Noise semi detached

TechShop

Hi folks. Love some help. Bought a semi detached, and very happy with it but not when it comes to noise level. I hear everything in my neighbours house and they hear me. There renting, I purchased. Like I hear when they even turn in the bed, if I plug in my phone charger quietly into wall, then baby next door screams crying. I'm literally tippy toeing around the house at night, tv never on in my side, just pure crap like. What could I do to fix this issue. Solid timber floors upstairs also. Build in around 2005. Lovely house but you have ZERO privacy. Anyone get a proper solution to this? Every house is the same in the estate as far as I know with noise. What's the best thing I could do. If anyone can give good advise or help I'll really appreciate it

Dymo

No easy way but you could insulate the walls more the best affordable way is to soundproof your walls effectively is to use drywall and other materials to create an air-tight wall space. Installed over insulation and sealed in to form an extra layer in your walls, drywall forms a solid barrier for sound.

You might lose a couple of inches on your room size but it will improve the sound level.

BronsonTB

No quick, cheap solution - but loads of companies out there to help

Use Google to help - search 'Noise reduction/soundproofing a house'

Example -https://proinsulation.ie/soundproofing-dublin/

JimmyVik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058247247/noise-semi-detached

Put as much insulation in as you want, but it never works. Terraces, semi-ds and apartments are all the same. You will hear the people all around you. You share a building. I know people who have paid small fortunes for sound insulation and while it makes the noise a bit less they are always disappointed with the results.

If its new to you then it will take a while to get used to it, but eventually you will get used to it and wont notice. Even if there is murder going on next door. Its just the sound of life going on.

There is no such thing as a sound proof house if it attached to other dwellings.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119112296#Comment_119112296

This is not true.

If a party wall is constructed correctly noise transfer between houses should be minimal, and not something you're likely to notice much.

Brego888

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119112296#Comment_119112296

I live in a new build semi d and don't hear a single thing next door. Absolutely nothing. The only noise we hear is them closing their front door but that's through the wall vents to outside not through the walls themselves.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119112398#Comment_119112398

Which obliviously wasn't done on the OPs house, or many built during the boom, and there's no easy way to rectify this. You can spend a fortune on dry lining and sound deadening materials but you'll never overcome the structural issue.

TechShop

Thanks very much folks, great info and I really do appreciate it. When I scrape up bit of money, I'll have to try something as said above and see if it does anything. Really appreciate all her time 🤝

Del2005

Save yourself a lot of money and hassle. Get good earplugs and/or noise cancelling earphones.

The Mighty Quinn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119120159#Comment_119120159

I always laugh at this suggestion. You can't be expected to live your life in your own home with earplugs in as a way of life.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119120172#Comment_119120172

Spending a fortune on sound proofing won't improve your life when the issue is structural, there is no way around the houses not being built right.

JimmyVik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119112398#Comment_119112398

I have yet to enter an apartment, semi D or terraced house where next door cant be heard. Maybe Ive been walking into the wring houses all my life :)

Cuddlesworth

"Like I hear when they even turn in the bed, if I plug in my phone charger quietly into wall, then baby next door screams crying. I'm literally tippy toeing around the house at night, tv never on in my side, just pure crap like"

Going to be honest, it sounds like you have nothing in the wall between the two houses or significant gaps in it. Wood/block etc, they should be airtight to each other with significant mass between them.

I'm also going to add, nobody should be putting wood floors upstairs in their house or apartments. They just amplify noise and cause a huge amount of the problems that people have with semi-d's and apartments these days.