If you have neighbours next door, upstairs or downstairs

Music centres, radios and TVs can all produce a level of noise that was unknown when older homes were built — try to limit the impact your entertainment has on your neighbours.

• Don’t mount speakers and TVs on walls or ceilings.
   

• Don’t cut into walls, floors or ceilings to fit speakers or TVs.

Fit cupboards and sockets so that your neighbours wont be disturbed by the sound of cupboard doors closing or switches.

• Avoid fitting electrical sockets or appliances on party walls.
   

• Build an inner wall in the kitchen and fix cupboards, sockets and switches to it, so they’re isolated from the party wall.
   

• Fix pads on your kitchen cupboards to dampen the noise of doors closing.

A separating wall or separating floor should limit the passage of noise between two dwellings or from another part of a building to a dwelling. You should not cut into a separating wall or separating floor because this will worsen both its sound insulation and fire safety performance.