Hello, I urgently need to soundproof my floor down to my neighbor, partly because I'm disturbed by their noise and partly them by mine. Therefore, I have decided to soundproof the floor in the living room and possibly the hallway. But how should I proceed? The plan was to cover the floor with cellular plastic, sound-dampening underlayment foam, and then appropriate click flooring on top, could that work? I was also considering placing bubble wrap between the cellular plastic and the underlayment foam. Am I on the right track or completely off track?
Need to soundproof or move. So tips.
Need to soundproof or move. So tips.
What kind of building is it? If the floors are hollow, you might be able to insulate them.
If it's a concrete floor, a sturdy wooden floor with foam underneath should dampen some of it.
If it's a concrete floor, a sturdy wooden floor with foam underneath should dampen some of it.
Yes, it's a typical apartment from around 1940-1950. Almost 100% sure it's concrete and then the parquet directly on top.
Since it's a rental, I want to make it cost-effective. A shag rug or wall-to-wall carpet would probably help, but it won't be enough.
Since it's a rental, I want to make it cost-effective. A shag rug or wall-to-wall carpet would probably help, but it won't be enough.
Crocs and lots of rugs are probably the cheapest solution I can think of.A Alternativamateriel said:
So, my idea of using foam board insulation, sound-dampening underlay, and then laminate flooring on top is to be dismissed, or?
4000 kr is definitely worth it for the sake of sleep.
4000 kr is definitely worth it for the sake of sleep.
That's not how they built in the 1940s-50s. If you have a parquet floor with blocks, there's a plank floor underneath it. The plank floor rests on wooden joists, either directly on the concrete or buried in sand. (However, in the latter case, the noise disturbances might not be as significant.) It's difficult to give good advice without knowing more precisely what it looks like. If there's concrete in the lower part of the beam structure, you can check by tapping the ceiling with a broom handle. The next beam structure should be built the same way.
Well, the ceiling is hard as concrete. There's some kind of wood under the oak planks. I don't know what's underneath, should I drill a hole and check?
I won't end up in the neighbor's place, right? Haha.
I won't end up in the neighbor's place, right? Haha.
That risk is probably very small... Under the parquet lies a regular wooden floor with relatively narrow tongue-and-groove boards which in turn rest on joists. The question is how high the joists are and if they rest directly on the concrete. Of course, if you can drill a hole somewhere where it's not noticeable, that is a method. The alternative is to check with the Building Committee's archive. Since it's a multi-family building from that time, there are certainly either construction drawings or technical descriptions. Structural calculations were mandatory.A Alternativamateriel said:
Once you've found out how the floor structure is built, the best solution is probably to lift the parquet blocks and the subfloor and do some form of insulation there. How depends on the actual design of the joist structure. Parquet blocks can be lifted and put back if you are patient.
if it's a rental apartment, you don't need to do anything.A Alternativamateriel said:
you and your neighbor should go to your landlord and talk.