Wall soundproofing, designed around how the noise gets in.

Is noise through the wall wearing you down?

If you are reading this, you have probably had enough. Wall soundproofing is usually the last step after talking to the neighbours, moving the bed to another wall or sleeping in the spare room, and none of it has really worked.

It might be music or a television late at night, raised voices, a dog that barks when they go out, or children running up and down the stairs. Some people hear a busy road or a railway line more than next door. Even in quiet spells you find yourself waiting for the next disturbance, and a home you love stops feeling like yours.

Many people in Sutton Coldfield, Walsall and Great Barr reach the point where it feels like soundproofing or moving. Before you decide either way, it helps to know what soundproofing really involves, what it can achieve and what it costs. That is what this page is for.

Is it airborne or impact noise?

The type of noise decides the solution. Airborne noise travels through the air and makes the wall vibrate; impact noise starts as a knock or footstep on the structure itself and travels through the building.

Most complaints about neighbours in semi-detached and terraced homes are airborne noise through the party wall, and that is what a wall system treats best. If your main problem is footsteps from above, the answer is usually in the ceiling or floor, and I will tell you that rather than sell you a wall.

What actually works to soundproof a wall?

Effective wall soundproofing combines four principles. Leave one out and the result is usually disappointing, because sound takes the easiest path it can find.

• Mass. Heavy, dense layers are harder for sound to shake. This usually means two layers of dense acoustic plasterboard rather than one standard board.
• Decoupling. The new wall is separated from the old one, either on its own frame with a small gap or on resilient fixings, so vibration cannot pass straight through.
• Absorption. Mineral wool in the cavity soaks up sound energy that would otherwise bounce around inside it.
• Sealing. Gaps around the edges, sockets and pipes let sound leak through. Perimeters are sealed with acoustic sealant and sockets are moved or boxed in.

None of these is exotic. They are the same principles used to meet the standards for walls between new homes. The skill is in putting them together carefully, because a well-designed wall with one unsealed gap can lose much of its benefit. I explain the principles in more depth in my guide on how to soundproof a wall.

What doesn't work?

Most quick fixes do very little for noise coming from next door. They are cheap for a reason, and I would rather you did not waste money on them.

• Acoustic foam panels. They reduce echo inside a room, which is why studios use them. They are far too light to stop sound passing through a wall.
• Egg boxes. No measurable effect on noise from next door.
• One extra sheet of plasterboard fixed straight to the wall. It adds a little mass, but the vibration still passes straight through the fixings.
• Thin "soundproof" boards, acoustic paint and wallpaper. They take the edge off very slightly at best.
• Treating one wall when the noise comes round it. Money spent on the wrong surface.

Independent wall or resilient system: which do you need?

There are two main ways to build a soundproof lining, and the choice is a balance between performance and the space you are willing to give up.

A resilient system suits people who want to take the edge off everyday noise without losing much room. An independent wall is the stronger choice when the noise is loud, frequent or low. The frame is built from the floor and ceiling on your side, filled with mineral wool, then finished with two layers of dense board, often built on the same principles as good plasterboarding, with far more attention to sealing.

Why does noise sometimes get round a new wall?

Because sound does not only travel through the party wall. It also moves around it, through what are called flanking paths, and a survey is how you find them.

Common flanking paths in older semis and terraces include:

• floor joists that run through the party wall into next door
• ceilings and a shared loft space with no proper separation above
• side walls and chimney breasts connected to the party wall
• back-to-back sockets and switches, which are effectively holes in the wall
• gaps at skirting level and around pipes

Approved Document E sets sound insulation standards for walls between new homes and conversions. It does not require older homes to meet them, and many 1930s party walls fall well short, partly because of these weak connections. If you have not read it, my guide on why you can hear your neighbours through the walls explains this in more detail.

How much space and disruption should you expect?

Expect to lose roughly 50–150mm from the treated wall, and for the room to be out of use while the work is done. It is building work, not a quick lining.

Skirting boards come off, sockets and switches are moved or re-fitted, and a radiator on that wall may need to come off and go back on. I organise the electrician and plumber if you want me to, so you are not coordinating trades. Floors and furniture are protected, and we tidy every day.

For a full independent wall in one room, allow in the region of one to two weeks, including finishing. You get the room back plastered and ready to decorate. The exact time depends on the design, the length of the wall and what needs moving.

How much does wall soundproofing cost?

Proper soundproofing is a significant investment. As a market reference, the specialist firm Quietco states that around 80% of its domestic projects fall between £5,000 and £20,000.

I price each job after the survey because the cost depends on the system, the length and height of the wall, how many flanking paths need attention and what has to be moved. What I can promise is a written quote that explains what you are paying for, and an honest view on whether the likely improvement is worth it for you.

For many people it is still far less, and far less upheaval, than moving house.

What result can you realistically expect?

A well-designed and carefully built system can make noise quieter, softer and far less intrusive, so the room feels private again. It will not usually make a neighbour's noise disappear completely, and deep bass is always the hardest part.

My background is plastering, dry lining and building physics, so the construction side of soundproofing is familiar ground. Every design follows the established principles above, starts with a survey and comes with realistic expectations written into the quote.

The survey matters more here than in almost any other job I do. I want to hear the noise described in your words, see where the party wall meets the floor, ceiling and chimney breast, and check what sits on the other side of the sockets. Sometimes the honest conclusion is that a ceiling or a secondary window will help more than a wall, and I would rather tell you that than build the wrong thing. You can see how a job runs from first visit to handover on my how it works page.