Noise isolation in the panel house: a variety of materials and installation features

People from prefabricated houses and new buildings mostly complain about poor sound insulation. This is due to the fact that in panel houses the insulation parameter is at a very low level.

It will be impossible to arrange comfort and get peace, if extraneous sounds constantly interfere in your life. This includes the cries of neighbors, the sounds of a working television and much more that can be fully considered interference. The cheapest way to sound insulation is a conversation and a contract with all neighbors about the observance of certain rules of behavior, but to implement this is very problematic. Sooner or later, the neighbors will start to break them, wanting to spend time with comfort.

Get out of this situation is possible through high-quality sound insulation. You can entrust this process to professionals, but their services usually cost more than the materials themselves, so you can do excellent sound insulation with your own hands, which is the best option. The most important point - the choice of material and awareness of the features of this process.

The best material on the observations of the owners of apartments with such noise insulation is mineral wool. It is characterized by a high level of sound absorption, which no other insulator can boast. Material can be purchased in slabs, mats and rolls. The most convenient to use are the plates. It is important that the wool is not pressed. Yes, the presented material will occupy less space, because it is thinner, but the absorption rates will be significantly lower.

Vata is a thick material and nothing can be done with this parameter.

Such insulation takes about 10 cm from each wall, ceiling and floor. You should not count on full sound insulation, since this cannot be done in panel houses.It is impossible to get rid of structural noise, including sound vibration waves transmitted through the building structure. Therefore, if someone decides to use a perforator, people will hear about it even through several floors.

The most common cause is poor quality of work. When building a building between fencing structures should not occur even small cracks and cracks. If such have appeared, they must be cleaned and filled with sealant.

When it comes to interior walls made of brick, concrete or ceramic blocks, they must be carefully filled and plastered from the second side. When it comes to panel houses, this work is usually performed poorly. You can see such drawbacks only if you buy an apartment without finishing.

Improper installation technology interroom and interior partitions can also lead to a violation of sound insulation. In any case, you must strictly follow the instructions. It is necessary to understand that the panels involved for interroom partitions have their own voids. They are tested, however, without taking into account the fact that the walls will be hidden wiring and installed sockets.

Consideration of the following points will help you understand how to properly make noise insulation in a panel house, for example, for a bathroom:

• Firstly you must decide whether you are ready to lose a few centimeters of living space in return for comfortable living without extraneous sounds or it is better to tolerate noisy neighbors, but to keep the space in its original size. Means and time that will be spent on the performance of works on noise insulation, will pay you back after a month of use, through your vitality and healthy sleep without extraneous sounds.
• The issue of sound insulation should be considered as a separate project. Many people realize the importance of sound insulation only after they make major repairs and move to the apartment. They constantly quarrel with their neighbors, or simply tolerate this noise.Someone bad noise isolation may even be forced to sell housing or dismantle the repairs made and perform effective noise isolation.

• Works on sound insulation of the apartment are carried out at the draft stage of work, that is, at the very beginning of the repair.
• In this situation, it is extremely important to follow the instructions, and properly implement the technology. You can not miss a single stage of work, even if it seems insignificant to you.
• Any sound insulation works provide for the fact that you have to sacrifice a small area of ​​the premises and its height. We recommend you to turn to a professional at the project development stage, even if you do not plan to use their installation services. This will allow you to receive recommendations regarding the creation of the necessary construction, since they will select the best option, accompanied by minimal loss of space and height of the room.
• Works on sound insulation start from the walls. Next is the ceiling, and at last the floor.
• Protecting you from noise, sound repair, music will best help metal frame insulation on vibrating hangers. This design mainly deals with airborne noise problems. It helps to mute the volume of the TV behind the wall, the crying child, loud neighbors and the dog barking.

• Be sure that light and soft materials are not soundproof, despite the fact that some manufacturers indicate similar properties on product packaging. Glass wool and foam are capable of absorbing sounds, but not hindering their passage. Basalt wool is included in the structure and allows you to remove the hum inside it. It focuses on sound absorption.
• The main rule in noise insulation is multi-layered and high mass. Consequently, the heavier the material and the more layers it has, the less sound it will miss. Today, multi-layer cardboard, which is filled with quartz sand, is particularly popular. One square meter of similar material weighs approximately 20 kg.
• It is important that the metal parts of the frame do not touch the walls. All metal elements must be taped with damping vibration damping tape.

