‘My apartment walls are paper thin. How can I reduce noise disruption to neighbours?’

I recently purchased an apartment in Dublin. In order to get the location I wanted, I compromised a bit on some other aspects of the apartment and so it’s a bit older than I wanted. Now I’m living in it, my main issue is that the walls seem to be paper thin. I have lovely neighbours, a family on one side and an older couple on the other. I love having friends and colleagues over, but I really worry about the noise. Are there improvements you would suggest I make to have better sound privacy?

Congratulations on your new apartment. Securing the right location is a great achievement, even if some compromises were needed. It’s understandable that noise issues could impact how you enjoy your home, but there are several soundproofing improvements to consider.

How sound travels is key to understanding your issue. Airborne sound (voices, music) moves through walls and ceilings, while impact sound (footsteps, objects dropping) passes through floors and structural elements. Hard surfaces such as wooden floors worsen noise due to reverberation, where sound bounces around the room, amplifying noise transfer.

Since the apartment is older, it may predate modern building regulations, meaning its original construction likely didn’t meet today’s soundproofing standards. Current regulations, outlined in part E of the Technical Guidance Document, set minimum standards for sound insulation between apartments. While these apply to newbuilds and major refurbishments, they can still guide the improvements you consider.

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It’s important to understand that the owners’ management company (OMC) is unlikely to be obliged to address issues solely for soundproofing purposes. Their responsibility generally extends to legally required structural or compartmentation repairs. Upgrading sound insulation for comfort would likely be considered your responsibility as the owner.

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You mentioned the walls seem “paper thin”. Older apartments would generally have party walls built with solid masonry. However, gaps, unsealed service penetrations or construction weaknesses could be causing the problem. A chartered building surveyor could inspect the property to determine the exact cause and check for structural or compartmentation issues, such as unsealed joints or missing soundproofing materials. If uncovered, these would be the responsibility of the OMC.

If the source of the noise isn’t clear, consider hiring a specialist acoustic engineer to perform decibel testing and provide tailored recommendations. They can pinpoint sound transfer issues and advise on specific solutions.

The good news is that internal soundproofing works within your apartment usually don’t require OMC approval, provided they don’t alter party walls or common structural elements. However, it’s prudent to notify the OMC in advance, so they’re aware and can confirm no key building elements will be affected.

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If no major structural issues are found, installing drylining on shared walls using sound-absorbing insulated plasterboard is one of the most effective upgrades. This adds mass, reducing sound transmission. Insulation should extend into ceiling and floor voids for maximum coverage. Be prepared to adjust electrical outlets, skirting boards and plumbing fixtures. While this will slightly reduce room size, the improvement in sound privacy should be worth the trade-off.

Since you’ll already be doing disruptive works, consider drylining and insulating external walls as well. This would improve both soundproofing and thermal comfort, reducing heat loss and future disruption.

Additional improvements include installing acoustic underlay beneath carpets, laminates or hard wood to absorb both airborne and impact noise. If you have hard floors, thick rugs or carpets can further reduce sound transmission and control reverberation.

Heavy, lined curtains can also dampen sound when placed over external windows or doors. Soft furnishings, such as upholstered furniture, fabric-covered headboards and wall-mounted acoustic panels, absorb sound while enhancing your home’s interior design. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves or built-in storage units installed along shared walls can help block sound while providing extra storage.

It’s important to note that soundproofing only your apartment will reduce noise leaving your apartment, but will have limited impact on noise coming in from neighbours, as effective soundproofing requires work on both sides of shared walls. Consider discussing joint improvements with neighbours if noise is a shared concern.

With professional advice and targeted improvements, you can reduce sound transfer, limit reverberation, and create a more private, peaceful living space.

Damian King is a chartered building surveyor and a member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland

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