Rolled soundproofing for pipes. Soundproofing sewer pipes: important nuances in the selection of materials and insulation systems (115 photos). The use of high-quality mounting clamps-dampers

Noise insulation of sewer pipes in an apartment is one of the important components for comfortable housing arrangement in city houses. This is due to the fact that the soundproofing characteristics of many housing facilities do not meet modern requirements, and the frequent noise of water flowing through sewer pipes has a negative psychological impact on residents, causing considerable discomfort and emotional tension.

Causes of noise in sewer pipes

Increased noise in household sewer pipes can occur for a number of reasons, among which are the following:

insufficient wall thickness in the pipes of the drain system;
low soundproofing qualities of the material from which the pipes are made;
errors in designing the location of walls and pipes in a dwelling;
wrong choice of sealant.

Varieties of sound insulation for sewer networks

To suppress noise in urban sewer pipes, there are several ways:

The use of so-called "quiet" pipes having a multilayer configuration and made of high density polypropylene. This makes it possible to perfectly mute the sound without the use of additional devices and materials, but the disadvantage of such products is their high cost.
The use of soundproof materials, which include polyethylene foam, fiberglass, synthetic rubber, mineral wool and a number of other porous substances.
Use of soundproof tapes and rolls.

Which option for soundproofing pipes in an apartment to use depends on the suitability of one or another method in a particular situation, its convenience, the budgetary possibilities of the owners of the home and other objective factors.

Noise insulation of the sewer riser and vent pipe

Most of the questions usually arise about the noise that comes from the sewer riser, as well as regarding the soundproofing of the fan pipe connecting the sewer riser to the atmosphere. It is the sewer riser that is the place where the greatest amount of noise occurs.

The sounds generated during its operation are conditionally divided into several types:

impact, formed during the passage of a fluid flow through the walls of pipes;
air, appearing during the passage of water flows through the air;
structural, resulting from fluctuations and contact with each other of pipes and other elements of the sewer network.

Airborne noise creates less inconvenience compared to other types. Percussive sounds can be greatly reduced, though not completely eliminated. But structural noises usually create the most problems, and in practice you have to deal with them first of all.

To do this, you will need to do the following:

Prepare a piece of soundproofing material that matches the dimensions of the circumference of the indicated pipes.
Fasten the soundproofing material on the pipe with construction tape. It is important to ensure that its edges are butted to achieve greater efficiency.
It is recommended to tightly cover the pipes with soundproofing material in several layers for maximum damping of sound vibrations.
If necessary, a duct can be built around the sewer riser, which improves the appearance of the structure and enhances the noise reduction effect.

Soundproofing in the toilet and laying a silent sewer

All work on soundproofing pipes in the toilet is carried out after finding out the place of occurrence of noise and its causes. In particular, if noise occurs in an already installed sewer riser, then its sound insulation is carried out using special noise-absorbing materials, fixing them with special tape, as indicated above.

Soundproofing of other pipes in the system, which are a source of noise, is performed in approximately the same way. As roll materials for soundproofing sewer pipes in the toilet, foam rubber or foam plastic is often used, which are put on a pipe in the form of a casing. Such coatings, along with the sound-absorbing effect, perfectly protect pipes from damaging external influences (mechanical, corrosive, etc.). This type of sound insulation for pipes is very easy to install: the casing is simply cut lengthwise with a sharp knife, then the structure is wrapped around with it, after which the butt sections are fastened with construction tape.

In the event that it is required to lay a silent sewer “from scratch” or to replace sewer pipes, the sound-absorbing features of the materials used in their manufacture should be taken into account. In particular, steel pipes are considered the most noisy products for laying a sewer system. Unlike them, cast iron pipes are almost completely silent, which is facilitated by their large mass and significant wall thickness. Also, sewer polymer pipes, in particular, made of plastic, are practically silent.

