Manufacturers of home insulation products are constantly improving their products, offering more and more advanced ways to insulate and increase acoustic comfort. Sound insulation of a room is always considered separately, as it is distinguished by the mechanics of action and the range of technologies used. Although many materials for soundproofing an apartment are also good heat insulators, they have one significant flaw. It is expressed in insufficient resistance to steam and water exposure, while a hydrobarrier is often a prerequisite for protecting insulating materials. For this reason, soundproofing at a basic level should be considered as an independent measure to protect housing.
Directions for soundproofing the apartment
For residential premises, materials are used to create a complex insulating barrier, which involves partitions, floor coverings,interfloor ceilings, joints, etc. Some of the building structural elements are initially selected with the expectation of providing noise comfort, however, it is not always possible to calculate all acoustic impact factors in advance. For this reason, after the object is put into operation, the soundproofing of the apartment can be done with your own hands. Materials for such work are selected from a wide range with a focus on a specific application. For example, flexible membrane products are used for utilities, and plasterboard panels for walls, which can also be used to level the surface.
In this case, it is necessary to take into account the difference between structural and directly insulating materials. The border is not always distinguishable, since these qualities can coexist with each other. But formally, the section goes by the sound absorption coefficient - from 0, 2. And the fact that they are more likely to be finishing rather than structural products also makes it easier to install soundproofing for an apartment with your own hands. Which materials have a sufficient sound absorption coefficient? It can be both traditional natural and synthetic coatings. For example, the first group includes fiberglass, mineral wool, mineral plates, as well as a wide range of composite and plastic products. Natural materials for noise insulation are represented by bas alt granules (loose insulator), perlite, fireclay, fiber and wood chip panels.
Classification of insulation by structuralcharacteristics
One way or another, any insulating material must fit into the place of its operation in terms of technical parameters. In this regard, the following types of materials for soundproofing an apartment can be distinguished:
- Tiled. These can be panels and blocks of various shapes that hold the geometry and are usually mounted to wall surfaces. Usually these are products made of expanded polystyrene, which are effective in eliminating sound vibrations, but have a significant thickness.
- Roll. Usually they are laid on the floor according to the principle of the substrate and can also act as a damping layer, which is especially valuable when laying wooden lamellas. The main materials for soundproofing floors in an apartment of this type include mineral wool and synthetic products made from elastic foam. Some roll covers are provided with a foil lining for protection from the outside.
- Loose. As already mentioned, bas alt chips fall into this category, but other natural granules can also be used. The difficulty of using this method of soundproofing lies in the fact that a special hermetic and hollow niche is required. For example, it can be arranged when installing a plasterboard partition.
- Foamy. A special type of sound insulator in the form of polyurethane foam, which is sprayed into the target area, hardens and forms a hermetically sealed area with its structure. The best way for spot soundproofing in joints and holes, but keep in mind that this type of mounting foam is unsafeenvironmentally friendly.
Material for soundproofing walls in the apartment
The basis of the noise barrier, which must be made of a thick puff structure of the membrane type. Sheathing is mounted with rigid connections along the contours or by means of point anchors. As a material for soundproofing walls in an apartment, you can use:
- Gypsum board sheets.
- Wood fiber panels.
- Other sheet materials that can be rigidly fixed to walls.
If space permits (the thickness of the panels reduces the usable area), then it makes sense to leave an air buffer zone between the insulating barrier and the wall base of 3-5 cm. Alternatively, you can fill this gap with another insulator, such as glass fiber mineral wool elastic plates.
The installation of a frame-sheathing partition within a room with zoning is also practiced. In this case, a crate of thin wooden slats is mounted, as well as load-bearing profile frames that strengthen the partition. In such a configuration, it is desirable to use a thin material. To soundproof an apartment in terms of main walls made of brick or concrete, it is worth using sheathing on the offset. This system expands the possibilities for internal insulation of the space between the wall and the sheathing, and in structures with indentations more than 5 cm thick, it is also possible to lay communications.
