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

Chomski wrote:
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 -
Filler foam

On Thu, 27 Nov 2003 12:11:10 -0000, Chomski wrote:

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

Probably best to try to tackle item 2. first. If smells are getting
through, air is being transferred. If air is getting through, sound will
also get through.

Chomski wrote:

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



If the downstairs flat has a concrete ceiling, like our 1930s place,
then pouring extra sand in is likely to make little difference.
Neither is Rockwall, tried that also.

In our flat, most of the LF noise from downstairs is transmitted through
the walls

Lee
--
To reply use lee.blaver and ntlworld.com

"Lee Blaver" wrote in message

If the downstairs flat has a concrete ceiling, like our 1930s place,
then pouring extra sand in is likely to make little difference.
Neither is Rockwall, tried that also.

In our flat, most of the LF noise from downstairs is transmitted through
the walls
Foam every edge once you have taken the boards up then a loose layer of
visquene & perhaps some glass wool under that. On the plastic sheet put
some sand and then thicker boarding. It won't be as effective as moving
or murder but it will cost a lot and be an upheaval.



--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

"David Hemmings" wrote in message
...

Have you ever thought about filling up the entire void with sawdust

One of the (many) reasons I bought a hundred year old flat was being told
that builders at the time didn't have skips, so the junk all went between
the floors, making excellent sound proofing.

Nice to know that it could be a fire hazzard!!

F.

In article ,
David Hemmings wrote:
Seriously though, a builder told me very recently on all new builds in
the area one of the building inspectors was trying to force to use of
some really heavy density rockwool looking material (normal rockwool
is supposed to be reasonable sound insulating) into the voids to kill
sound transmittance - and this was in an extenstion in a detatched
house .........

It has to be very dense material (and therefore heavy) to have any real
effect at the airborne bass frequencies which tend to annoy the most.

--
*i souport publik edekashun.

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

The full range of sounds are coming through, from the high pitch squeakings
of their twelve year old child to the bass from the television (they appear
to love any film with guns and helicopters). It can feel very intrusive. Is
rockwool better than sand or of equal sound reducing properties (it would be
a damn site easier to put in place considering it would not require fixing
to the joists)?


"David Hemmings" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 27 Nov 2003 16:09:31 +0000, John Armstrong
wrote:

On Thu, 27 Nov 2003 12:11:10 -0000, Chomski wrote:

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

Probably best to try to tackle item 2. first. If smells are getting
through, air is being transferred. If air is getting through, sound will
also get through.

Be very carful about putting sand down, the weight can really add up,
at the very least you will want a poroous membrane that will take the
weight of the sand and transfer it ti the joists whilst not letting
the sand get through.

Have you ever thought about filling up the entire void with sawdust

sorry the last comment is only a flippant one, you dont want anything
combustible in there.

Seriously though, a builder told me very recently on all new builds in
the area one of the building inspectors was trying to force to use of
some really heavy density rockwool looking material (normal rockwool
is supposed to be reasonable sound insulating) into the voids to kill
sound transmittance - and this was in an extenstion in a detatched
house .........

Are you getting a full spectrum of sounds, high and low frequency ?

In article ,
Chomski wrote:
The full range of sounds are coming through, from the high pitch
squeakings of their twelve year old child to the bass from the
television (they appear to love any film with guns and helicopters). It
can feel very intrusive. Is rockwool better than sand or of equal sound
reducing properties (it would be a damn site easier to put in place
considering it would not require fixing to the joists)?

If it really is the full range of sounds coming through there must be some
fair sized holes around, as even a normal ceiling and floor will attenuate
the high frequencies considerably.

--
*Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

Chomski wrote:

The full range of sounds are coming through, from the high pitch squeakings
of their twelve year old child to the bass from the television (they appear
to love any film with guns and helicopters). It can feel very intrusive. Is
rockwool better than sand or of equal sound reducing properties (it would be
a damn site easier to put in place considering it would not require fixing
to the joists)?



Rockwool is a complete waste of time.

First line of attack is to block all direct air paths, then remaining
transmission is by structural vibration and resonances. You reduce that
my increasing the mass, and increasing the damping. Sand is excellent in
both respects. Look at car soundproofing. See any rockwool in a car? No.
What you see is slabs of rubbery stuff applied to metal sheets to
increase mass and add a bit of 'dullness' to the sound, plus dense fibre
matting as well. Look under your car carpet.

Best practice is to sand fill in ceiling/floor void, lay down dense
underlay and decent pile carpet, block up all pipe and duct runs between
properties, double glaze and keep windows shut. Even so the bass tones
will likely still come through.

thought about a shotgun?
"Lee Blaver" wrote in message
...
Chomski wrote:

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



If the downstairs flat has a concrete ceiling, like our 1930s place,
then pouring extra sand in is likely to make little difference.
Neither is Rockwall, tried that also.

In our flat, most of the LF noise from downstairs is transmitted through
the walls

Lee
--
To reply use lee.blaver and ntlworld.com

On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 01:56:01 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Chomski wrote:

The full range of sounds are coming through, from the high pitch squeakings
of their twelve year old child to the bass from the television (they appear
to love any film with guns and helicopters). It can feel very intrusive. Is
rockwool better than sand or of equal sound reducing properties (it would be
a damn site easier to put in place considering it would not require fixing
to the joists)?



Rockwool is a complete waste of time.

There is Rockwool and there is Rockwool. Stuffing roof insulation quilt
rockwool wouldn't be much use, although I expect it would help a bit. RW6
would be a different matter. Accoustic data at
http://www.rockwool.co.uk/graphics/rw-gb-implementation/datasheets/Rigid_Semi_Flexi_slabs.pdf

John Armstrong wrote:

On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 01:56:01 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote:


Chomski wrote:


The full range of sounds are coming through, from the high pitch squeakings
of their twelve year old child to the bass from the television (they appear
to love any film with guns and helicopters). It can feel very intrusive. Is
rockwool better than sand or of equal sound reducing properties (it would be
a damn site easier to put in place considering it would not require fixing
to the joists)?



Rockwool is a complete waste of time.


There is Rockwool and there is Rockwool. Stuffing roof insulation quilt
rockwool wouldn't be much use, although I expect it would help a bit. RW6
would be a different matter. Accoustic data at
http://www.rockwool.co.uk/graphics/rw-gb-implementation/datasheets/Rigid_Semi_Flexi_slabs.pdf


Fair enough. If you read the rest of the post you will see that
cahracteristics of waht does work, described.

If that stuff has mass, it will be somewhat effective,

In article ,
s wrote:
thought about a shotgun?

And use it on the house designer.

Noise is a peculiar thing. Perfectly normal household activities can annoy
others in this type of house. I'd just mask the noise - if it's at normal
hours - by turning up my radio a bit.

--
*Never miss a good chance to shut up *

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn