Soundproofing your Ceilings

What is sound proofing?

Soundproofing is the process of reducing the transmission of sound between two spaces; in the case of buildings, two rooms. Any room can be soundproofed to provide a more comfortable acoustic experience. There are many basic ways in which a space can be soundproofed, all in which Muffle can assist with. These include increasing the distance between the source and receiver, using noise control products to reflect or absorb the sound or using damping methods such as acoustic baffles. In general, the more mass a surface has, the better it is at preventing the transmission of sound.

Why do I need sound proofing?

Sound proofing is an important aspect of any room, whether in the home or a professional workplace. Find out more how acoustics can affect your health here.

There are different sound characteristics that can affect us:

Airborne Noise

—

Airborne noise is any noise that is emitted through the air. In the case of soundproofing, airborne noise creates something known as flanking noise. Imagine a room being filled with water and now imagine the areas in which the water could escape from that room. Sound works in the same way, anywhere there is a gap, sound will escape through it. This is flanking noise. The image demonstrates flanking transmissions and how they work.

For example, if you work in an office and rooms are not correctly soundproofed, flanking transmissions will pass between each room. So, if you have an important meeting in the boardroom, sound from the office or corridor outside will be heard in the boardroom.

Guide to Soundproofing Ceilings

When it comes to soundproofing your ceiling, it is important to make sure the solution that is being considered is fit for purpose. This brief guide will present a standard solution as recommended in in the Government Resistance to Sound Guidance, shown here: Approved Document E.

Please get in touch with the team here at Muffle to discuss your specific noise problem and we will reach a solution designed for you.

When soundproofing your ceilings, the main thing to bear in mind is that we do not want the existing build up and the new solution to be connected. Once surfaces are connected, sounds pass through and will still present a problem. Any solution to a sound insulation problem should stand alone, adjacent to the existing ceiling.

Good soundproofing for airborne and impact sound is dependent on the combined mass of the existing floor and the independent ceiling as well as how airtight the construction is.

For the Approved Document E example, there is a separation of 125mm between the underside of the floor and upper surface of the ceiling. Due to variances in structure, determining the size of the ceiling joist will results in a larger separation. During the fitting of these solutions, careful consideration must be made to make sure that the ceiling is of an adequate height to fit the new ceiling in.