Ceiling soundproofing
Another important area of isolation, the need for which will also depend on sourcesnoise in the apartment on the top floor, and from the air ducts passing through this area. The object of using noise-absorbing material will be the ceiling, although walls can also be used as a mounting base. In this case, it is desirable to use rolled materials for sound insulation. In the apartment, a hinged frame is preliminarily carried out, along which the ceiling will be finished in the future. The laying of the sound insulator, in turn, is carried out close to the base of the floor. The solid panel technique can also be used, but this is impractical as the ceiling height will be further reduced in addition to the suspended structure. The rolled material will be located in the gaps between the frame profiles and will not affect the height of the structure.
An important condition for the implementation of such an insulator circuit is the need to cover the absorbing material. This must be done due to contact with electrical communications that provide power to lighting equipment. You can use refractory modern materials for soundproofing in an apartment, but in this case, the matte coating fibers, for example, will reduce the effectiveness of acoustic resistance over time.
Floor soundproofing
If one of the sources of extraneous noise is the floor, then the so-called floating coating design is used. It is usually used when there is a workshop or other room with a high level of noise on the floor below. A dense base of polyurethane foam materials is used. Noise insulation of floors in an apartment of this type can be laid at different levels, depending on the technical conditions. In particular, one of two common acoustic protection schemes can be applied:
- Laying is done on top of the structural platform (concrete screed). In essence, a lining is formed under the decorative coating. By the way, if you plan to lay a laminate in the future, then the substrate is also selected based on the requirements for the damping properties of the mounting surface.
- Material stacks at the lowest structural damage. As materials for soundproofing the floor in an apartment under a screed, rigid slabs on a synthetic basis are used. For example, dense polystyrene foam. Theoretically, natural coatings can also be used, but there is a risk of their biological destruction against the background of the formation of mold and fungi. But these risks largely depend on the specific type of insulator.
If it is not possible to install a dense structural barrier, then as an alternative it is worth using a damper tape made of polyethylene. It separates the screed from the walls and decorative coating without making significant changes to the structure of the floor. In the apartment, modern materials for soundproofing, like buffer tape, are rolled out around the perimeter of the entire site up to the walls. The material must not be interrupted or leave gaps. Without fail, the tape must cover the corners between the wall and the floor.
Noise insulation of openings
It is worth thinking about soundproofing windows and doors at the stageopening design. To achieve a high level of isolation from sound waves in this case, a tight fit of frames with door frames will also help, in which the formation of cracks is excluded, but this is not enough. What materials are required to soundproof an apartment with your own hands in the openings? At a minimum, it is worth providing for various kinds of seals made of rubber and fabrics of a special format. This fitting is laid at the junction between load-bearing window and door structures with sills, porches and walls. In the case of a door frame, it is also important to close the keyholes, but for this purpose, accessories are specially selected as part of the lock mechanism.
As for windows, the noise-reducing effect is achieved by increasing the thickness of the glass, that is, the optimal configuration of the double-glazed window with fasteners and elastic linings is thought out in advance. By the way, special models of window systems with noise-proof glass sheets are being produced today, where the possibility of integrating ventilation ducts with silencers of sounds and vibrations is also possible.
If we are talking about old designs, then additional inclusions and overlays will help. This is especially true for wooden frames and doors, which in themselves reduce the level of sound insulation in the apartment. What material can compensate for these shortcomings? Triplex glass can be installed in window frames, which do not require updating the supporting frame structure. Although in this case it will not be superfluous to update the seals with acoustic properties. The sound-absorbing qualities of wooden doors are enhanced by new upholstery made ofsoft layers of natural materials like felt.
Sound Vibration Isolation
Noise insulation materials do not always provide for a vibration factor with a vibration effect, which also causes discomfort and can contribute to the additional propagation of acoustic waves. Not so long ago, specialists from Samara State University developed an innovative method to prevent noise vibration. I must say that to varying degrees, it is the vibrational sound effect that is reduced by many finishing materials, but in this case we are talking about the purposeful elimination of this phenomenon.
What materials are required to soundproof an apartment using this technology? The principle of operation of the proposed method is based on the isolation of sound waves by means of a multilayer barrier with channels filled with a gas or liquid medium. That is, if in the previous methods more or less traditional forms of coating finishing were considered, then this time the network of channels with circulating gases and liquid acts as an active damping coating. Vibration reduction is achieved precisely through the use of a multilayer reflector with an adjustable resistance force. The key feature of the design is the pumping of media in the channels, provided by the compressor unit. It includes a circulation pump and a regulator that controls the current parameters of the movement of gas or liquid. The intensity of the decrease in the speed of propagation of sound waves is also affected bythe structure of the tiled base in which the channels are located. For its manufacture, polystyrene and its derivatives are used in different release formats.
