Soundproofing Your Property

Author: Jeff Durham

People will choose to soundproof their home because of one of two reasons: either you’ll want to keep the sound, if you’re a budding drummer or electric guitarist, for example; or you’ll want to keep noise out, if Noise Pollution such as persistent dog barking or regular neighbours' parties is causing you grief.

If the noise continues despite friendly conversations with your neighbours, you may need to take a more formal approach using our free Noise Complaint Letter Builder.

Can I Do it Myself?

If you are a dab hand at DIY, it is perfectly possible for you to soundproof your home, so you can completely eliminate or dramatically reduce the level of noise coming into or going out of your house. There are many soundproofing manufacturers who would be able to advise you on what you need to buy depending on the level of soundproofing you require or by knowing the specifics as to the reason you’re looking to soundproof your home in the first place. The more intensive and professional you need the soundproofing to be, however, the better it would be if you got in a professional soundproofing expert to carry out the job.

Determining Where the Emphasis Lies

Noise can creep in and out of every corner of your house. If you decide to undertake a soundproofing job or get a professional in to do it, switch off all appliances in your home that are capable of creating sound then, over different times of the day, walk around the house to see where the most external sound can be heard.

The Main Areas to Focus on

The areas you should be considering when looking to soundproof your home are, in fact, the most obvious ones – windows, doors, walls, ceilings and floors. Here are some useful tips for dealing with each of these areas.

Noise Meter

Use your phone or computer to measure noise levels and keep a dated record with notes. Export as evidence for your council or environmental health officer. All data stays on your device.

Try our Noise Meter free, here on this site →

Windows

Double glazing can reduce noise over single pane windows by up to around 20%. There are more expensive double glazing and soundproof specialised windows with acrylic frames and panes that have slightly more separation between the panes of the glass, which enables them to reduce noise by up to 50%.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

Walls

Adding more layers of drywall can improve sound resistance, as can blowing in paper or foam insulation. However, if these procedures seem a little too complex or invasive or if you are renting a property, there are materials you can get from any good soundproofing stockist which you can apply externally to your walls to make them more sound resistant.

Ceilings and Floors

Wherever it’s possible, it’s far better and easier to soundproof a floor over a ceiling. Obviously, if you’re trying to keep noise in or from a neighbouring dwelling directly above you, you’ll have to take the ‘ceiling route’. However, this will involve installing a false ceiling and perhaps inserting fibreglass insulation or soundproof tiling. Floors are far easier to soundproof as you can buy thicker, more sound resistant carpets or have specialised soundproof matting fitted.

Doors

Solid, thick wooden doors are best but it’s not just about the doors themselves. You need to ensure that jambs, thresholds and door heads are also airtight. Special weather seals put around the door frames can make a remarkable difference on their own.

The extent and expense to which you decide to go will all depend on the reasons why you are considering soundproofing your home in the first place, but there are plenty of specialists around who will be able to advise you based on your specific needs. If it’s a really professional job you need doing, these are the people you should turn to.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Noise Meter lets you use your phone or computer to measure noise levels and keep a dated record with notes. Export as evidence for your council or environmental health officer. All data stays on your device. Try it now →

11 questions

Ask Problem Neighbours a Question

Long Suffering 01/06/2023 at 9:09 pm

Have a noisy neighbour who think she can have noise all night until 6am in the morning.
I need to sleep between Midnight and 6am, do what you want the rest of the time. Over two Years and plenty of events. Council don't do a lot, they write a letter to the noise maker and a letter to the person who complains, short respite then noise again, council send the noise maker a letter saying the period is over! Contact 101 to report Incident and get Incident Number. Arbitration wont make any difference as she believes she has the right.
Tried over made another interior wall with100mm of sound insulation, isolated THREE layers of Sound Absorbing Plasterboard and over ONE THOUSAND POUNDS SPENT, but if your neighbour is determine to make your life a misery then she still makes enough noise to make it so.
My advice as it is having detrimental effects upon my health, is to get enough data and go to court. It is the only sure way to have it resolve.

