Cavity walls – insulating for noise reduction.

jagblad

I’ve a semi-detached where we’re constantly being woken up by door slams, front door and back door. Wooden window blinds being closed at 2am etc.. If the front door is closed next door it's actually louder than our own front door being closed, since we tend not to slam ours.

The walls are insulated on the inside, so the cavity is empty. Sound from a slammed door will travel unimpeded through the cavity before exiting through all the doors and windows.

So I'm thinking of getting the cavity filled on our side, I think there’s some sort of barrier (bristle brush barrier) than can be inserted where the houses are joined so that only one semi-d is filled.

Anyone experienced anything like this, I’m a little worried about things like causing damp to spread from the outside wall to the internal, also that since next doors cavity won’t be filled that the noise won’t be effectively deadened at the source.

Did our builders make an error or take some short cut – I'd guess they messed up somehow as this problem would affect every semi-d or terraced house with internally insulated walls.

Adam anto

I don't think that cavity insulation is going to help you at all. The noises you are hearing are all a result of the houses having common walls. It's a mechanical transfer of noise as opposed to airborne noise. Once an impact happens in one part of the wall it's transmitted throughout the whole wall which unfortunately is in your house.
If you were hearing voices, TV etc.. from next door then the cavity insulation 'might' help.
We have a similar situation where when the curtains are closed next door it sounds like there closing in our house. Very unnerving at first but we got used to it. Luckily we have great (and quiet) neighbours.

I'm pretty sure about the above but I please double check what I say!!!