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Sound Insulation For Floor

  • 26-02-2008 09:48PM
    #1
    MPete
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7 ✭


    Hi,

    Quick question - I had carpet laid in new apartment. There appears to be quite a bit of air borne sound. Now it turns out the contractor removed the membrane from the concrete floor before laying the carpet.

    This may sound like a stupid question but would this result in a major increase in airborne sound from the apartment beneath ?

    I am trying to work out if the apartment is just badly insulated in general or if removing the membrane has caused a major problem.


Comments

  • #2
    gsxr1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,167 ✭✭✭gsxr1


    MPete wrote: »
    Hi,

    Quick question - I had carpet laid in new apartment. There appears to be quite a bit of air borne sound. Now it turns out the contractor removed the membrane from the concrete floor before laying the carpet.

    This may sound like a stupid question but would this result in a major increase in airborne sound from the apartment beneath ?

    I am trying to work out if the apartment is just badly insulated in general or if removing the membrane has caused a major problem.

    we have used it building aparments. If it is the rubber/cork glue down stuff.

    It helps prevent impact sounds from your apartment . high heels and foot steps. That's it really. If you noise problem is coming from below then the sound mat stuff is not really the solution.


  • #3
    sinnerboy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,433 ✭✭✭sinnerboy


    the membrane is to reduce impact sound - like if you drop a bunch of coins the guy below does not suffer a rapture of tapping noises

    for airborne sound you rely on heavy separating structure to absorb

    i assume your floor is concrete ?


  • #4
    MPete
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7 ✭MPete


    Hi,

    Yeah the floor is concrete with felt underlay and then the carpet.

    There seems to be quite a bit of airborne noise from below.

    What exactly do you mean by heavy seperating structure ?

    If I was to lift the carpet is ther any type of acoustic underlay that I could put down to deal with the airborne noise ?


  • #5
    sinnerboy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,433 ✭✭✭sinnerboy


    MPete wrote: »
    Hi,
    What exactly do you mean by heavy seperating structure ?

    a concrete floor
    MPete wrote: »
    If I was to lift the carpet is ther any type of acoustic underlay that I could put down to deal with the airborne noise ?

    no . it is odd that you are getting airborne noises from below . that implies that your floor structure is not intact . I DO NOT mean it will fall down !

    let me explain . it is common in apartments that drain pipes are "shared" . the drain pipes that take your bathroom waste water away run down to take the bathroom waste water away from the apartment below you . those pipes will pass through openings drilled in the floor slabs - and those openings should be sealed with a fire resistant sealer . If the sealing is not present then sound will pass between apartments .

    So - does this make sense in explaining the noise ?- can you trace it to being more pronounced close to your kitchen area for example ?

    If so that may be the problem .

    AND ..... don't mean to alarm you here but

    As well as the floor opening requiring to be sealed around the pipe , the pipe should also have a "fire collar" to prevent fire passing from one apartment to another . If the apartment is new contact the builder straight away .

    If that is not possible you may want to locate and expose these pipes


  • #6
    sinnerboy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,433 ✭✭✭sinnerboy


    Just re read the original post - it is new apartment . Ask your solicitor to enquire of the developer , and / or his certifying architect for the fire stopping certificates .

    Explain why . Fingers crossed and good luck


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  • #7
    MPete
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7 ✭MPete


    Thanks for that

    The most disturbing noise is the neighbours using their toliet. It is located above my ensuite. The noise however seems to travel across the ceiling of my bedroom so is quite loud even when my toilet door is closed. Them using the toilet, flushing and even dropping the toilet seat is quite loud in my bedroom.

    Tried to soundproof the toilet door but the effect on the noise has been minimal enough

    Will look into exposing the pipes

    Thanks a million


  • #8
    sinnerboy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,433 ✭✭✭sinnerboy


    is there a "boxing out" in the corner of your bedroom ceiling ?

    I think what is missing is

    as I said before

    1 . sealing of floor opeing to pipe
    2. fire collar to pipe
    3. sound insulation wrapping around the pipe , behind the plasterboards casing , where the passes through your apartment

    make a BIG noise ( no pun intended ) to the builder about this

    lets know how you go


  • #9
    MPete
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7 ✭MPete


    Hiya,

    No "boxing out" in ceiling of bedroom

    There is however a wooden box at floor level behind the toilet and wash basin where the pipes go into the wall. It runs the length of bathroom wall. This is definitely not sealed as there are big gaps where the pipes go in. Will have to probably have to lift the top of it to see where the pipes go into wall. At this point I would be very surprised if when I expose the floor opening for the pipe it is sealed correctly

    Builder has been approached about this and is pretty much ignoring it. Frustrating enough

    As for the noise in the ceiling of the bedroom someone has pointed out to me that the noise is more than likely escaping from the bathroom through the door and "travelling" and it just appears to be coming from the ceiling

    Thanks a mill for the help


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