Settings for sound insulation material selection
The choice of soundproofing material should be done based on the nature of the prevailing sound effects. Different sound sources should be stopped with special materials focused on structural, impact or acoustic noise. But this is not enough to choose the most suitable solution for a particular place of operation, therefore, in assessing materials for soundproofing an apartment, it is recommended to take into account the operational properties in a complex way:
- Noise reduction level. An ordinary user can be guided by the European classification for insulating efficiency. If the material is labeled BFT, this indicates its high class as a noise absorber.
- Only soundproofing products will help to completely eliminate noise effects. They do not soften, but rather prevent the propagation of sound waves in an isolated area.
- Product belonging to toxic materials. It is advisable to use environmentally friendly modern materials for soundproofing an apartment. In ceilings, as well as in floor and wall structures, for example, an increased content of aragonite is unsafe for humans. It is used to increase the strength of insulators, but during long-term use in a residential area, it also poses a he alth hazard.
- Combustibility of the product. Also not the last property that must be taken into account. Like all cladding in an apartment, insulators should at least not support combustion, and even better suppress it.
- Biological security. Until recently, the choice between natural and synthetic insulators could be faced with a dilemma - environmentally friendly, refractory and expensive, or biologically protected and cheap material. Today, the separation of these properties is not so obvious, but the artificial structure still retains its primacy as the least attractive environment for the natural development of fungal and mold microorganisms.
Specialized solutions from manufacturers
Industrial manufacturers of insulating materials also do not specifically ignore the topic of noise protection of urban apartments, offering their own developments with unique sets of performance characteristics to solve such problems. At the moment, the list of the best materials for soundproofing an apartment can be presented as follows:
- Technoelast Acoustic. A range of insulators with an underlay design that can be used on a variety of surfaces. The family contains roll pads to reduce impact noise, as well as complex sound and waterproofing sheets based on fiberglass. A feature of this tool is the presence of a metallized film, which provides both mechanical protection of the insulator itself and increases the basic protective qualities.
- PhoneStar. Multilayer panel made of mineral particles,which delay sound waves in the full range of frequencies perceived by the human ear. This option is good as a universal solution for completely isolating residential premises from external noise.
- Knauf Superpol. Special floor coverings that are structurally integrated into various concrete screed systems. If you need multifunctional sound insulation in an apartment made of modern materials for leveling and creating a damping effect under a decorative floor covering, you should prefer this option.
- Ecover Light. Slabs made of lightweight hydrophobized structure based on gabbro-bas alt stone wool. Of the performance qualities, in addition to sound absorption, there is a slight compressibility and the absence of a shrinkage effect, which many tile insulators sin. The offer of this brand is advantageous for its versatility. It is suitable for both continuous coating and spot-filling of small areas without interfering with the structure.
- Soundguard Standard. Massive panels that are suitable for capital noise reduction in walls. The thickness of 12 mm is due to the presence of a quartz filler that has undergone heat treatment. The result is highly effective insulation for a long service life.
Conclusion
In modern projects of apartment buildings, the properties of complex insulation are initially laid along with the noise reduction function. Methods for the erection and direct installation of walls and ceilings with openings at the structural levelprovide acoustic comfort. Another thing is that due to many reasons from violations of construction technology to planning and the specifics of the impact of external factors, basic technical solutions are not enough. In such cases, there is a need to install additional sound insulation in the apartment. Reviews of modern materials to prevent sound wave oscillations note the high efficiency of a new generation of insulators. This applies in particular to multi-layer panels with integrated fillers and auxiliary fittings made from elastic raw materials. But it should also be noted the negative factors in the use of sound insulators when choosing them. It should be borne in mind that, along with a reduction in usable space due to the introduction of additional materials into walls and ceilings, in some cases, the strength of the finish decreases. This factor will largely depend on the quality of the installation and the compatibility of the particular insulator with the laying surface and the outer layer of decorative cladding.
