Soundproof level in a semi-detached house

fitefuaite

Hi, I recently purchased a 3 bed semi detached house. It was built in 2013 and is block built. I never lived in a semi d before and I'm kind of shocked by the level of noise I can hear from next door.
Noises I can hear include:
Doors banging, doors squeaking, shower pump,washing machine, people going up the stairs, muffled voices, coughing etc.

Is this the noise level I should expect from a semi d in Ireland or is my house particularly bad? Your opinion on this would be greatly appreciated.

imfml

I recently bought a semi-d which was built in 1935. I rarely hear anything from next door, occasionally when the neighbours grandchildren are visiting I can hear them running through the house, but that is it.

The neighbour commented they could hear our puppy cry for the first week we had her. Apart from that we hear nothing and as far as I know neither do they, but it will never be completely sound proof. I would say yours isn't what it should be and an investment in sound proofing would be a good idea.

Before I was lucky enough to buy this, I rented an apartment for 7 years and the noise was very bad. I lived with it for years and in my last year there I was so angry at all the noise my neighbours made, which was unreasonable of me. Make a plan to invest before you get to that stage!

delop

IMO with a semi-D you are always going to hear something, Ive lived in may over the years , houses built in the 80's , 90's and 00's

A friend of mine, bought a brand new Semi-D in the southside, very upmarket house, he could hear his neighbours walking on wooden floors, fighting, all the usual stuff, he had a big HiFI that he loved to listen to loud, and stopped cause he was uncomfortable with bothering the neighbours...

Somehow , complaining to the builder, he managed to get this issue on a snag list, the builder ripped off all the plaster board from the gable wall , and replaced it with this sound proofing plaster board . IMO it didnt make a bit of difference, I will say however, the noise is very minimal to the experences Ive had ....

Something else I noticed is, the rental accomodation he lived in , he could hear the same disturbances , and he himself played music very loud, and never thought of the neighbours, amazing the difference in attitude owning your own place v's renting ...

fitefuaite

Thanks for your reply!

I really feel self conscious with how loud I'm being in the house. I can't believe that the sound proofing isn't better. I love having a telly up loud but now I'm worried about turning it up loud in case it bothers my neighbours.

From reading threads on this remedial sound proofing doesn't seem to fix the problem!

I'm feeling very down about this. I know it's buyer beware. I suppose if I want a sound proof house I'd have to buy a detached house.

worded

Lived in a place before and the joke was when the neighbour was going to bed you could see the light going off at the top of the wall

We called them cartoon houses.
Someone drew them with a single line.

Toilets flushing sounds etc

Walls like paper

How do builders / arc get away with building such sh1t ?

jackal

Most semi-d's built up into the 70's are inherently more solid due to thicker walls. Builders started using "modern techniques" (cutting corners and doing the bare minimum) instead of good thick walls, and poor soundproofing is often the result unfortunately. Certain modern builders have very good reputations and their developments have held their values, but they seem to be the exception to the rule since the 70's.

_Kaiser_

Fact of life unfortunately. The place I'm in now you can hear the neighbours kids upstairs or if there's shouting etc and you'd hear the hoover or water pump but I'd never call it disruptive enough that I couldn't hear my own TV or it'd keep me awake etc. I have pretty good hearing too - eyesight not so much!

You just automatically tune most of it out I think and anyone complaining will just have to accept that there's feck all you can do - unless you're throwing mad parties and blaring tunes at 3am etc

L1011

fitefuaite wrote: »

From reading threads on this remedial sound proofing doesn't seem to fix the problem!

It can help with some noise but impact noise is nearly unfixable - stairs, doors closing, etc.

Older (to a point, there's some paper-thin Victorian construction houses around Dublin) semi-d and even terraced houses carry far less noise.

Carawaystick

fitefuaite wrote: »

Hi, I recently purchased a 3 bed semi detached house. It was built in 2013 and is block built. I never lived in a semi d before and I'm kind of shocked by the level of noise I can hear from next door.
Noises I can hear include:
Doors banging, doors squeaking, shower pump,washing machine, people going up the stairs, muffled voices, coughing etc.

Is this the noise level I should expect from a semi d in Ireland or is my house particularly bad? Your opinion on this would be greatly appreciated.

When your surveyor was inspecting the build, did they check it met part e of the building regulations?
Did you check?

snoopy29

I'm having the same issue, I have another thread on it. It really does affect your life and I feel similar pain to you at the moment fitefuaite.