The plastic material itself is a good sound absorber, providing a low level of acoustic effects during the operation of the drain system. As a result, there is usually no need for additional soundproofing of a plastic sewer pipe. In some cases, such a need may arise due to vibration noise generated when the pipe passes through the floors in the apartment. According to building standards, in such places the pipe, regardless of the material of manufacture, must be dressed in a special sleeve. The space between the pipe and the sleeve must be filled with acoustic sealant to dampen vibration.

However, in practice, builders do not always adhere to this rule. If the sleeve is missing, then the sewer pipes are in hard contact with the ceiling, which can cause noise and damage to the structure over time. You can make the sleeve yourself by using a piece of pipe of a larger diameter or rolled materials. If the sleeve is installed, but not filled with sealant, it is not difficult to lay soundproofing material into it yourself. There may also be free space between the sleeve and the ceiling, and this should also be filled with a sound absorber, and then poured with cement mortar.

There are also ready-made pipe products with noise-absorbing properties that are great for installing silent sewers. In this case, the arrangement of any additional sound insulation is not required. Such pipes have a specific configuration and a multilayer structure. The inner layer is made of smooth polypropylene with special mineral particles.

The middle structure is also made of polypropylene material with special mineral inclusions. Finally, the outer layer is made of high-strength polymeric materials. Of course, such pipe products are very convenient for arranging a “quiet” sewer network, but some of their disadvantages are their high cost. Work with such pipes during installation should be in strict accordance with the instructions, so that the installed structure lasts a very long time and with high quality.

It should be remembered that the thicker the walls of the sewer riser, the lower the noise level comes from it. This fact should be taken into account when arranging sewerage in an apartment.
The best products recommended for the installation of a silent sewer are plastic pipes. They are much easier to install than cast iron, are durable, and are easy to dismantle or replace when needed.
When installing a sound-absorbing system, it is strictly forbidden to install monolithic plugs that tightly compress sewer pipes. Instead, use mechanisms and devices that have the ability to suppress vibration.
Soundproofing pipes requires careful work and accuracy. Any damage to sound-absorbing materials and coatings is unacceptable.
Even after all soundproofing work has been carried out in strict accordance with the rules, a small level of noise in the sewer system may be present. Usually, such noise does not interfere with the comfortable living of residents, however, if you want complete silence, then you should additionally soundproof the ceiling, floor and walls.

The device of sewer networks in houses and apartments using plastic pipes instead of traditional cast iron has many advantages. However, an unpleasant consequence of such a decision is the appearance of extraneous noise in the sewer risers. This problem can be eliminated with the help of special materials for soundproofing domestic sewer pipes.

Why is there noise

The main place of noise generation is the drain riser, as an element through which the maximum volume of liquid passes. Drains moving along it come into contact with each other and with the inner surface of the parts of the sewer system. This process is accompanied by rather loud sounds.

The level of such noise can be several times higher than the value of 20 decibels, which is considered the optimal background noise for the human body. Over time, excessive sound loads can harm not only the psychological, but also the physical condition of the residents.

Plastic riser - the main source of noise in the toilet

There are different types of acoustic effects that occur when using a drain riser:

Impact noise: appear when water falls in a vertical pipe and hits the elements of the sewer system. Plastic parts do not absorb or scatter sound waves, so the noise passes freely through the walls of the pipes into the apartment.
Structural (vibration) noise: occurs when parts of the sewer system come into contact with the surface of walls, ceilings and other structural elements of the building. This is due to the fact that strong water flows cause the pipes to vibrate.
Airborne noise: occur due to atmospheric air entering the ventilated drain and mixing with the water flow. Such sounds are not constant and have a weak intensity.

Noise propagation paths in sewer systems

Unlike plastic, cast iron is practically silent, so the sudden appearance of noise in cast iron pipes can be caused by the formation of internal plaque, foreign objects entering the system, or mechanical damage to parts.

What determines the noise level

The volume of extraneous noise in the pipeline is influenced by various factors.

The strength of the noise varies depending on the number of storeys of the building and the location of the apartment: on the lower floors of high-rise buildings, the noise level in the common riser will be maximum.

