Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jan 27, 2010 7:32 am Hi all, Has anyone installed insulation in between their two storey house? If yes, read on ... What type of batts did you buy and what was their rating? How does it perform? What pros and cons do you see with it? You think it's really worth it? Any info about the cost would also be appreciated (and in relation to the size of the area covered) My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 3Jan 27, 2010 8:08 pm Hi Lex, Can't help with most of your questions but.... We've got it added to our tender but it hasn't been installed yet - we think it'll be worth it. $1490 for R3.0 thermal insulation b/w floors ~150m2 $600 for R3.5 thermal insulation above garage ~43m2 Never argue with an idiot they drag you down to their level & then beat you with experience - Dilbert View Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19733 Contract signed 14Sept Slab 30Sept Bricks laid 1Dec Lock up 26Feb Keys 10Jun Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 4Jan 27, 2010 8:50 pm Oh, thanks so much Mrs Rose!! Of course it helps! What was the reason you decided to put them in? We think it's going to help to soften the noise from walking upstairs, but not sure if there is any other benefit. I asked for a quote - still waiting ... It's so strange with these insulation installer places - everyone claims they have no idea about the cost! BTW, I was told that thes "plain" ceiling batts will do the same job like the proper acoustic batts, only they are cheaper ... OMG, here's some serious rain just started ... onto our plywood floors ... again !!! My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 5Jan 27, 2010 8:55 pm We did. R2, I think a few hundred bucks to add it in. Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 6Jan 27, 2010 9:34 pm A few hundred ... Wow, that's good then !! BTW, welcome back!!! I've wondered where were you So, has anyone actually used the acoustic ones at all !??! My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 8Jan 28, 2010 10:38 am MadCow We've added the "soundscreen" batts with thermal rating of R3.0 for $2.5K. The soundscreen batts have better sound absorption properties than the norm. MadCow Thanks, MadCow. Is this only in between the 2 storeys? What was the size of the area covered? Did you do this as part of your contract, or is this indepedent from your builder?? (... looks like you haven't moved in yet, so unfortunately can't ask about the performace) My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 9Jan 28, 2010 11:00 am Hi Lex, Yes only between ground and 1st floor including the area above the garage. We have added this as a variation to the contract. On the 1st floor ceiling, we have the normal insulation R3.5 and sarking. Yeah we haven't even started to build. Hopefully site start is next week. Our construction certificate got approved Monday this week YEAH ! We have been in council prior to this for 9 months MadCow. Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 10Jan 28, 2010 11:52 am i looked around for some options to reduce the noise transfer from downstairs. Our main living area is directly below the main bedroom - and there is probably going to be some times when we dont go to bed at the same time....noise travels and we all know what it's like to hear music/tv through the walls/floors. Anyway, i priced floating plaster (attached to rubber clips) - way too expensive, double layed gyrpock and other studio style acoustic baffles/reduction measures. in the end it wasnt worth it. I ended up upgrading to supacheck plasterboard which is a new product and has better insulation/acoustic properties than soundchek. we also installed soundscreen insulation. i cant remember the stats, but it is defiently alot denser than the standard wall/ceiling insulation. We havent moved in yet - so cant comment on the end result. Also, think about how many penetrations there will be in the ceiling. lights, a/c ducts, smoke alarm, speakers etc. S Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 11Jan 28, 2010 11:58 am FYI, about a year ago we had sound insulation installed between floors at a cost of $750 (includes builders margin) for approximately 70sqm - I don't know the rating of the batts as I have lost the relevant emails. If I had the chance to revisit this decision I would NOT include this upgrade again as it has made very little difference to the noise transfer between floors; and this is despite the fact that we also a carpet with a good quality underlay across the first floor (except for wet areas) and down the stairs. I think there are two main reasons why it hasn't worked for us:-
2. we have a bathroom, ensuite and powder room upstairs and ducted heating, ceiling fans and 20+ CFL downlights downstairs; as a result we have many cuts/slits/holes in the insulation to accommodate all the pipes/ducts/cables required for these areas/features. So, I guess, my point is that you need to also consider the design of your house (in particluar, the stairwell) and the volume of utility pipes/ducts/cables in the cavity between floors as well as the cost when making this decision. Good Luck! 