Kiran 26/08/2020 at 4:55 pm

I am living in a joint family system and I have two daughters and both are school going and in joint family system I have only one room so I heard so many voices outside from my room and I really disturbed because my daughter's feeling difficulty on their concentration on their studies. I need sounds proofing of my room because I don't want to hear any distriction outside nof my room.

dimac 27/03/2018 at 6:58 pm

My neighbour keeps the dog poo that she picks up from the garden after her dog and is put in a plant pot and covers it with a plant pot this happened after i complained because they were just throwing the bags of poop down beside there front door . I found this disgusting as i live next door and have to pass there front door to get to mine .her resolve is to keep it in a plant pot and take it with her when she takes the dog out and it only gets for a walk once a day the rest of the time her husband is out the back garden then round the front with it yapping all the time at nothing .. so inconsiderate I have had a go about this especially when i had a delivery or someone coming round he would see them come in the gate or hear me coming downstairs and would come out with the dog yapping . They are a weird pair.

Brooksey 20/01/2018 at 9:01 pm

I rent a flat in a three storey block I am in the middle. The lady below me owns her flat on the ground floor. This is an old buildi g and the floors are wooden. She keeps sending her boyfriend up to my flat complaining I am walking about too much or if my grandchildren visit if a weekend they knock even if this is kid afternoon. I am never noisy at night and everybody in the block said when I moved on the previous tenant had a lot if trouble with her. I gear hercalatm go off every morning at 5.30 and happening her ones and radio on but I don't complain . I have stopped exercising in my home around 4 in the afternoon because she complained I feel like I should go in from work and sit not moving all night. He is a rude and abusive man she never comes up. Cat

Johnny2018 09/01/2017 at 2:46 pm

Hiya i wanted to know how i could soundproof my 1 bed flat as neighbours can hear my dog bark whilst im out or at work and that seems to be an option for solving that specific problem anyone know any companies who could help?

ProblemNeighbours Editor 18/05/2016 at 10:28 am

Find out when the neighbour's work is going to end, what kind of work it is and if they can agree to certain hours/days. At least you'll know when to expect it. Assuming they are renovating the property, it WILL end at some point.

Doc 15/05/2016 at 3:16 pm

I don't know whether I've left it too long to complain about my new neighbours. They were making a noise for about 10 weeks before they moved in and, two months later, they're still at it. I told them in January that they weren't allowed to drill and bang about after 7 (according the council) or all day on Saturday but they haven't stopped, and they're at it on Sunday too. I've also got new neighbours the other side who are also noisy and I've already complained to the council about them. I don't want to look as though I complain about everyone but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to be able to relax at the weekend and sleep when I go to bed. I'm getting really angry, especially as there's soon to be major building work across the road. What should I do?

georgie565 18/10/2015 at 5:22 pm

We (desperately) need to soundproof behind a log burning stove so whatever we can use needs to resist extreme temperatures. Is it possible and if so what could we use? We have soundproofed the alcoves but noise is still coming through the fire place.
Very fed up with noise!
Thanks

PENGUIN 01/09/2015 at 6:33 pm

I live next door to heavy footed neighbours who are making my life hell. I walk quietly but they stomp about like elephants AND they left white goods outside their house. Disgrace. Can anyone help me? I want them dead!

none 21/06/2014 at 12:50 pm

This is disgusting! Get onto your MP, Citizens Advice, local newspapers,(especially the newspaper if your wife had cancer) etc., to kick the Environmental staff's arse! They have to by law help you. Some neighbours are utter scum.
Kick back. The Poles I see are, 'intergrating.'

ODD JOB 03/05/2014 at 8:08 pm

Sound should have to be done by the person suffering the noise but by the person causing the noise. I have 3 young Polish boys renting the house next door to me and they drink all night and the next day. There is only an 11 inch single skin wall between our two dwellings and the floor timbers run between the houses so sound is transmitted will no attenuation, it is hell. The council will not do the job they are paid to do, the Police have no powers and the landlord/owner lives in Turkey just making money out of our hell. This has been going on for 12 months and my wife is trying to recover from 4 operations for cancer, its hell.

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