Also, the volume of the sound depends on the material from which the sewerage in the toilet is made. Plastic actively transmits the sounds of running water and reflects all the vibrations that occur. On the other hand, cast iron, due to its granular structure, effectively dampens flow vibrations and therefore minimizes structure-borne noise.

An important role is played by the thickness of the walls of the pipeline and the specific gravity of the material. The higher these figures, the quieter the sewer will work.

The location of communications affects the noise level. The best option is to place vertical sewerage sections in interfloor ceilings outside residential premises using special soundproof gaskets.

Materials for soundproofing sewer pipes

The process of soundproofing plumbing communications has two main goals:

Minimize acoustic effects from water movement;
Eliminate structural vibrations during operation.

Accordingly, to eliminate each cause, various materials are used, both for general construction and for specialized purposes.

Materials for eliminating vibration noise

Polyethylene clips (glasses) filled with polyurethane . They are used for sound insulation in places where sewer pipes pass through walls and ceilings of buildings. As an alternative to a factory product, you can use a piece of polyethylene pipe larger than the riser diameter. The space between the casing and the riser is filled with polyurethane foam insulation and sealed.

Vibration damping clamps . They are used to prevent the transmission of resonant vibrations to the walls of the bathroom. They are metal clamps with a screw stud for fastening to the wall. Gaskets made of microporous rubber are installed on the inner surface of the clamp.

Mounting the riser with vibration damping clamps

Materials for acoustic noise insulation

The elimination of unwanted sound effects from sewer pipelines is carried out using materials based on polyethylene foam, polyurethane foam or foam. According to the form of manufacture, they can be piece, roll, tape, as well as in the form of tiles, sheets or mats.

Piece products for soundproofing follow the shape of sewer pipes and are put on parts of the riser before the final assembly of the drain system. To isolate already installed systems, detachable foam shells and various foam rubber casings are used.

Roll and sheet materials are cut into strips of the desired size, which are tightly wrapped around the pipes and fixed with metallized adhesive tape or plastic ties. There are ready-made sets of soundproofing materials designed for a certain length of the pipeline, for example, the Noiseblock Pipe set from Standardplast.

Soundproofing elements of the drain system before assembly

Self-adhesive soundproofing tape is a finely porous sealing material made of polyethylene foam. It is installed by dense and uniform winding on the riser in several layers with partial overlap of turns.

Silent sewer pipes

The cardinal solution to the problem of extraneous sounds in the sewer is the installation of multilayer silent pipes. During their manufacture, milled mineral filler (microcalcite, chalk, dolomite or limestone) is introduced into the plastic mass, which forms the soundproof structure of the finished product.

The inner layer of the pipe is made of polypropylene, resistant to high temperatures and chemically active substances. The smooth surface provides high sewage permeability and protection against deposits.

The main layer of polypropylene with carbonate particles serves to block the acoustic effects from the flow of water.

The outer layer is made of heavy-duty polymers to protect against impacts and other mechanical damage.

Drain system elements in silent design

The disadvantages of silent sewer pipes include high cost compared to conventional materials and a limited service life of about 20 years.

Silent pipes are easy to identify by their appearance: increased wall thickness, white material and two longitudinal stripes of red and green along the entire part. Among the well-known manufacturers of such polymer pipelines, it is worth noting such as REHAU, Skolan dB (Germany) and WAVIN (Netherlands).

How to make soundproofing sewer pipes with your own hands

The choice of material and the procedure for performing work depends on at what stage of the repair a decision was made to soundproof the drain system.

If the pipelines have not yet been installed, then it is more reasonable to use continuous materials:

protective cups are inserted into the technological openings of the floors and walls of the apartment to eliminate vibrations;
at the locations of the pipelines, vibration-damping clamps of a suitable diameter are installed;
on individual parts of the sewer, cylindrical covers are put on from the selected soundproof material.