'We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.' - Winston Churchill Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 12Jan 28, 2010 1:00 pm Thanks, guys! Yeah, the issue of fitting the batts in that already busy space did cross my mind (to say the least), but I must admit I've totally forgotten about the a/con ducts , which obviously would be the biggest tubes in our case. I also thought about the stairs, but I suppose the main factor in our case would be future timber floors upstairs (no carpet) and the transfer of footsteps noise from them. We'll see what kind of quote we get (if any!! these guys don't seem to want to get more business ) My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 13Jan 28, 2010 2:42 pm I was thinking about something like this http://www.allnoisecontrol.com/products/FootFall.cfm It was not much about preventing sound traveling between downstairs and upstairs (had not thought about it) but rather wanted to reduce possible sound when walking on timber floor upstairs. With the TV problem - I reckon a pair of good quality headphones with long cable would be an effective a much cheaper alternative ... built a Promenade with Clarendon. viewtopic.php?f=31&t=25104 20-10-09 - excavation and piering completed ... 12-04-10 - Basins fixed. Connecting to the electrical grid 23-04-10 - PCI 07-05-10 - HANDOVER! Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 14Jan 28, 2010 8:45 pm ebyelyakov ... wanted to reduce possible sound when walking on timber floor upstairs. With the TV problem - I reckon a pair of good quality headphones with long cable would be an effective a much cheaper alternative Yeah, that's exactly what we were thinking (actually, he). Whenever we visit friends who have floating floors upstairs (similar house, fairly new), he notices the noise from people just walking upstairs !!! (while I don't pay any attention to it!) My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 15Jan 29, 2010 2:47 pm Lex ebyelyakov ... wanted to reduce possible sound when walking on timber floor upstairs. With the TV problem - I reckon a pair of good quality headphones with long cable would be an effective a much cheaper alternative Yeah, that's exactly what we were thinking (actually, he). Whenever we visit friends who have floating floors upstairs (similar house, fairly new), he notices the noise from people just walking upstairs !!! (while I don't pay any attention to it!) haha... seems it is a men's thing I'm much more (significantly more) noise sensitive comparing to my DW ... built a Promenade with Clarendon. viewtopic.php?f=31&t=25104 20-10-09 - excavation and piering completed ... 12-04-10 - Basins fixed. Connecting to the electrical grid 23-04-10 - PCI 07-05-10 - HANDOVER! Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 16Jan 29, 2010 3:16 pm I don't know what is it, but approximately at the same time as you wrote this, I actually caught myself thinking about this same thing !! Then I thought how He noticed the noise, and then matched it with Me being the one who notices smells . Although, I am usually the one who loves silence ... so not sure why this "defect" has not caught my attention - maybe I noticed it, but subconcieously thought "that's how it has to be" - naive, very likely My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 17Jan 29, 2010 3:19 pm If you want to deaden some of the noise - then DO use accoustic batts. Normal (thermal) insulation batts will not make very much difference. If you were thinking of using thermal insulation batts to improve/reduce temp variations - don't bother as your stairwell opening will negate any impact. Installing accoustic batts between the floors will attenuate noise. It won't block it out as you have a stairwell. However, the batts will muffle a lot of the noise that would otherwise be amplified in the space between your floors. Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 18Jan 29, 2010 3:24 pm Hmmmmm ... bad news then ... the proper acoustic ones are dearer. I was told by the very installer of these things that "plain" ceiling batts will do the same job like the proper acoustic batts, only they are cheaper! And yes, the purpose of putting them in would purely be for deadening the sound of walking over timber floors upstairs, no thermal usage. My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 19Jan 29, 2010 3:36 pm There are reasons why the acoustic batts are dearer than the thermal ones. One is that the density of the acoustic batts is much higher (kinda how the batt attenuates noise - whereas the thermal ones are meant to be light & fluffy with gazillions of air pockets to stop thermal transfer). Any installer telling you that they are the same is either ****** or (most likely) ill-informed. Re: Between-the-Floors Insulation 20Feb 04, 2010 1:11 pm OK, news. Just got their quote - R3 thermal batts for $1050. The quote doesn't say what's the size of the area (but FYI it's around 110 m2 - and this obviously ignores all ducts/pipes/cables which are in the way). From the little bit that I've read, I am also thinking that there must be a very noticeable difference in performance (b/w plain thermal and acoustic batts). I also have in mind our "lifestyle" and house design together. With us living in this house, I don't think we'd need it. If it was someone else, they might. Still undecided ... I said "not gonna happen", my BH said "go ahead" My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Sorry, don't know costs, but there are a couple of very important principles you need to get right (and now) .... (1) never agree to any "upgrade" unless you first know… 5 6850 Old Home Restoration / Renovation To reduce noise transfer without compromising the aesthetic of your exposed I beams, consider filling the 100mm gap between the I beams and the floor above with dense,… 6 9151 2 4684 |