Poor sound insulation is a common complaint in older and panel-built apartment buildings across Latvia. If you can hear conversations, music or footsteps from neighbouring apartments, the problem may come from the building's construction, renovation work or the way sound travels through connected structures.
The good news is that many sound insulation problems can be improved. The important question is what is causing the noise and whether it is airborne sound, impact sound or transmission through another part of the building.
Why Does My Apartment Have Poor Sound Insulation?
Older apartment buildings were constructed according to the standards of their time. Their walls, floors and structural connections may provide less acoustic separation than expected by modern residents.
Common causes include relatively lightweight partition walls, rigid connections between structural elements, insufficient impact-sound insulation and gaps around pipes, electrical installations and other building services.
Sound can also travel through flanking paths. Instead of passing directly through the wall or floor separating two apartments, sound can travel through connected walls, ceilings, floors or service installations.
This is why the part of the wall that looks like the problem is not always the actual route the sound is taking.
What Is the Difference Between Airborne and Impact Noise?
The type of noise makes a major difference when looking for a solution.
Airborne sound includes voices, music, television and other sounds travelling through walls, floors or ceilings.
Impact sound includes footsteps, furniture being moved and objects being dropped or struck against a floor.
Airborne and impact sound require different approaches. A wall treatment may help reduce voices or music, while footsteps from the apartment above are more closely related to the floor and ceiling construction.
What Does LBN 016-15 Actually Require?
Latvia's LBN 016-15 "Būvakustika" (Building Acoustics) establishes minimum acoustic requirements for buildings, including sound insulation between apartments. The applicable requirement depends on the building and the separating structure.
For relevant Class C separating structures in multi-apartment residential buildings, the requirements include:
| Separating structure | Acoustic parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Between living rooms of different apartments | Airborne sound insulation, R'w | ≥ 55 dB |
| Between apartments | Impact sound level, L'n,w | ≤ 52 dB |
| Internal partition within an apartment | Airborne sound insulation, R'w | ≥ 46 dB |
R'w describes airborne sound insulation. A higher value indicates better separation between rooms or apartments.
L'n,w describes impact sound transmission. A lower value indicates better protection from impact noise such as footsteps.
These values are sound-insulation requirements, not general noise limits.
Does LBN 016-15 Apply to Older Apartment Buildings?
Not automatically.
LBN 016-15 entered into force in 2015, but its transitional provisions determine which construction documentation and projects are subject to the standard. An older building does not automatically become non-compliant simply because it performs below today's acoustic requirements.
This is particularly important for Soviet-era apartment buildings. They may have been constructed according to earlier requirements and can still have relatively poor sound insulation by today's expectations.
For newer buildings and reconstruction projects to which LBN 016-15 applies, the standard provides specific acoustic requirements that can be used when assessing the performance of the relevant structures.
Why Can a New Apartment Still Have Poor Sound Insulation?
A newer construction date does not automatically guarantee good acoustic performance.
Sound insulation depends on the complete building assembly, including walls, floors, junctions and connections between different structural elements.
Construction details and workmanship can also affect the final result. A wall that appears sufficiently thick, for example, may still perform poorly if sound can bypass it through a floor junction, service shaft or other flanking path.
LBN 016-15 also provides for acoustic measurements of specified structures in new multi-apartment buildings before commissioning in the circumstances covered by the standard.
Can Airborne Sound Insulation Be Improved?
Often, yes.
If you can hear voices, television or music through a shared wall, possible improvements include:
- Installing a properly designed secondary wall lining
- Using a decoupled wall or ceiling construction
- Adding suitable acoustic insulation within a cavity
- Sealing appropriate gaps around pipes and electrical installations
- Improving weak points around doors and other openings
- Addressing sound transmission through flanking structures
Simply adding another layer of material does not necessarily solve the problem.
The construction needs to be designed as a complete acoustic system. If sound is travelling around the wall through another structure, treating only the wall may have limited effect.
What About Impact Noise From the Apartment Above?
Footsteps and other impact sounds can be particularly difficult to solve from the apartment below.
Because impact sound is transmitted through the building structure, treating the ceiling underneath the source may provide only limited improvement.
Where possible, the more direct approach is to improve the floor construction in the apartment where the impact occurs. A properly designed floating floor or other impact-sound insulation system can reduce the transmission of impact noise.
However, the appropriate solution depends on the existing floor construction, available height, structural requirements and the type of noise involved.
This is why a floating floor should not be treated as a universal solution for every impact-noise problem.
What About Gaps and Weak Points?
Sound does not always travel through the main wall or floor.
Potential transmission paths include:
- Pipe penetrations
- Electrical installations
- Service shafts
- Gaps around building elements
- Wall-to-floor junctions
- Wall-to-ceiling junctions
- Doors and other openings
- Connected structural elements
These details can be particularly important in older buildings and during renovations.
Before investing in extensive soundproofing, it is therefore useful to understand whether the main separating structure is actually the weak point.
Can You Improve Sound Insulation Yourself?
Some relatively simple improvements can be carried out inside an apartment, particularly where there are identifiable gaps or weak points.
More substantial work, such as installing a new wall lining, suspended ceiling or floating floor, requires more careful planning.
The solution should take into account the existing construction as well as fire safety, moisture, ventilation and structural requirements.
Most importantly, more material does not automatically mean better sound insulation. The construction method and how the different layers are connected can be just as important as their thickness.
When Is a Professional Acoustic Measurement Worth It?
A professional measurement can be useful when you want to understand the problem before spending money on a renovation.
It can be particularly valuable when:
- You can clearly hear neighbours through a wall or floor.
- You are buying an apartment and want to assess its acoustic performance.
- You suspect a new building does not meet the applicable requirements.
- You are dealing with a developer or building manager.
- You want to distinguish airborne noise from impact noise.
- You suspect sound is travelling through a flanking path.
- Previous acoustic improvements have not solved the problem.
- You want to verify the acoustic performance after renovation.
Airborne and impact sound insulation measurements can provide objective R'w and L'n,w results, which can then be compared with the requirements applicable to the building.
Where measurements are required under LBN 016-15, the standard specifies the relevant measurement and accreditation requirements.
What Can a Building Acoustic Measurement Tell You?
A measurement does more than simply tell you that an apartment is "noisy."
Depending on the investigation, it can help establish:
- How much airborne sound is transmitted between apartments
- How much impact sound is transmitted through the floor
- Whether the measured performance meets an applicable requirement
- Whether further investigation is necessary
- Whether an acoustic improvement has produced the expected result
This makes professional testing particularly useful before undertaking expensive renovation work.
The Bottom Line
Poor apartment sound insulation in Latvia can have many causes. The problem may come from the original construction, renovation work, structural connections, gaps or flanking sound transmission.
Airborne noise such as voices and music can often be reduced from inside your own apartment. Impact noise, such as footsteps from above, is usually more effectively addressed at the source, although the available solutions depend on the building construction.
If you are unsure where the sound is coming from or what solution will actually work, a professional building acoustic measurement can provide the information needed before you invest in a fix.
Need Building Acoustic Measurements in Latvia?
NoiseHunters provides professional building acoustic measurements throughout Latvia, including airborne sound insulation and impact sound testing.
If you are experiencing poor sound insulation, planning a renovation or need to assess the acoustic performance of an apartment building, contact NoiseHunters to discuss the appropriate measurement.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information and is not a substitute for a professional acoustic assessment or legal advice. Applicable acoustic requirements depend on the building, construction documentation, type of work and regulations in force at the relevant time.