• Irish Concrete Federation
• Concrete Homes
• Fire
• Thermal Performance
• Floors
• Durability
• Noise
• Re-sale value
• Flooding
• DIY
• Environment
• FAQ's
• Zero Carbon Project
• Precast Concrete
• Ready Mixed Concrete
• Benefits of Concrete
• Aggregates
• Products Directory
• Insulating Concrete Formwork

NOISE

Excessive noise in an increasing problem and the difficulties associated with long term exposure to noise include sleeplessness, lack of concentration, raised blood pressure and stress levels. Mostly this is associated with excessive noise levels at work or from obvious sources such as traffic or aircraft.

More insidious however is the noise we can be exposed to in our own homes.

Noise in the home is a greater problem in Ireland today than ever before. This can be difficult to live with, especially when we expect our homes to be a place of refuge. Changes in construction practices and the fact that we live closer together in smaller spaces are contributing factors. Changes is culture and lifestyle, including the popularity of loud rock and pop music and a growing party culture can make life in the home less comfortable. Other factors, such as the introduction of radios and televisions in children's bedrooms, petrol lawnmowers, more cars and mopeds, burglar alarms, outdoor parties etc. are all contributing to increased noise levels.

Noise transmission through a house is inevitable to some degree, but the volume and level of disturbance will vary hugely depending on the structure of the building. Changes in construction materials, details and finishes are contributing to increased noise levels. The drum effect, caused by the use of timber stud partitions between rooms is a case in point. Tests on actual wall construction show that 100 mm masonry walls achieve between 41 and 46 decibels reduction in sound compared to only 31 to 35 decibels for standard timber stud partitions. The difference in performance is particularly significant when one takes into account that the measurement of sound is based on a logarithm scale. In simple terms, a concrete masonry wall will let less than half the sound through compared with a normal lightweight timber stud partition.

Concrete homes invariably have solid concrete block walls between neighbouring homes. These "party" walls give good soundproofing, complying with the requirements set down in the Building & Fire Regulations. However, some lightweight timber framed homes have only timber stud (plasterboard) partitions as separation walls between neighbouring homes. There is strong evidence to show that these type of timber stud walls are very unsatisfactory and some fire consultants would say, very dangerous. In fact, astonishingly, these walls have not been shown to comply with BS 476 part 20 and therefore do not comply with the mandatory Irish Building & Fire Regulations.

Understandably, many people are unhappy at the prospect of having only a timber stud partition separating wall, particularly when its sound insulation and fire properties are highly dependent on workmanship. When working under pressure workmen can incorrectly fix or inadvertently leave out insulation materials which will compromise both the sound insulation and fireproofing of the wall.

However, when you choose a home which has plastered concrete block party walls, both the soundproofing and fireproofing are inherent in the block itself. The soundproofing of a solid concrete block wall comes from its mass and not from an insulation.