Insulating flat backfires in weird way

Photo: Mihkel Maripuu / Postimees

A Mustamäe-dwelling family insulated inside of apartment’s end-of-the-house wall, thereafter acquiring ability to hear upper neighbours’ slightest moves.

«We ordered insulation of the apartment’s outer wall, and the wall towards neighbours,» shared father of family residing in a typical five storey Mustamäe house. Surprisingly, they then became partakers of upstairs neighbours’ lives. «Not only do we hear the radio, but them walking around, slippers swishing,» the man says. In pre-insulation era, life upstairs never interfered. The man thinks that with apartment buildings like these, designs apparently calculated movements of domestic noise, the balance now spoilt by insulation.

«Whatever exactly happened in that apartment, we cannot tell – maybe reconstructions had an impact. However, to determine that, precision measurements are needed,» said Karl Õiger, professor at Tallinn University of Technology, adding that a study, done by the university a couple of years ago, reveals that the Soviet era residential buildings’ sound insulation doesn’t meet current regulation.

«However, I definitely do not recommend inside insulation of outer walls, in terms of construction physics, as in a year or two, mould may be formed underneath the insulation,» stressed the professor.

The study released in 2009 states that, in tests, Soviet time buildings’ inter-apartment walls proved insufficiently sound-proof, in today’s terms. For instance, the perceived domestic noise levels exceeded current recommended standard by four times.

At the same time, measurements revealed that with insulations applied, soundproofness of partitions was not significantly altered.

More details on condition of Soviet-time buildings are available in study Eesti eluasemefondi suurpaneel-korterelamute ehitustehniline seisukord ning prognoositav eluiga, 2009 (unavailable in English).