Loud music, bathroom noises and the loud humming of the washing machine can be muffled so that neighbours are not disturbed. Soundproofing is easier and more cost-effective in new builds, but can also be installed retrospectively.

 

Sound insulation in new buildings

 

All electrical cables and water and drainage pipes should already be installed in the wall so that the insulation can be fitted around them.

The walls should initially only be closed on one side with plasterboard so that you still have access from the other side from which you want to install the sound insulation material.

Now cover the wall with glass wool, the more firmly the glass wool is packed, the more effective the noise protection will be. The wall can now be sealed with plasterboard on the other side.

Another alternative is to use insulating foam instead of glass wool, which provides better insulation against both heat and noise.

 

Sound insulation in old buildings

 

A plasterboard wall must be erected in front of the existing wall. To do this, attach the profiles for the wall so that the insulating material can be packed between the profiles before the wall is sealed.

Pack glass wool or insulating foam between the profiles until the wall is completely covered. Then screw the plasterboard panels onto the profiles.

 

Sound insulation for windows, ceilings and floors

 

To optimise noise protection, old windows must be replaced with double-glazed windows with PVC frames.

If you don't want to replace the windows, you can either put a second window of the same size in front of them from the inside, with a space in between to absorb the sound, or you can cover the window frames with insulating material, which is then panelled with wood to make it look nice. The glass of the windows can be covered with thick curtains to block out most of the noise.

 

Ceilings can be soundproofed by installing a layer of plasterboard and filling the gaps between the profiles with insulating material, as with walls.

 

The simplest way to insulate the floor from noise is to lay insulating mats on the floor and cover them with carpet.