• Special attention should be paid to switches and sockets.They require the use of special podrozetniki with sound-proof effect. It seems a trifle, however, the non-observance of this stage can lead to the futility of all work on sound insulation.
• There should be a gap of at least 5 mm around the perimeter of the walls, floor and ceiling.
• For sealing gaps, joints and seams, it is imperative to use special sound-proof sealing means.
• For soundproofing, you must use only safe, hypo-allergenic and environmentally friendly materials. It is best to stop the choice on those who are of natural origin. They lack chemistry, resins and glue.

Work begins from the ceiling. The first step is to make a frame for drywall. Please note that the corners should not be screwed directly to the ceiling. In this matter, it is important to use a special sound-proof tape, which will prevent the penetration of vibrations emanating from above. If you have finances, you can build a thin membrane around the perimeter that is capable of absorbing not only sounds, but also vibrations.

Once you make the frame, you will need to fill the space between the profiles with mineral wool. In this case, it should be done tightly so as not to leave voids. This is a simple procedure, however, do not forget about basic security measures. Be sure to wear safety glasses to prevent wool from falling into your eyes. After all the gaps will be filled with materials, it is required to sew up the ceiling with drywall.

As the initial work should be noted the removal of all floor plinths. After the work, you will be able to return them to their original place, so when removing, take care not to damage them. If you have old linoleum or laminate on the floor, you can lay soundproofing directly on the flooring.But if we are talking about a new flooring, which is in good condition, it should be disassembled and reassembled after carrying out noise insulation works.

The first step in sound insulation is the installation of fiberglass flooring.

Having laid fiberglass, it is required to lay wooden bars, the distance between which should be equal to the width of cotton wool plates. It is required to leave a small space between the ends of the element and the walls. Bars do not need to be fixed.

Further, it is required to lay mineral wool in the spaces left between the bars. Then they are covered with gypsum fiber plates in two layers. It is important to process all joints with a damping tape. In this case, the soundproofed floor is considered practically ready. Then you only need to choose and install the flooring.

Next we look at the sound insulation of the walls. The process is very similar to the one that was done to work the ceiling. Required to install the frame under the drywall.It is necessary to use sound insulation tape. The frame must come into contact with the ceiling and the floor through special gaskets. The effectiveness of this work will largely depend on how thick the layer of soundproof material is.

Most often mineral wool is used in this case.

If space allows you, then leave a small air space between the drywall and cotton wool. This trick will more effectively disperse incoming sound waves.

After the space is filled with mineral wool, it is necessary to sew up the walls with drywall. Next you need to start finishing the finishing work. The effectiveness of sound insulation will manifest itself immediately. The music and voice of the apartment will sound different, because the sound waves will be reflected and absorbed. Consequently, you not only protect yourself from extraneous sounds, but also do not allow your neighbors to hear the details of your life.

Pay attention to the following important points:

• Electrical outletswhich very often cause noise to enter the apartment. If a problem was detected, it is necessary to dismantle the electrical outlet and the wiring box, based on electrical safety rules. Next, you need to install a soundproof box and seal the hole. It is best to contact a professional in this area in this case, since it requires the presence of certain knowledge.
• Pipes of the heating system. According to the rule, this hole in the wall should be sealed with a non-hardening compound and filled with sound-absorbing non-combustible material, but in practice this is rare. In this area there are always gaps due to which the sound from the neighbors above or below easily penetrates into the apartment. When the gap is too large, it can lead to the penetration of even an unpleasant smell. To get rid of these problems, we recommend that you treat the gap with a heat-resistant silicone sealant.

• If a riser was laid through the overlap, you need to clear and remove the damaged layer of cement mortar,after which the base of the pipes should be wrapped with sound-insulating material and cemented this section. Excess material is required to be cut and the joint sealed.
• Joints between floor and wall covering. In this case, it is required to dismantle the baseboards, and fill the joints with a cement-sand mortar. As soon as it dries, the joint should be treated with silicone sealant. After that, the plinth can be returned to its original location.
• Joints between the walls or between the wall and the ceiling. In this situation, you need to remove the old wallpaper and embroider all the joints between the concrete panels. The voids and cavities are filled with gypsum putty or cement mortar, and after they are dried, they are treated with acrylic sealant.
• Electrical installation boxes, soundproofing which is similar to outlets. For this it is necessary to attract a specialist.

To learn how to make noise isolation with your own hands in the apartment, see the video below.