Noise insulation of pipelines with self-adhesive foil material

After that, the drain system is mounted in accordance with the developed plan. Since access to the riser after completion of work will be limited, it is necessary to waterproof the joints of the sewer pipes with a sealant. If necessary, after assembly, the connections are additionally protected with soundproofing tape.

When soundproofing an already installed pipeline, prefabricated shells, roll and sheet insulation options can be used.

Shell use

Foam (or polyurethane) parts of a semicircular section are put on around the sewer riser and connected using special grooves. Then the insulation is fixed with construction tape.

The characteristics of this soundproofing material limit its use to exclusively straight sections of the pipeline and require free space between the riser and the walls of the apartment.

Installing a soundproof shell on the drain riser

Application of roll and sheet materials

Polyurethane or polyethylene foam is cut into pieces in such a way as to completely wrap the entire pipe with an overlap. The joints are glued with adhesive tape, and then the entire coating is fixed with plastic ties or adhesive tape.

Due to its flexibility, the roll material allows you to carefully isolate hard-to-reach places, as well as make the necessary cutouts at the junction of apartment wiring.

To improve the appearance of the bathroom, drain pipes can be closed with a box of moisture-resistant drywall.

One of the most common mistakes is using the wrong materials. Mounting foam and mineral wool insulation are not suitable for soundproofing work. These materials do not absorb sound waves and do not reduce vibrations. In addition, the ingress of microscopic particles of mineral wool into living quarters has a negative impact on health.

You should also check out some practical tips:

It is recommended to choose materials with a hard outer layer (for example, foil), as they are more durable.

Noise insulation of pipes using foil-wrapped polyurethane foam and polyethylene foam

When soundproofing with self-adhesive materials, it is necessary to first clean the surface of plastic sewer pipes from dust and debris, and then degrease them. This will extend the life of the insulation.
When installing insulation, special attention should be paid to processing the joints of the material, otherwise the result of the work will not provide the desired effect.
The voids inside the drywall box can be filled with polyethylene foam scraps to enhance the sound-absorbing effect of the structure.
Intensive water flow leads to the formation of condensate on plastic pipes. Therefore, according to building codes and regulations for internal sewage, it is necessary to protect the riser section to a height of 10 centimeters from the floor with a concrete screed. This will prevent condensed water from entering the lower floor.

Reading time ≈ 3 minutes

Creating comfortable conditions for a person to stay indoors is associated with several factors. Among them is the sound insulation of sewer pipes. Old cast-iron pipes disturb only the first years of operation. Subsequently, they themselves lose the ability to spread noise. Plastic systems produce too many noises that are very annoying. In such situations, soundproofing the sewer pipe becomes a necessity.

Soundproofing materials for pipes

A pipe, in fact, is an acoustic resonant system, the vibrations of the walls of which cause resonant phenomena. In addition, sound-changing deformations enhance the effect. As a result, the system reproduces several types of noise: shock, resonant, atmospheric, vibration. To neutralize all these noises, you need to choose the right material.

The materials with which the soundproofing of sewer pipes in the apartment is performed must have 2 main functions:

dampen wall vibrations;
prevent the transmission of sound-variable elastic vibrations to the walls of the room.

A good option are materials for soundproofing a car. Such materials are multi-layered. Usually they include 2 working layers: foil and bitumen. The sticky polymer side is insulated with release paper, which must be removed before starting repair work. This material for soundproofing sewer pipes is needed to neutralize vibrations.

You will also need Kaiflex to work. This is a reinforced material, also related to self-adhesive insulators. It is made from foamed rubber, so it is resilient.

Preparatory stage for soundproofing pipes

In new homes or when changing an old cast-iron riser to a modern plastic one, soundproofing sewer pipes becomes a prerequisite for creating a comfortable environment. Before starting the main work, the pipe must be degreased so that the Silver or its analogue sticks firmly, without gaps. If the sound insulation of the sewer riser is made of cast iron or other material that has signs of corrosion, then everything must be cleaned and then coated with a primer.

