How to Soundproof Party Walls
If you’re looking to soundproof party walls, you probably have noisy neighbours and want a fast solution. People up and down the UK suffer from noisy neighbours, with over 450,000 complaints in 2021 [1].When it comes to soundproofing walls, you have a range of options, some are expensive and some are much cheaper, but which are best for you?
I will break down the following for you:
- What a party wall is
- The best way to soundproof party walls
- How much does it cost to soundproof part walls?
- How to install soundproof wall partitions
How to Soundproof Party Walls
To soundproof a party wall, you need to start with how much space you can lose. I tell you to start with this and not your budget because your available space dictates which type of system you’ll need.
Let’s say I have a tight budget, but no space restrictions. I can actually afford to get a better sound reduction than someone else with an unlimited budget but only 40mm of space to lose! Incredibly, cheap soundproofing can actually be better than more expensive options. Blocking noise in a small space is technical and difficult, so the materials cost more.
Soundproof Systems for Party Walls
Bronze system
Direct
Single Bronze
Silver System
MuteClip Double Silver
Gold system
MuteClip
Direct Gold
| Gold System | Silver System | Bronze System | |
|---|---|---|---|
| System Cost | £58 per m2 | £54 per m2 | £34 per m2 |
| System Width | 74mm | 74mm | 60mm |
| System Reduction | 19dB | 18dB | 14dB |
| Best For? | Noisy Neighbours | Small Saving | Tight Budgets |
These systems are designed by our in house experts to give you the best soundproofing result for your walls and you have a range of options. Each system offers something different; space saving, budget saving, or, the very best soundproofing!
Gold wall system v/s silver wall system
The Gold system differs from the Silver by one material; Tecsound. Both systems have a visco-elastic membrane, but the Silver system uses MAD 4 which reduces the system performance by 1dB and the price by £4. That one decibel reduction is the difference between the gold and silver soundproofing sytsems.
Bronze wall system v/s silver and gold wall systems
The bronze system, by comparison, has two fewer layers. It uses only one layer of acoustic plasterboard over the MuteClip frame work. This reduction means it is 14mm thinner than the silver and gold systems. It also costs up to £24 less per meter squared. However, the bronze system loses out on the top end performance and blocks 14dB.
The best way to soundproof party walls, is to use a full soundproof wall partition system. As discussed, this ticks the box for high mass, insulation and decoupling – happy days! Here at iKoustic, we have a brilliant range of options for any situation, from brick to stud.
The Best Way to Soundproof Party Walls
The ultimate soundproofing for party walls is the full soundproof wall partition system, MuteClip Gold. This system will decouple, absorb and add mass which are the three core components of soundproofing. This system is available for brick and stud walls.
- The best soundproofing costs £58 per m2
- You’ll need 74mm for the top soundproofing system
- The best wall soundproofing blocks up to 19dB of noise!
This forms the best way to soundproof party walls and will target a range of frequencies, as well as, impact and airborne sound. The installation job is a little bigger, but we still have domestic clients who take on the challenge happily and install it themselves! If you would prefer a professional helping hand, you can always engage an installer from our iKoustic network.
Cheaper partitions to soundproof party walls
You still have the option to save a little cash here, even though the system is high performing and high quality. If you swap the layer of Tecsound for M.A.D 4 which is the same material by another manufacturer, then this will give you a saving of £4 per m2. This change of material will mean that your system now blocks 18dB of sound, not 19dB.
This is the silver wall soundproofing system which is great for noisy neighbours and is also available for stud walls.
Cheapest way to Soundproof party walls
The cheapest way to soundproof a party wall is by using only one layer of high mass soundproofing board but with the MuteClip system. This gives you the MuteClip Bronze solution for brick walls. The MuteClip system is the best sound reduction you can get, for the space used. This is why it’s better to add this frame with only one layer of board because not even three layers of board can block as much.
Our cheapest wall soundproofing system only costs £34 per m2, which is an incredibly low price for 14dB of noise reduction.
Cheap Soundproof Party Wall Panels
If you’re looking for party wall soundproofing panels, then we have plenty! I would suggest using the MuteBoard 2 as this is a clever combination of the acoustic plasterboard and Tecsound. This gives the MuteBoard 2 a greater resistance to airborne noises, as well as, some vibration isolation with the visco-elastic membrane.
Having the two materials in one panel makes the installation a lot easier nd fast for you. I would use this for a stud party wall as they benefit from the additional mass more than a brick wall, which already have a high mass.
How to Install a Soundproof Party Wall Partition
To install soundproofing, you can download a range of installation guides from the system and product pages. These walk you through a simple installation process, if you are a happy DIYer.
If you would like to find a soundproofing installer, then you can reach out to one through our network. Soundproofing installers have a technical understanding of how best to install your soundproof solution and how to troubleshoot any potential issues.
What is a Party Wall (and why you should soundproof it)
A party wall is a wall that stands on ground owned by two people, (you and your nextdoor neighbour). This can be an internal wall or an external garden brick wall. If you live in a flat, you may also have a ceiling or floor that would come under ‘party structure’ as it’s shared with another property owner. [1]
This means that two, (or more), different properties are using the same structure which can be very problematic. A party wall can act like a huge speaker by transmitting the sound vibrations from one room into another. You might be able to hear your neighbours talking, watching TV or walking around. If you think you have ‘problem neighbours’ and might need more advice, see the Citizens Advice page for extra information. You can also report a neighbourhood noise complaint to your local council.
