Living in an urban environment often comes with advantages and disadvantages. One of the major drawbacks is noise. The quality of materials used in apartment structures doesn't inspire confidence either. The discomfort it causes affects our lives, to a greater or lesser extent. Fortunately, there are effective solutions that can help us limit the effects of this problem.
Sound insulation is one of them.
We spoke with architect Raluca Muresan and here's what she recommends. There are several standard insulation methods that reduce impact noise, the most commonly used being wall cladding with polystyrene and mineral wool.
Expanded polystyrene is a suitable solution for apartments in blocks of flats, where noise from outside or from neighbors can be quite annoying. In short, metal profiles are mounted between which expanded polystyrene is applied using an adhesive. Its fixing will be done with precisely calculated alternates with air layers.
Over the polystyrene, a gypsum board wall will be applied and subsequently the desired finishes. This is the most used method at present, the disadvantage being the effect of reducing the room surface area.
The second method involves covering the walls with layers of mineral wool followed by total coverage with gypsum board.
Sound insulation options also exist at floor level. Before installing parquet or tiles, specialists recommend fixing acoustic panels that function as shock absorbers against vibrations. Another viable option is cork, used as such for the flooring or as a material in the composition of the aforementioned acoustic panels.
It's good to know that wood, ceramic tiles and laminate flooring have low sound insulation properties, warns Raluca. Therefore, if your neighbors complain about the noise of your footsteps, it is advisable to consider floor sound insulation during your next home renovation.
Windows represent an important barrier against outside noise. A useful first step is choosing types of thermal insulating glass that also have soundproofing properties. When moving into a new apartment, window quality should be a priority as they will determine your comfort over time.
Therefore, pay due attention to this aspect. You can also resort to noise-limiting tricks by installing exterior roller shutters or, for the interior, opting for thick curtains which will limit the amount of noise from outside.
