FAQs

You will need to consider installation acoustic absorbent treatment to the ceiling and or walls. This will reduce the reflections and improve the quality of the required sounds within the space as well as reducing the impact of unwanted sound.

You will require, (and it will be in your own best interest) to engage the services of a fully qualified acoustical consultant. Use your favourite search engine to  for the one closest to your local area. Costs will vary, dependant upon the type of report and the process required to obtain the relevant information.

Airborne noise intrusion is best treated via the installation of a sub ceiling or secondary wall mounted adjacent to, or below, the existing. It can be a simple stud and plasterboard construction.

For best results the secondary wall construction should ideally incorporate an airgap of 100mm (4 inches), where possible, from the existing wall and a double layer of 16mm plasterboard. If fixing to the existing wall is unavoidable then isolation mounts should be used for the fixing. Acoustic insulation should also be installed into the cavity. All these products are commonly available from your your local palserboard supply store.

****Be aware that if the spaces share a common ceiling cavity that may also be a noise path and will also require attention.

***** It is a common misconception that installing acoustic foam to the walls and or ceiling will stop the noise getting into or out of a space. Whilst it may attenuate some of the noise to some degree by muffling it before it escapes or after it arrives, to contain it or repel it requires something of dense mass, such as the system described above.

A sub ceiling to the room below, such as the constuction described above, will go some way to solving the problem but may not be entirely satisfactory depending upon other elements of the buildings existing construction.

Apart from the obvious airborne noise, it is likely that there will be an instance of strucure borne noise. This is noise caused by vibration carrying through the building structure itself. The problem is often the tread noise of people walking about and this can only be completely solved by the correct installation of isolation material between the floor and the floor covering in the residence above, such as a floating floor or acoustic underlay between the flooring surface finish and the floor proper. If the preference is for exposed timber floors, isolation between the floor boards and the supporting joists will be required.

This is a very tricky and sensitive area and provides a larger problem where the floor construction is boards and joists rather than concrete. If you are experiencing this sort of noise from an apartment above then it is likely that no isolation exists or the isolation installed does not meet the deemed to comply regulations for inter tenancy floors.

Please consult the relevant building authorities or strata management if you intend to lay new flooring in an apartment with downstairs neighbours to make sure that you comply with construction regulations.

Windows: Double glazing of the windows facing the noise is the best solution here. Aluminium sliding windows have the best performance and are the easiest to live with.

Magnetic acrylic window systems are not so efficient and are a little harder to live with as they require the remaval of the panel before you can open the window. They are however, a great option where aluminium sliding windows cannot be installed.

Walls: If the walls constitute part of the problem a secondary sub wall and or ceiling as described above may be necessary.

Doors: Where the doors are suspect, replacement with solid core doors, complete with acoustic seals, to the relevant rooms is recommended.

Underfloor: If the property is on stumps, a treatment to the floor and to the area below the floor around the perimeter should be considered.

Roof: Installation of acoustic insulation into the roof cavity may also be required.

In many offices the suspended ceilings constitute the majority of the problem as the common cavity above allows a path for sound to escape and enter other areas via the same path.

A heavy vinyl acoustic curtain suspended within the cavity from the roof above the boundary wall is a common solution.

A sub wall should be considered if there is direct transmission of sound through the existing wall structure. It should be of the nature described above.

Air-conditioning ductwork can also provide a path for noise to escape and sensitive areas should have their own dedicated units rather than be part of a general system where ever possible.

Acoustic absorbent material to the walls will not stop the sound escaping but will possibly reduce the impact and clarity in the spaces to which it escapes.

An enclosure is the best option. It should be of solid construction and lined with acoustic absorbent material.

Please take care in the design to allow sufficient airflow for the apparatus inside.

Dependant upon the sound level and the time of the activity you may need to construct a room within a room.

Consider double glazed windows, solid core doors complete with seals and isolated sub floors, walls and ceilings within the space you are considering converting. Unless you can come to some arrangement with your neighbours that they will accept some noise and then you may be able to get away with an acoustic absorbent treatment to the room.

Dependant upon the sound level and the time of the activity you may need to construct a room within a room.

Consider double glazed windows, solid core doors complete with seals and isolated sub floors, walls and ceilings within the space you are considering converting. Unless you can come to some arrangement with your neighbours that they will accept some noise and then you may be able to get away with an acoustic absorbent treatment to the room.