Owners of apartments and houses often face the problem of insufficient sound insulation in their homes. Because of this, sounds from outside become audible in the room. It interferes with sleep and normal activities. To increase the level of comfort in the room, it is required to use additional materials for soundproofing walls and ceilings. Tips from experienced builders to consider before starting a renovation.
Varieties of noise
Which material is the most effective for soundproofing walls? Today, there are many offers on the building materials market, which are designed to protect against the penetration of extraneous sounds into the home. In quiet times, even minor noises coming from neighbors' apartments or sounds from the street can be clearly heard. However, loud sounds can reach you at any time of the day, even when your apartment or house is not quiet enough.
Panel and brick houses, both old andof the new model do not differ in high-quality sound insulation of both walls and interfloor ceilings. All sounds are transmitted through the air, causing the materials of walls and ceilings to vibrate. Even minor noises coming from the outside to the owners of the house can cause insomnia. And children's crying, screams, the sound of repairs, loud music cause significant discomfort.
Materials for soundproofing walls in an apartment allow you to increase the degree of protection of the interior space of an apartment from external sounds. You can install them yourself. It's important to know how to do it right. It should be noted that all the sounds that penetrate our homes can be divided into two groups:
- Noises transmitted through the air. Vibrations are transmitted in the air, transmitted through walls and ceilings. Sound is known to be a wave. It is transmitted in a certain medium, for example, through the air. These sounds include loud conversation, music, etc.
- Structural noise. Occurs with direct mechanical action on walls or ceilings. For example, it can be an object that has fallen from the neighbors, moving furniture, hammering nails into the wall, etc. Initially, the sound wave in this case propagates in a solid material, and only then is transmitted through the air.
When choosing the best material for soundproofing walls, you must also take into account the characteristics of the sound. According to research, sound travels much faster in solid material than in air. For this reason, structural noises are heard more. Such noise needs a lot of protection. The material must be in thiscase thicker, denser, have a certain structure.
It is also worth considering one more nuance. Some sounds are actually relatively quiet. But people perceive them especially, which leads to severe irritation. At night, even the sound of dripping water, the ticking of a clock, or an open faucet in a neighbor's house can keep you awake. A baby's cry may be relatively weak in intensity, but our perception reacts to this sound more strongly. Such a sound can be much more annoying than smooth music, to which many people generally fall asleep easily. All features of extraneous noise must be considered when choosing materials.
Features of noise-insulating materials
Modern materials for soundproofing walls have a special set of qualities. With their help, you can create partial or complete protection against extraneous sounds in an apartment or your own house. These types of materials have certain differences.
If you want to create complete soundproofing, you will need to pay attention to creating a layer of soundproofing on the ceiling, walls, and in some cases (if there are neighbors below) on the floor. This procedure is carried out during a major overhaul. This comes with some challenges.
The downside of the complete soundproofing process is the high cost of repairs. In this case, you need to perform several mandatory sequential steps, which subsequently lead to a decrease in space in the room. Therefore, complete isolation is technically possiblecreate only in a spacious room with sufficient ceiling height.
Using materials for the intended purpose of soundproofing walls in an apartment, it is much easier to create partial soundproofing with your own hands. In this case, the protective layer is created only on one or two walls or on the ceiling. It is necessary to consider from which side the main noise is heard. On this side, you need to mount a layer of sound insulation. This option is easier and cheaper. The area of the room will also decrease slightly, but much less than when finishing all the walls.
When choosing modern materials for soundproofing walls in a house, you need to select the appropriate set of qualities. The main ones are:
- Soundproofing ability. In this case, the material will reflect the sound wave, directing it in the opposite direction. Such isolation has a significant mass. In this case, the degree of loss of vibration and sound wave will be large.
- Sound absorption. The material has special pores that form channels inside the structure. Insulation in this case has a fibrous structure. When a sound wave passes through it, friction occurs in the channels. This limits the spread of noise in the room.
Both types of materials are actively used during the installation of sound insulation. It is mounted on walls or under the ceiling. Soundproofing is mounted outside the premises. The material must be non-flammable, safe, and also effective enough.
