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Insulating a ceiling

theparallaxview

theparallaxview

pfm Member
Anyone have any experience of insulating a ceiling? I get a fair bit of impact noise from the flat above me and some airborne and I would like to be able to play the hifi louder. Guy above me has bare, gappy wooden floors that he refuses to either cover or maintain. So looking what I might do ceiling wise and been looking at the under ceiling solutions from http://www.soundservice.co.uk/soundproofing_ceilings.html - particularly interested in the Genie clips and membrane stuff. But wonder whether an extra layer of acoustic plasterboard and a membrane would suffice - there's a good bit of insulation above the current ceiling. My thoughts are it wouldn't stop the impact noise.

Interested in other people's experience here - a room in a room isn't an option and it's only impact/airborne noise from above, or airborne escaping to above that's an issue, can't hear anything from the next door neighbours apart from their washing machine.
 
I was in a similar situation to you years ago, contemplated machine gunning my upstairs neighbours, they had a bare floor with holes that they refused to do anything with. Wife clunked around on high heels, husband shouted on the phone, kids bounced and bashed keys on the piano, their tv was worse than they were. I didn't know much about sound insulation but when a piece of my ceiling fell down I took the opportunity to replace the lot with double thickness plasterboard and lots of rockwool. Made absolutely no difference whatsoever to the old lath and plaster ceiling. The company in your link looks like it knows it's stuff, I'd most definitely phone them up and talk through your problem. As I now understand it, sound insulation from either airborne or structure borne noise is not easy, so expert advice is essential. Those genie clips look clever. And maybe while your ceiling is down you could put something on the underside of his floorboards to damp them too,as well as putting absorbent in the cavity. Or just shoot him.
 
Yeah, I sent them a mail on Friday. I had an old lathe and plaster one before, and rockwool and new plasterboard made a difference but not enough. Don't really want to have to do it all again but deciding whether to bite the bullet and do that. Was looking at Green Glue too - will stop airborne but not impact but a layer with that, plus Genie clips might do the trick. Have to avoid what they call the 'triple leaf' thang where you have two cavities as it makes it worse it seems.
 
I would look at the option of applying a layer of rubber to the ceiling by applying it like you would wallpaper a ceiling. Something like this:

Acoustic Plasterboard
 
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I think you want something along the lines of that genie clip - if you can mechanically separate the structure of your new false ceiling from the one above, it will really help reduce low frequency sound transmission (simply insulating is unlikely to help much with that). We have studios at work that are constructed this way and the reduction in sound level between inside and out is incredible.
 
The *vast* majority of that noise will be called 'flanking' noise and coming through the thousands of gaps that exist in the structure.
Mass and *total* sealing is the only way to stop that.
The rubber matting idea is good if you can get the above neighbours to put it not their floor, but for you to put it up on your ceiling is not really any good. It helps stop 'impact' noise primarily, and pretty good it is at it.
Depends how much you are prepared t lose off your ceiling height, but some 2x2 screwed to the ceiling, then a layer of double weight plasterboard, is the way to go.
Set the 2x2 in acoustic intumesant mastic as in link, and seal every single joint in the mastic, and the wall/ceiling interface **totally**
Screw the plasterboard to this, then either a skim coat of plaster (this will help seal even more and add mass, or, if your board jointing skills are excellent, some wallrock paper. Paint. Job done. While your at it some 50mm thick rock wool slabs will help insulate against heat loss upwards..
Good luck!
http://www.builderdepot.co.uk/rockwool-310ml-acoustic-intumescent-sealant.html?gclid=CJDxlrTLwMoCFeISwwodOBwC6w
 
Make an independent, isolated room within a room may be the only way.
Walls and doors can be sound proofed, but ceilings are another set of issues.
If it was me I would buy a good headphone system or move if practical.


Bloss
 
Thanks for all the tips - will speak with the guys tomorrow. Dunno why this went to off topic, it's an audio room question at the end of the day, maybe DIY would have been better tho.
 
I used the genie clips, resilient bars and acoustic plasterboard to help block noise from between my pub/music venue and the flat above, it was/is very effective. I got somebody to install it properly as correct installation of the stuff is key to it working properly. Some sound deadening material in the ceiling void will help a lot too BUT, this stuff is meant o be installed below the existing ceiling so if you remove the existing plasterboard, you will need to replace it before installing the acoustic stuff.
 
A friend had a similar problem and told me that the only really effective way was by putting a layer of lead sheet, yes, the heavy metal lead, sandwiched between other materials. But that's all I can tell you.....
 
Don't use standard rockwool. There are some dense but thin thermal and acoustic insulation wools that are very effective, though pricey.
 
Check your lease whether wooden floors are allowed. Speak to the owner of the Freehold or Managing Agent.
 
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