Can you soundproof just the ceiling when soundproofing separating floors?
So you have a problem with noise transmitting from room above and this is likely to be noisy footsteps? Or, because of the type of floor finish or it could be that you have thin separating floors and it’s just general annoying sound like TV’s and chatter.
The team at Hush Acoustics are asked about how these problems are tackled on a day-to-day basis and in this guide we cover the basic solutions.
How to meet Building Regulations for ceiling soundproofing
Achieving Building Regulations for acoustic treatment in separating floors is easily achievable from just the ceiling side by using innovative acoustic systems from Hush Acoustics. This solves a lot problems that some developers or homeowners might have especially when dealing with noisy neighbours… you don’t even have to tell them they’re noisy! But also, you wont need to access the property above and discuss on that part of the separating floor can be insulated for sound reduction.
No need to access the floor above
Providing an ideal solution for material change of use, conversion projects, the Hush Acoustics HD1045 Multi Panel MF Sound Reduction System works by treating the ceiling and voids without the need to access or disrupt the floor above.
This overcomes any practical difficulties in gaining access to properties above when working on conversion projects, such as occupied flats, and also offers a solution where floorboards or floor coverings cannot be disrupted in listed buildings or architecturally sensitive settings.
How does the ceiling sound insulation work?
It combines a number of high quality Hush manufactured materials into a fully tested system, with a mix of sound absorption, blocking and separation working to dramatically reduce sound transmission paths through the separating floor.
Key to the effectiveness of the HD1045 system are two layers of Hush-Slab 100, a high quality fibrous sound absorber that infills the ceiling joists and is layered above the new ceiling – formed using Hush Multi Panels and Fireline plasterboard.
The newly created ceiling suspends from the joists via Hush Acoustic Hangers which clearly separates the ceiling and joists to create a 350mm void between the ceiling and floor level above (including and based on a 200mm existing joist depth).
A similar system has been created specifically for improving sound insulation for basement ceilings, which is perfect for single dwelling refurbishment projects, as well as to meet material change of use requirements. The Hush Acoustics HD1044 system takes the same approach by treating the ceiling side only, utilising resilient bars to break sound transmission paths in place of the MF system of hangers. The HD1044 system lends itself ideally to areas where there is limited floor to ceiling height
to form the acoustic ceiling.
Meeting Building Regulations for material change of use
Both the HD1044 and HD1045 are designed to reduce both impact and airborne sound transmission through the floor/ceiling construction, meeting the standards for material change of use set out in Approved Document E (England & Wales), Section 5 (Scotland) and Part G (Northern Ireland). They are both tested as a complete system – deliver effective treatment in every appropriate application, providing all the specified components are installed in the correct way with no elements omitted or substituted.
