A slimline acoustic wall system from Hush Acoustics has enabled a north London homeowner to solve a noise issue that was affecting their neighbours, without having a significant impact on room size.
The owner of the semi detached house in Hackney contacted Hush for a solution that would upgrade the acoustic performance of a separating in an effort to improve the quality of life for their neighbours.
As is often the case with connected homes, the construction of the party wall offered a relatively low level of acoustic control which meant everyday sounds were clearly audible next door. The brick wall had insufficient mass and density to block sound waves generated through speech and activities such as children playing, which was causing stress and anxiety for the neighbours.
The property owner was keen to resolve the issue in a way that did not reduce room size significantly. As any retrofit acoustic treatment will add depth to the wall, the client understood the compromise of reduced volume and floor space within the room, but they were naturally keen to minimise this.
Hush Acoustics proposed three of its fully tested acoustic wall systems as a potential solution. These would all provide a significant improvement in the acoustic performance of the party wall, but with different build-up thicknesses and a sound reduction level in a range from good to better and best.
Following discussions between the Hush team and the homeowner, it was agreed that the Hush HD1041 Acoustic Wall Lining System would provide the best solution. This uses a combination of high performing acoustic materials to create a wall lining that is just 55mm deep.
The HD1041 is formed of a 15mm Fireline board installed over 13mm Hush Multi Panel, a multi-purpose soundboard or gypsum plasterboard which contains high levels of mass to ensure optimum acoustic performance. These are both fixed to the 27mm Hush Deep Resilient Bars which enables a void to be formed into which Hush-Slab 25 Sound Absorbers can be fitted, with all perimeters sealed using Hush-Isolation Tape and Hush acoustic sealant.
The client appointed a local contractor to undertake the installation of the acoustic wall system, with full technical support and supervision provided by Hush.
Following the installation, the benefits were immediately noticeable. As a fully tested system which complies with all UK Building Regulations relating to building acoustics, including Approved Document E for England & Wales, it offers an airborne acoustic performance level of 48 dB – this is above today’s minimum level of 45 dB specified in Part E1 ‘soundproofing from noise from adjoining buildings’.
The client’s feedback reflected the improvements delivered through the system’s installation, saying:
“We've finished the work on the wall and the results are excellent. The neighbours can barely hear anything now, and they no longer wake up if or when my son is up in the middle of the night. A huge thank you to you and the team.”
To find out more about the party wall soundproofing solutions available from Hush Acoustics, along with its products and systems for separating floors/ceilings, visit www.hushacoustics.co.uk