What is a Party Wall Agreement? (soundproofing party walls without one)
Now we know what a party wall is, you may be thinking ‘if we both own this, who can do what?’ Well, providing that whatever work is proposed is within the law, you are free to do what you like to party walls. However, you must talk to your neighbour first and be reasonable about when and how work is carried out.
At iKoustic we have a system that can be installed without needing a Party Wall Agreement as it won’t touch the wall. Before you soundproof party walls, read through the Government guidelines on Party Wall Agreements to double check. Read about Party Wall Agreements here, or watch this short video.
What is a Party Wall made of?
Party walls are usually solid, so party walls are usually brick or breeze block. Over this, you will likely have a skim of plaster, which is good! This type of party wall is one that is easy to soundproof as you won’t require extra labor.
However, not all party walls are easy to soundproof. You could have a dot and dab plasterboard fitted to the wall. Dot and dab plasterboard is when plasterboard is fixed with random dots of adhesive. As you will soon discover, cavities are not good as they will amplify the sound from one room to another. In short, a dot and dab plasterboard is like a speaker!
Can I soundproof a solid brick party wall?
Yes, there are many solutions that work on solid brick party walls. Soundproofing brick walls can involve direct to wall solutions, or creating a stud timber frame in front of it. Our isolation clips, MuteClips, can be fixed straight to the brick wall, as can other soundproofing products.
Can I soundproof a dot and dab wall?
Not without some prep. By prep, I mean the dot and dab plasterboard needs to come down, sorry! To soundproof party walls effectively, we need to prepare the surface and reduce the problems before we fix them.
If you were to leave the dot and dab plasterboard and then try to soundproof your party walls, the cavity between the plasterboard and wall is still going to amplify the sounds. If I knock on a solid brick wall, I will get a very low thud sound. If I now knock onto a wall with dot and dab, I’ll get a louder, hollow sound. This is caused by the cavity space under the board and has to be fixed!
Can I soundproof a timber stud wall?
Yes you can! Using a range of solutions you can turn your timber stud frames into soundproof party walls. Replacing any insulation with acoustic insulation will increase the performance of any soundproof party walls in your house, too.
Understand what you are soundproofing against
You have a variety of options for soundproofing solid walls between you and your noisy neighbours. As with any soundproofing, you must adhere to the science of soundproofing to get the very best results. To start, it’s very important to understand what type of noise you are trying to reduce. If the correct preparation isn’t done, the soundproofing will not be as effective.
Impact and Vibration Noise
Impact noise is from direct contact with a surface, such as walking, moving furniture or banging on the wall – we’ve all done it! This will likely affect you most if you have a party structure like a ceiling with people walking about in the flat above you. For these instances, it is best to soundproof at the source of the noise (i.e, upstairs) , but if you haven’t got access to the floor, then you should look to soundproof your ceiling.
Learn how to soundproof your ceiling against impact sound from noisy neighbours here.
Airborne Noise
Airborne noise is anything that travels through the air, such as people talking. This sound then travels through your wall and out the other side, disturbing you as you try to sleep, no doubt. This is the most common type of disruption and a soundproof wall partition is an effective way to reduce it.
How Soundproof Party Walls Work
Now we know which types of sound you could be experiencing, let’s take a look at the science of soundproofing against it. This will allow you to make an independent choice about the best products and systems that can soundproof party walls and understand how it works.
Improve the mass of the party walls
Increasing mass is key to good soundproofing, even if you have a thick, solid party wall. Using different high mass materials will target different sound frequencies. For example, one high mass material could be effective against heavy bass, while another may be more effective against the frequency of a human voice (around 1500 Hz).
For high mass materials, you will be looking at mass loaded vinyl, (like the Techsound range) and soundproof panels, like the MuteBoard range or soundproof plasterboards.
Acoustic Insulation – soundproof party walls by plugging holes!
Acoustic insulation is also very important when it comes to reducing the sound that sneaks into your home. I would describe the sound of voices through a wall without acoustic treatment as ‘buzzing’ and much louder. Indeed, a reverberating sound is amplified and this is why you need the correct cavity treatment. Find out what acoustic insulation is here.
When people soundproof party walls, they have discovered that holes in the brickwork around joists go the whole way through. This can allow loud noises to easily enter your house through a relatively small space. You should pack acoustic insulation around this hole.
Decouple with soundproof wall partitions
Decoupling is a term that refers to creating a separate structure so that the vibrations of sound cannot use the party wall as a medium to flow through. If I was going to give the to position to just one technique, it would be decoupling! Decoupling is used when a soundproofing system is installed, (instead of a single product), and forms a slim and highly effective acoustic barrier.
You may have heard of resilient bars when it comes to soundproofing a wall, however, there can be installation issues that cause the soundproofing to fail (see why here). Instead, we used the science of soundproofing to create an isolation clip, MuteClip, which has dual mass silicone. This allows the clip to resist a wide range of sound and better decouple the wall.
How much does it cost to create soundproof party walls?
As you’ve already seen, you have options for creating your soundproof party walls, but remember, you need high quality products to get the performance you need. On the cheaper end of the spectrum, you are looking at around £34 per m2 for the raw materials to soundproof party walls.
If you are considering the premium options to soundproof party walls, then the price per meter is around £58. Although this may sound quite expensive, investing in quality soundproof solutions can improve the way you experience sound.
If you want more information about soundproof party walls, get in touch with our team today.