resonance phenomena in the described design in the region of the speech frequency range. For example, if such a cladding is mounted on both sides of a heavy concrete wall, then the reduction in sound insulation can reach a value of 10-15 dB!

It should be noted that the use of materials such as polyethylene foam, polypropylene foam, cork, etc. in such a construction instead of foam plastic can lead to the same deplorable result.

You should not trust the advice that provides for fixing some "super-efficient" soundproof materials no more than 5-10 mm thick on the surface of the walls or ceiling.

You should not trust the advice that provides for the installation of soundproof structures with a total thickness of not more than 10-20 mm.

The main factor that exposes such advice is the presence of the soundproofing problem itself. If such thin soundproofing materials existed in nature, then the problem of noise protection would be solved at the design stage of buildings and would be reduced only to the choice of appearance and price of such materials.

In fact, the minimum thickness of a soundproofing structure, the effect of which will be obvious and tangible, is at least 40-50 mm.

Andrey Smirnov, 2008