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[gibbo2468]

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[SCSB79]

We just moved out of a flat like that. We were end of terrace downstairs flat and the noise from next door was unreal. I did the old knock on walls test to see if it was brick and a lot of it seemed just to be partition.

[copleston_charlie]

I used to live in a half house and the amount of noise coming through the walls was incredible. If it was night time you could hear people very clearly even if it was just a normal conversation.

If your house is victorian you may find the only thing between you and the neighbours are two layers of thin, and very dry, lathe and plaster stuck over a thin wooden frame.

I guess how seriously you need to treat the problem depends on how bad it is for you, and how long you intend to stay living there.

In terms of soundproofing, I can't claim to be an expert, but what I did was fit wooden battens to the wall. In the gaps between the battens I fixed thick 'batts' or pads of insulation to the wall, then fixed two layers of thicker plasterboard called soundboard http://www.british-gypsum.com/products/plasterboard___accessories/gyproc_acoustic/gyproc_soundbloc.aspx over these. Once you add in dealing with skirting board, electrics, coving and plastering this was obviously quite a big job to do yourself, but fairly standard for builders I have thought.

I was really happy with the results, the wall felt like the strongest thing in the house, and hardly heard anything through the wall. Felt a lot more like my home rather than one half lived in by the neighbours.