Plasterboard and soundproofing

whitelightrider

Folks,

I am looking for some advice. My other half and I are looking at a 2300 sq ft house with an 800 sq ft converted attic standing on a .75 acre site. We've been offered the house with a builders finish for €263k.
I was speaking to the builder and he tells me that the house is joising and studded walls upstairs. What is this like noise wise? The house is fantastic but this may be an issue for us.

Also is it worth the money if it's only joising and not hollowcore?

Mellor

most houses are built like this,
timber first floors are very common, and precast floor are a recent thing.
same for studded walls. There is nothing wrong with them,
the solid way is just better.

whitelightrider

I was thinking the same. We're hoping to be in a house before our wedding next year and there are people telling us that we'd build a house of the same size for a lot less, with hollow core and a solid wall second floor. Im trying to see which is the better option really.

hiscan

whitelightrider wrote:

I was thinking the same. We're hoping to be in a house before our wedding next year and there are people telling us that we'd build a house of the same size for a lot less, with hollow core and a solid wall second floor. Im trying to see which is the better option really.

this indeed is very true the trouble is alot of couples in my experience dont want the hassle of building a house also bear in mind a builders finish house could cost another 50k to complete

whitelightrider

hiscan wrote:

this indeed is very true the trouble is alot of couples in my experience dont want the hassle of building a house also bear in mind a builders finish house could cost another 50k to complete

We'd love to build our own house but the planners wont grant us planning permission, even though my fiance is from the area and we have a housing need. Its a joke because the site is only 2 miles from her home house. The house plans are perfect according to the council but it's something to do with housing zones? If she lives 20 yards away she'd be granted the permission.

muffler

whitelightrider wrote:

We'd love to build our own house but the planners wont grant us planning permission, even though my fiance is from the area and we have a housing need. Its a joke because the site is only 2 miles from her home house. The house plans are perfect according to the council but it's something to do with housing zones? If she lives 20 yards away she'd be granted the permission.

Can we stay on topic here please

Winnie001

Am currently about to start build project & at present was hoping for all solid walls upstairs - I don't think some are possible even with concrete floor upstairs as the span in some of the spaces downstairs is just too much to be able to hold a wall.
But for the walls that I can get solid upstairs what are the negatives - positives for me are sound - currently live in house with studded walls & you can hear everthing through them (someone going for a pee etc!).

whitelightrider

muffler wrote:

Can we stay on topic here please

muffler, was just giving a reason for asking the question as one poster mentioned it would be cheaper to build our own house.

whitelightrider

Winnie001 wrote:

Am currently about to start build project & at present was hoping for all solid walls upstairs - I don't think some are possible even with concrete floor upstairs as the span in some of the spaces downstairs is just too much to be able to hold a wall.
But for the walls that I can get solid upstairs what are the negatives - positives for me are sound - currently live in house with studded walls & you can hear everthing through them (someone going for a pee etc!).

Winnie, is the current house in an estate? The reason I ask is that the insulation is not always the best in these houses.

Winnie001

whitelightrider wrote:

Winnie, is the current house in an estate? The reason I ask is that the insulation is not always the best in these houses.

Yeah I guess that could be part of it.............

Turns out that it is only possible to have certain rooms upstairs solid ...... will have to look into insulation in studded walls or something...

Mellor

What do you plan on using in the stud walls to insulate.

davidoco

whitelightrider wrote:

Folks,

I am looking for some advice. My other half and I are looking at a 2300 sq ft house with an 800 sq ft converted attic standing on a .75 acre site. We've been offered the house with a builders finish for €263k.
I was speaking to the builder and he tells me that the house is joising and studded walls upstairs. What is this like noise wise? The house is fantastic but this may be an issue for us.

Also is it worth the money if it's only joising and not hollowcore?

Since you are getting a builders finish I assume there will be no flooring upstairs (perhaps ply flooring if your lucky). There are plenty of options out there for sound proofing a timber 1st floor.

Secondly if your worried about the interior walls upstairs (and note that houses with hollow core floors will have timber stud 1st floor interior walls) pay the builder to have them insulated with 100mm rockwool and double slabed.

263k for a 2300 sq ft house on .75 acre (assuming the attic is an extra 800sq ft) is a bargain in my part of the country - South East.

galwaytt

it's entirely possible to build good soundproofing into joisted and studded buildings - it's just that builders don't bother. Don't let that confuse you.

FWIW, you can put acoustic tape on the top of joints, then lay OSB over. You can then cover that with acoustic board or mat, and put your finished floors over that. It gives good results.