First layer

If you have to work at low temperatures, you need to warm up the material before use to a temperature of about 40 ° C. To do this, use an industrial hair dryer or other devices. After removing the protective paper, the pasting begins. To make it more convenient to work, you can cut off small fragments and paste over individual zones with them.

A clerical knife is used to cut the insulation. The material completely covers the outer surface of the riser. High-quality sound insulation of a plastic sewer pipe is possible only if there are no uncovered places left. All technological bends, transitions must be fully covered. The glued area is heated so that the bituminous layer melts and firmly adheres to the surface of the pipe.

Second layer

A second layer is glued on top of the first layer - Kaiflex insulation. It can also be cut into fragments of the desired format. It is necessary to cover the entire surface, including the connecting elements. There are several types of such isolation:

KAIFLEX EF - an option for pipes in houses, as well as for freezers;
KAIFLEX HF is a material of higher quality from a sanitary point of view, it can be used in hospitals and kindergartens;
KAIFLEX DUCT is an option for air conditioning systems.

There are other varieties, but they are already in demand in the industry. Using KAIFLEX EF allows you to quickly install, because the material is elastic, and its good adhesive layer makes it possible to stick each fragment the first time. In addition to the fact that such a layer will protect the inhabitants of the apartment from noise, it will also protect pipes from temperature fluctuations, which is important in country houses, and will not allow condensation to accumulate.

We can say that soundproofing for sewer pipes is a simple stage in arranging a comfortable living space. All work is carried out without much effort, special skills are not required. Photos and videos will help to understand the intricacies of this work.

Video soundproofing sewer pipes

Noise isolation of the sewer riser in modern apartment buildings is in poor condition. In a similar situation, the residents of the lower floors hear the upstairs neighbor.

There is only one way out in this situation - high-quality sound insulation of sewer pipes.

This article describes in detail how the soundproofing of sewer pipes in an apartment is done - do-it-yourself soundproofing of a bathtub and soundproofing of a toilet in an apartment.

The essence of soundproofing sewer pipes

Residents of the first floors hear water being drained in the toilet, because the lower the floor, the higher the speed of falling water in the sewer drain and the worse the sound insulation of the sewer riser.

Residents of apartments hear various noises - structural, air and shock.

Percussion sounds are sounds that occur when water interacts with the walls of the tubes. In such a situation, the streams of water coming out of the water pipe crash into the walls of the sewer pipes and create a noise of a certain level.

Airborne noise is the sound that occurs when water passes through air in a tube. Unlike percussion, such noise is not audible.

Structural sounds are those noises that pass through the walls of the pipes, inter-apartment floors, etc. In this case, the sound insulation of the sewer pipe is severely disturbed.

It is impossible to get rid of impact and airborne noise, however, it is possible to reduce the level of structure-borne noise.

As a result, the soundproofing in the toilet is broken: all the noise from the neighbors from above - draining water from the toilet bowl and others - in most cases are transmitted to the residents on the ground floor through sewer risers, ceilings, etc.

A few decades ago, the risers were cast iron - and as a result, the sound insulation of sewer pipes in the apartment was good.

In such a situation, the following problems arose:

it was impossible to disassemble the sewer pipeline system. pipe product and cleaning up debris was not easy - when parsing 1 connection, the installer or the tenant of the apartment spent 60 minutes.

In such a situation, the installer first removed a special cement putty from the neck, and then burned the sealant with a soldering lamp;

the assembly of the sewer pipeline system caused a lot of trouble - sealing the joint with chasing from the side of the wall was a laborious process;
delivery to the right place of a heavy pipe made of cast iron was inconvenient.

However, the cast-iron pipe had 1 advantage: the residents of the first floors did not hear any noise from the sewer riser.

Modern sewer pipes made of cast iron, like plastic pipes, are connected to the sealing of the pipe connection with a rubber seal.

In such a situation, the assembly of the sewer becomes easier, and the sound insulation on the sewer is much easier and faster.

Currently, instead of cast iron, plastic pipes are used in the installation (noise-absorbing sewage). However, PVC pipe products do not save the residents of the first floors of houses from the appearance of various noises and sounds. The fact is that thin plastic conducts acoustic vibrations well.