Type of walls and floors
Materials for soundproofing walls and ceilings must be selected in accordance with the characteristics of the house or apartment itself. Importantconsider what the building is made of. Each material from which partitions, load-bearing walls and interfloor floors were created has certain noise-absorbing properties. The higher they are, the thinner and easier the insulation can be chosen.
The thickest powerful sound absorbers are required for panel, brick walls, modular and frame houses. They conduct sound waves more strongly, creating discomfort for the people living here. But, choosing materials for soundproofing walls in a wooden house, you can purchase the thinnest and most inexpensive varieties. Such walls are natural soundproofing.
In prefabricated houses, the thickness of the walls and floors is almost the same, so the sound is transmitted with identical force in all directions. In such houses it is better to create complete sound insulation. However, this is not always possible in small spaces.
For a brick house, partial sound insulation will be enough. However, this statement is true if the walls are thick. If this is not the case, you need to choose the same materials as for a panel house.
Monolithic-frame structures are quite heavy, while partition walls are most often light. This feature is typical for houses made of hollow bricks, foam concrete. Indirect noise intensity in such buildings is higher. Frame houses need the same high-quality sound insulation as panel houses.
Sound absorption coefficient
It is worth considering a number of features when choosing modern materials for soundproofing walls in an apartment. Thinvarieties are sometimes characterized by higher protective properties than thick sheets. This is due to the different value of the sound absorption coefficient. The higher it is, the higher the soundproofing qualities of the material. The coefficient can vary from 1 to 0.
On this scale, a brick's ability to hide noise is only 0.04, and natural wood - 0.15. In order not to hear sounds coming from neighboring apartments, you need to choose a material with a wave absorption coefficient of 0.5 and above.
To install material for soundproofing walls in an apartment with your own hands, you will need to mount an additional structure:
- Frame. A metal profile structure is mounted on the surface of the walls or ceiling. Soundproofing materials are laid inside this frame. From above they are sewn up with drywall or other panels.
- Stretch ceiling. To install the selected material on interfloor ceilings, you can mount a stretch ceiling. In this case, the ceiling height will be reduced minimally. The canvas can be made of PVC or special fabric. Synthetic stretch ceilings are suitable for wet rooms. They can also be mounted in almost any room. Fabric canvases are suitable for dry rooms. Stretch ceilings are mounted on special rails around the perimeter of the room using brackets.
- Frameless soundproofing of the walls in the apartment. Modern materials allow not to use special guides during the installation process. ATIn this case, the space inside the room is reduced minimally, which is especially true for small rooms. The insulating material is mounted simply on the glue. This is a simple installation method that requires the use of the most modern, thin varieties of sound insulation. The noise absorption coefficient of such materials is the highest.
Classic options and reviews about them
There are many types of modern materials for soundproofing walls in an apartment or house on sale. They can be classic, which builders have used before, as well as new, only gaining popularity.
One of the most popular classic options for creating sound insulation in a house or apartment is mineral wool. It is an environmentally friendly, non-flammable material. It meets all safety requirements. Even at elevated temperatures, mineral wool does not release toxic substances into the environment.
If the choice fell on this kind of noise-absorbing materials, it is worth purchasing insulation in slabs. The density of mineral wool of this type is higher than that of roll varieties, so shrinkage will be unlikely. The thickness of the plates should be at least 5 cm. According to the reviews, this is a quality material that copes with the tasks assigned to it. However, it greatly reduces the space inside the room. In this case, each wall and ceiling will become closer by 15 cm. Mineral wool is not suitable for small rooms.
Choosing whichmaterials for soundproofing walls in an apartment are suitable for repairs, you should pay attention to polyurethane foam. This is a relatively expensive option that is able to fit snugly to the surface of the base. Therefore, it is able to protect the home from the penetration of both airborne and structural noise. In the event of a fire, this material emits toxic substances into the environment, which is its significant drawback.
Self-adhesive tape can be used for similar purposes. This is an environmentally friendly material, which, according to reviews, does its job well. Its disadvantage is the large thickness.
The classic options also include the use of foam and polystyrene foam. These are fully synthetic materials that absorb noise well. Their disadvantage is the ability to burn and release toxic substances. The advantage is the relatively low cost.
