How to soundproof an apartment you already live in?

Acoustic problems are rarely obvious when you view an apartment. Most only become apparent after you move in. Over time, you realise that conversations can be heard through the wall, every footstep carries through the apartment, and the lift or service shaft makes itself heard at all hours.

That is when the question arises: can anything be improved once the apartment is already furnished?

Yes. It does not always require renovating the entire property, but before choosing a material, you need to identify where the noise is actually coming from and how it is entering the room.

What can you do without renovating?

It is worth starting with the simplest changes, while remaining realistic about what they can achieve.

Sealing the gaps around a door may help if the noise is coming from the stairwell. Heavier curtains can reduce sound reflections inside the room and slightly soften noise entering through the windows. A rug will reduce the sound of footsteps within your apartment, while a full bookcase placed against a wall may help limit sound reflections in the room.

These changes can make an interior feel calmer and less echoey. However, they cannot replace an acoustic layer built into the wall or another separating element. If you can clearly hear conversations through the wall or impacts travelling through the structure, you will need a solution suited to the path taken by the sound.

When the noise is coming through a wall

If the lift or noise from the other side of a particular wall is especially clear, that wall is the most sensible place to start. You do not need to rebuild the entire apartment immediately. It is often more practical to focus on one wall in the bedroom, a child’s room or a home office.

Kokon Pro Wall Barrier is bonded directly to the existing wall and then covered with a plasterboard lining. Wall Panel is installed within a frame built against the existing wall. In both cases, the rebond foam becomes an invisible part of the complete build-up. It works together with the plasterboard, the frame and the junctions between the individual components. The final result depends on the complete system, not on the panel alone.

Several practical points need to be considered before work begins. The new wall lining will reduce the available floor area, while sockets and switches may need to be moved or extended. Furniture will have to be moved away from the wall, and the room should be protected against dust. Even so, the work can still be limited to a single room without stripping out the entire apartment.

What about noise coming from above?

The type of sound matters most in this situation. Music and television travelling through the separating floor behave differently from footsteps, stomping or chairs being moved.

Kokon Pro Top can be installed within a suspended ceiling structure as part of a system designed to reduce sound transmission. If you have no control over the solution used in the apartment above, a suspended ceiling may help improve the situation.

Before installing the ceiling, it is worth having the proposed build-up reviewed and setting realistic expectations for the result.

How can you plan the work without turning your apartment upside down?

Start with one room. Choose the room where the noise causes the greatest disruption. This will usually be the bedroom, a child’s room or a home office.

Focus on one sound transmission path. If the noise is clearly coming through a wall, do not begin by replacing the floor and installing a suspended ceiling at the same time. Address the most likely transmission path first.

Combine acoustic improvements with planned renovation work. Replacing flooring, redecorating or installing a new wall or ceiling lining creates a natural opportunity to add the appropriate layer. This reduces costs, dust and the need to reopen finished surfaces later.

Assess the result before moving to the next stage. Once the first building element has been upgraded, check what has actually changed. Sometimes one well-planned modification is enough. In other cases, completing the first stage makes it easier to hear which other paths the sound is still using to enter the room.

A quieter apartment without moving home

Making an existing apartment quieter does not have to mean a complete renovation. The key is to identify the problem, select the right building element and carry out the work in the correct order.

If you are unsure where to start, tell us what you can hear, which direction the noise is coming from and how the room is constructed. We will help you identify the first sensible step without planning work you may not need.