Poor sound insulation of plastic sewer pipes is a small problem, but very annoying. In such a situation, you can use several methods to solve problems with sound.

engaged in noise reduction during the construction of the house;
conduct soundproofing of sewer pipes;
eliminate noise problems during house construction.

Eliminating the noise problem during the construction of a private house

Styrofoam, one of the easiest ways to soundproof

When the sound insulation of pipes is done during the construction of a private house, the owners or builders perform the following actions:

install sewer risers outside the dwelling.
in a warm region, risers with material and put on the outer wall of the house;
when laying vertical sections of the sewer pipeline system, installers install a sewer riser in utility rooms: pantries, boiler rooms, etc.;
when installing horizontal sections of the sewer system, a slope is made equal to 10–20 mm per linear meter of the pipe.
professional installers put polyethylene sleeves on the risers in the ceilings. They slightly reduce the vibration frequency of the pipe walls and reduce the noise level in the apartment;
install silent sewer pipes. They make much less noise than thin PVC pipe products.

If the slope is made smaller, the water stagnates in the sewer system. Also in such a situation, sand and other debris accumulate in the riser.

If the slope is made larger, the water flows noisily through the sewer pipe;

Silent sewer pipes (silent sewage) are tubular products that are made of polypropylene and have a multilayer structure.

Well removes various noises and sounds in the sewer. In addition, it has thick soundproof walls.

Silente pipes are the most expensive among other typessewertubes - as a result, it turns out dearsewer line soundproofing. In such a situation, to save money and get rid of noise, you can buy polyethylene pipes.sewerageAnd.

Polyethylene pipes also have thicker walls than PVC pipes, and significantly reduce noise levels, as they are made of plastic material.

Soundproofing of already laid pipes in the apartment (toilet)

If a person lives in an apartment, then he hears all the drains of his neighbors from above.

noise insulation is carried out for the fan pipe - the installer puts a box of drywall or wall panels around the fan pipe. In such a situation, the design of the living space does not deteriorate;
use a shell of foam -. It is sold at a low price and is easy to install. Styrofoam insulation of sewer pipes well suppresses various, but spoils the design of the room;
in extreme cases, the installers make the winding of the thermal insulation riser - isolon or. Such soundproofing materials for sewer pipes suppress sounds well, but the interior of the bathroom will be spoiled.

Noise insulation of sewer pipes is done according to all technical rules.

Plastic pipe tools

When soundproofing is done for sewer pipes, installers use the following tools:

dowel;
squares;
rulers;
pencil;
moisture resistant drywall, the thickness of which is 13 mm;
ceiling profile - 3 pcs. floor to ceiling length, etc.

Soundproofing pipes in a toilet begins with the installers degreasing the pipes.

Installation steps: how to do the work yourself

Then the installers do the following:

cover the pipes with soil, paint and check for leaks. This is done to prevent deformation of the fan tube in the future;
further, workers install a drywall box. On the wall of the bathroom, using a plumb line, installers make markings - while the distance from the tubes to the wall of the room is 5-6 cm;
then, with a dowel or self-tapping screw, workers attach 1 profile to the wall. Similarly, installers put the profile on another wall;
then the installers - on the floor and on the ceiling - draw lines with a square - perpendicular to the installed profiles.
on the floor covering - in the center of the intersection of the lines - the installers put a mark, which marks the installation site of the extreme profile;
then, on the floor along the drawn lines, start profiles are placed and fixed with screws;
further, in the center of the intersection of the lines they put the 3rd profile - and the erected frame is attached with metal screws, the length of which is 9.5 mm;
then, a structure erected on the floor with an indent of 45–50 cm is fixed with jumpers or partition profiles, if the box turned out to be large;
then, they proceed to install drywall to the box, which must be moisture resistant. In a similar situation, they make it in the box, which the owners or installers use when inspecting and repairing pipes;
further, after sewing 1 side of such a structure with drywall, workers make soundproofing of a similar design. At the same time, mineral wool is placed inside such a structure and all the free space inside the box is closed to it;
then, installers attach drywall to side 2 of the box;
as a result, they make the lining of the box - and the soundproofing of the sewer pipe is completed, and the noise from the water flowing through the pipes no longer bothers the owner of the apartment.