All classic materials have a significant thickness. Therefore, they are mounted mainly in spacious rooms. For small rooms, new proposals from the building materials market should be considered.
New thin materials
When choosing which material is best for soundproofing walls, it is worth considering a number of modern offers on the building materials market. They have a relatively small thickness, compared with the classic options. The dimensions of the room in this case practically do not change.
If it is required not to completely remove the noise level in the room, butonly partially reduce it, a special thin substrate is used. Its thickness is only 5 mm. At the same time, the material is able to reduce the level of noise intensity by up to 30%. It is worth noting that in fact this is thin-sheet polystyrene foam. The material is synthetic, combustible, emits toxic smoke when heated. It is far from always advisable to install such material indoors.
One of the best materials that can significantly reduce the noise level in the room is cork. This is a natural material. It also performs the function of insulation, soundproofing. Cork sheets only reduce the intensity of structure-borne noise. If the thickness of the cork is not more than 10 mm, it must be laid in several layers. Effectively reduces the noise level with a thickness of at least 3 cm. At the same time, the noise level will decrease by 30 dB.
When choosing soundproofing materials for the walls of an apartment, you should pay attention to the noise blocks. His second name is loaded vinyl. The thickness of this material is only 2.5mm. It allows you to create high-quality sound insulation in houses made of different materials.
Also, according to builders, soundproof membranes are very effective. They are elastic, have a thickness of only up to 4 mm. The membrane reflects the sound back, not letting it into the apartment. Mounting such sound insulation is easy. First, a special crate is mounted on which the membrane is fixed. It must be laid in one piece. If this is not possible, the material at the joints is overlapped, and then glued with adhesive tape. The membrane is stretched during installation.
Information aboutmanufacturers
Materials for soundproofing walls today are produced by many companies. The products of some brands are in great demand in our country.
Green Glu mastic is a popular product among domestic builders. Walls and ceilings are covered with it, and it is also applied between sheets of drywall. Mastic effectively absorbs noise and is sold in tubes of 828 ml capacity. With a standard material consumption, they manage to cover approximately 1.3-1.5 m² of base.
Texound is often used for floors, ceilings and walls. This insulation prevents high frequency sounds from entering the room. This is a membrane with a fairly large weight. It is made on a mineral basis. The membrane is 3.7mm thick and reduces noise by 28dB.
The domestic manufacturer Shumanet-BM supplies bas alt wool panels to the market. Noise isolation of this type is designed for installation on the ceiling, walls. The sound absorption coefficient of this material is a record 0.9 units. This is a very high figure, especially considering that the thickness of the panels is only 5 mm.
Mounting Features
Materials for soundproofing walls must be properly installed. To do this, read the manufacturer's instructions. The base must be properly prepared. It is necessary to remove old finishing materials from the surfaces, cracks and other defects are sealed with putty.
When the layer dries, the surface is primed. Soundproofing installed on glueor wireframe. After that, the surface needs to be finished. The installation procedure varies considerably according to the type of material chosen.
Frame method
Materials for soundproofing walls are often mounted in a frame way. For this, metal profiles are purchased. A three-dimensional structure is created, between the rails of which noise-insulating materials are laid.
Metal profiles are installed on the prepared base. A special sealing tape is laid between them and the ceiling or walls. It will not allow bridges to appear through which sound will penetrate into the room.
Further, a layer of mineral wool or other suitable material is laid between the frame elements. They are usually fixed with dowels-umbrellas. It is unacceptable to leave gaps between sound insulation.
Frameless method
It is quite possible to perform frameless soundproofing of walls in an apartment with the help of modern materials. It is better to choose dense varieties of plates for these purposes. The surface of the base must be carefully prepared. It should be free of any old finishes and defects.
Plates are glued with special compounds to the surface of the ceiling or walls. The adhesive must be compatible with the selected material. Plates are recommended to be further strengthened with anchors. In this case, the material is almost guaranteed not to peel off the surface.
Joints appear between the plates. They must be treated with mounting foam. Suitable for this andany sealant compatible with the material. After hardening, the excess material is cut off with a knife. The joints are additionally insulated with a special tape. Next, the finishing layer is mounted, decorative finishing is carried out.
