Wall, floor or ceiling?

Where the noise appears to come from is the starting point for diagnosing the problem. Find out what else you should check before choosing a material.

Someone says, “I can hear my neighbour, so I want to soundproof the wall.” A few weeks later, the noise is still there because it was actually travelling through the floor above or a gap around the door. Choosing the right area to treat is half the battle.

Start by listening

Before buying anything, spend one evening listening carefully. Sit in the room where the noise causes the greatest disruption. Close your eyes and answer three questions.

What can you hear? Voices, music and television are examples of airborne noise. Footsteps, knocks, moving objects and a bouncing ball produce impact noise. Each travels differently and requires a different solution.

Where is it coming from? Above, beside you or below? This can be difficult to judge because sound can travel through the building structure and emerge somewhere completely different.

When does it bother you most? In the evening, at night or in the morning? The timing may help you identify the source.

Floor: an important exception

There is one important point to understand. An underlay beneath your own floor, such as Kokon Pro Floor, helps reduce the noise you generate: footsteps, knocks and moving furniture. It benefits the neighbour below and makes the floor more comfortable underfoot. However, it will not address noise created by the neighbour above because that sound reaches you through the ceiling.

Wall: noise entering from the side

Conversations, television and music from an adjoining apartment or another room usually travel through the wall. An additional layer fitted to the wall, such as Kokon Pro Wall Panel or Kokon Pro Wall Barrier, can help reduce this transmission. Its performance will, however, depend on the wall’s construction and whether it contains any weak points.

Ceiling: the most difficult area to treat

Noise from above, including footsteps and moving furniture, can be both highly disruptive and difficult to control. The most effective changes are made at the source, in the flooring of the apartment above, but you usually have no control over