Also, soundproofing for the sewer riser is done by winding the fan pipe with specific materials.

In such a situation, installers use the following materials and tools:

scissors,
12 sheets of damping material, which has a self-adhesive backing. In this case, the size of 1 sheet is 27 × 37 cm;
soundproofing material, which has a self-adhesive base, in particular, foamed polyethylene;
special roll.

When winding fan pipes, installers perform the following actions:

first they degrease the surface of the tube;
then, damping material is applied over the entire area of the tube, which well removes various noises;
then, with a rolling roller, a similar material is rolled. During rolling, workers remove all air bubbles and firmly glue the surface of the tube with the material;
then, soundproofing material is laid on top, which removes sounds from the murmur. In such a situation, installers estimate and cut the sheet to fit the tube;
then, the cut sheet is glued to the vibration damping material - and this completes the winding of the fan pipes.

WATCH VIDEO

Horizontal sewer pipes generate noise even when the riser is closed with a box. In a similar situation, they must also be hidden in a horizontal, but collapsible box.

After completing the above work, the owner of an apartment or a private house can sleep peacefully - sewer noises and sounds will no longer disturb him. Noise isolation of sewer pipes is done for a comfortable stay in the apartment.

The contribution to the noise penetrating to us through the walls, floor and ceiling is also made by pipes - water pipes, sewer pipes. Therefore, soundproofing water pipes, heating pipes and sewer risers in the toilet is no less important step in achieving silence in the apartment than finishing the ceiling or walls with soundproofing plates.

Soundproofing a sewer riser - noisy systems

Noise coming from a sewer riser or water supply system is a consequence of vibrations arising from mechanical stress or due to the processes of fluid passing through pipes. In some cases, they become “intermediaries” between apartments, transmitting the sounds of conversations, a loudly working TV, a loudly barking dog - sound waves, falling on an unprotected surface, are transformed into vibrations that neighbors hear. Sound insulation of pipelines in at least one of the apartments can solve this problem. Noise from the passage of liquid can occur for the following number of reasons:

Passage of water through taps;
The appearance of an internal defect;
Reducing the cross section due to the accumulation of debris or deposits on the inner surface;
Exceeding the calculated speed of water movement;
Bad fastening.

Sometimes the noise level is negligible, sometimes it causes interrupted sleep, irritation and insomnia.

Soundproofing water pipes - why is there noise?

Several factors can affect the loudness of noise. One of the main ones is the wall thickness. The thicker they are, the quieter the product will be.

What the pipe is made of - the modern polyethylene version, against the background of advantages, has one significant drawback, which manufacturers are silent about. They practically do not change sound waves - they do not absorb, do not scatter. Noise passes through their walls like a knife through butter. Compared to them, the old cast iron pipes were almost silent.
The location of structural elements - the contact of system elements and walls also affects the volume of noise. The ideal placement option is in interfloor ceilings, with the use of soundproofing means. The worst placement is passing directly through the walls of the apartment.
Sealant - the popularity of polyurethane foam has given rise to many myths about its use. In particular, it is believed that the foam structure delays sound waves, but in reality everything is just the opposite - mounting foam conducts sound perfectly, and its use in pipe sealing is completely unjustified. Apparently, this myth arose because of the good heat-insulating properties of polyurethane foam, and good heat insulators are often good sound absorbers. Instead of mounting foam, you should use a special acoustic sealant that absorbs vibrations.

Sewer soundproofing - available methods

Sound insulation of sewer pipes can be carried out both with conventional materials and specially adapted for this. The review should begin with finished products - silent pipes. The material of the walls of the products is made of polypropylene with the addition of mineral components: marble powder, marble flour, chalk, dolomite, limestone. In a word, grinding of carbonate minerals and rocks.

