Hello, I have two queries:

1. I live in a 1930s maisonette above a rather noisy family. There is no
sound proofing between our floorboards and their ceiling. I've read that
sand is a very good sound proofing material (roughly 1 cm depth laid on
boards that are then attached to the joists of the suspended floor). Has
anyone tried this and if so what success did they have and what sort of
costs are involved - the room is roughly 4m x 3m.

2. Cooking smells from downstairs manage to find their way into our kitchen
and airing cupboard via the pipes that run through both houses. What
materials could be best used to cover the hole that the pipes go through -
I'm presuming something that contains charcoal but am not familiar with
particular products.

Regards,
Mike