You can recognize sound-absorbing pipes by their thick walls and white color. Against this background, a special marking with longitudinal green and red stripes catches the eye. In addition, branded pipes always contain information about the company and the degree of sound attenuation in decibels. This marking is your guarantee if it suddenly turns out that the products cannot cope with noise within the decibels established by the manufacturer. Ideally, sound-absorbing pipes should dampen any, even infrasonic vibrations. However, these pipes have not yet gained wide popularity - the high cost deters many potential buyers, and the service life is limited to 20 years.

The disadvantage of polyethylene foam is its fragility, a few years are enough for it to begin to sag and climb in different directions.

When the pipes are already installed, the polyethylene sheaths fade into the background - in such cases it is more convenient to use a material that can be wrapped around the pipes, for example, roll insulation Texound or filled vinyl Noise block. There are also options for soundproofing shells - two halves are folded into one whole coating, which allows you to quickly mount soundproofing on already installed systems. With their help, soundproofing of the fan pipe is also carried out - a special section of the pipeline responsible for connecting a closed system with the atmosphere, in other words, for ventilation.

Isolation process - do it yourself

Having decided on the material, we will deal directly with the soundproofing process itself. It is not enough just to wrap the elements of the systems with damping material, you also need to isolate them from vibration, or at least take measures to dampen it. According to building codes, pipes must pass through the ceilings in a special sleeve. An ordinary pipe of a larger diameter can act as a sleeve. The formed space between the sleeve and the sewer riser is filled with soundproofing material and acoustic sealant, which dampens vibrations.

However, this simple procedure is performed in one out of ten cases. You can consider the presence of at least the sleeve itself as a rare success - you can fill it in accordance with all the rules yourself. In most cases, the sewerage or heating system simply passes through the ceiling, in hard contact with it. Because of this, vibrations from the overlap are also transmitted to the pipes, so that the sound gets a special strength.

Our task is to reduce the contact of the pipeline with the overlap as much as possible and isolate its surface. For these jobs, you will need a rock drill (or at least a hammer and chisel), cement, acoustic sealant, and whatever soundproofing material you have at your disposal. First you need to go deep into the ceiling around the riser - that's what a puncher is for. The area around the riser must be freed from the "grip" of concrete at least 10 cm deep and 20 cm wide so that there is room for maneuvers.

After making a recess, pour soundproofing sealant around its perimeter, and then wrap the pipe section near the ceiling with soundproofing. Use construction tape to secure the material. Then fill the base with cement mortar and carefully level it. When the cement sets, you can continue winding the riser. The soundproofing is completed on this, for complete silence you just have to soundproof the walls, floor and ceiling.

Soundproofing the heating system - turn on your wits!

If things are relatively simple with sewer and water pipes, then soundproofing heating pipes and batteries is much more difficult. You can’t wrap batteries with soundproofing, especially during the heating period! But it is through the heating pipes that the distinct voices of the neighbors will be heard to your apartment (and in the opposite direction too).

It's all about the lack of soundproof gaskets between walls, ceilings and pipes. Sound waves can easily pass through rigid materials. There are several options for solving the problem: replacing the elements of the system with cast-iron or modern plastic ones with mineral additives, soundproofing joints, laying soundproof "pillows".

The third option is the easiest, take a small piece of wooden lath and a piece of rubber or vibration isolation such as Texounda and lay between the wall and the elements of the system, so that the piece of wood is tightly stuck in space. Several of these "pads" will be able to partially dampen the sound. However, this is a temporary option.

Replacing pipes and batteries with cast iron ones is not a cheap option, but for sure. For obvious reasons, it will not work for most residents of panel houses, in which case the option of soundproofing the joints remains, as we did with the sewer risers. That is, we remove part of the concrete or brick base around the pipes and fill this space with acoustic sealant, then we close a small section of the pipe in the recess with soundproofing material and fill the remaining space with cement mortar or putty.