neighbors installed sound-blocking insulation - does it really work?

Interesting points, but honestly, I've had a different experience. Tried resilient channels in my basement studio setup, and while it helped a bit, I still ended up hearing way more than I wanted. Eventually bit the bullet and added Green Glue - night and day difference, especially with music and movies. Guess it depends on your tolerance level...

Green Glue definitely makes a noticeable difference, especially for lower frequencies. Resilient channels alone often won't cut it if you're dealing with bass-heavy sounds or loud movies. I've found that combining multiple methods - like insulation, resilient channels, and damping compounds - usually gives the best results. Did you also seal around outlets and doors? Sometimes overlooked gaps can undermine all that effort...

"Did you also seal around outlets and doors? Sometimes overlooked gaps can undermine all that effort..."

Good point about sealing those small gaps - it's surprising how much sound sneaks through tiny openings. I've tackled a few projects like this, and honestly, combining methods (insulation, damping compounds) really does make the biggest difference. Green Glue has worked great for me too, especially for movie rooms or music studios. It's reassuring to see others getting solid results with similar methods.

Totally agree about sealing those sneaky gaps around outlets - I learned this the hard way after proudly finishing my insulation, only to realize sound was still creeping through tiny cracks. Felt like playing whack-a-mole...lesson definitely learned.

"Felt like playing whack-a-mole...lesson definitely learned."

Haha, been there myself - thought I nailed it with insulation until I noticed sound sneaking through door frames and baseboards. It's amazing how tiny gaps can sabotage your efforts. Caulk and weatherstripping became my best friends after that.

Totally relate to the whack-a-mole feeling, haha. I found that adding heavy curtains helped a ton with sound leaks around windows. Ever tried combining curtains with your insulation setup? Curious if others had luck with that combo...

I get the curtain suggestion, but honestly, in my experience with older homes, curtains alone don't quite cut it. I've been living in a historic house (built in 1923) for about seven years now, and let me tell you - soundproofing these old beauties is a whole different beast.

When I first moved in, street noise was driving me nuts. Tried thick velvet curtains first, and sure, they helped a bit with echo and softened some of the sharper noises, but the deeper sounds - like traffic rumble or neighbors' bass-heavy music - still came right through. Eventually, I bit the bullet and went for proper insulation upgrades. I used dense mineral wool insulation behind drywall on exterior-facing walls, especially around windows and doors. The difference was night and day. It wasn't cheap or easy (old plaster walls are a nightmare to work with), but it genuinely transformed the acoustics inside.

That said, curtains do have their place. After finishing the insulation job, I put the heavy curtains back up, and they complemented the insulation nicely. They seem to help absorb some of the higher-frequency sounds that insulation alone doesn't fully tackle. But if you're dealing with serious noise issues, curtains alone probably won't get you there. They're more like icing on the cake rather than the main solution.

Also worth mentioning - windows themselves can be a weak point. If you have original single-pane windows like mine, consider adding storm windows or even interior window inserts. I installed acrylic inserts last winter, and they noticeably reduced noise leakage around the frames.

Bottom line: curtains are helpful as part of a broader strategy, but if you're serious about soundproofing an older home, insulation upgrades and window treatments combined are your best bet.

You're spot-on about curtains being more of a finishing touch. I went through something similar a while back - my place is from the 1930s, and street noise was brutal. Curtains softened things a bit, but didn't really solve it. Ended up doing insulation too, and yeah, it really does make a huge difference. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who found plaster walls a total pain to deal with...

Interesting you mention insulation as the big fix. I've seen a few cases where homeowners went all-in on insulation but still had noise issues - especially with older homes. Did you find it was insulation alone that helped, or could it have been sealing gaps and cracks around windows and doors too? Sometimes those tiny openings make a bigger difference than people realize... Curious if anyone else noticed this?

Totally agree with you on the gaps and cracks thing. When we first moved into our older place, we thought insulation would solve everything, but nope...still heard way too much street noise. Then we sealed around the windows and doors with weatherstripping and caulk, and it was like night and day. Honestly, I think it's a combo of both insulation and sealing those sneaky little openings that really does the trick. Plus, sealing gaps is way cheaper, so it's a win-win.

Yeah, sealing gaps definitely helps, but honestly, insulation made a bigger difference for us. We tried weatherstripping first - didn't notice much change. Once we added insulation though, traffic noise dropped noticeably. Guess it depends on your home's layout and where the noise is coming from...

We had a similar experience - weatherstripping was kind of underwhelming. It helped with drafts, sure, but noise-wise...meh. Insulation, though, was a game changer. We went with recycled denim insulation (eco-friendly bonus points!) and noticed a huge improvement, especially with street noise. But you're right, layout matters. Our bedroom faces the road, so insulating that wall made the biggest difference. If your noise is mostly neighbor-related, you might need to target shared walls specifically.

We recently tackled a similar issue in our first renovation - honestly, I wasn't sure insulation would make a noticeable difference at first. We tried weatherstripping initially too, and yeah...same story. It was okay for drafts but barely touched noise. After reading a ton of reviews (typical overthinker here), we went with regular acoustic insulation on the shared wall because our neighbor's TV and conversations were annoyingly clear.

I was skeptical, but once installed, it genuinely helped. Didn't eliminate everything completely - still hear muffled sounds occasionally - but the improvement was solid enough to feel worth it. Like you mentioned, layout and wall positioning definitely matter. Our living room shares the main wall with neighbors, so insulating there made sense.

Sounds like your recycled denim option was a smart move, especially with street noise. Might look into that for our next project if we ever tackle bedroom walls facing traffic... Anyway, glad it worked out for you overall - it's reassuring to hear others had success with insulation too.

"Didn't eliminate everything completely - still hear muffled sounds occasionally - but the improvement was solid enough to feel worth it."

Totally agree with this. We insulated our shared bedroom wall recently - didn't expect miracles, but the difference was noticeable enough for better sleep. Still hear faint noises sometimes, but nothing disruptive. Worth the effort imo.

We did something similar when renovating our home office - used recycled denim insulation to keep things eco-friendly. Honestly, I was skeptical at first (denim jeans in my walls, really?), but it actually made a noticeable difference. Sure, it's not total silence - still catch bits of the neighbor's dog barking - but it's way less distracting. Plus, knowing we went green with it feels pretty good too. Definitely worth considering if you're looking into insulation options.

We went through something similar last summer when we redid our basement. I remember standing in the hardware store, staring at stacks of recycled denim insulation and thinking, "Am I seriously about to stuff jeans into my walls?" But honestly, it worked better than I'd expected. Like you said, it doesn't completely silence everything - we still hear footsteps upstairs and occasionally the neighbor's leaf blower - but the overall noise level dropped noticeably. Plus, I can appreciate the eco-friendly angle. It's nice knowing we're reusing materials instead of just adding to landfill waste. Glad to hear someone else had a similar experience...makes me feel less like a weirdo for having jeans in my walls, haha.

Denim insulation's decent, but from experience, rock wool does a better job with soundproofing. It's eco-friendly too, and honestly easier to handle. Denim's cool conceptually, but practically speaking...I'd go another route next time.

Totally agree on rock wool being superior for soundproofing. A few extra points from my experience:

- Rock wool has a higher density, which directly translates to better sound absorption, especially for lower frequencies (think bass or footsteps).
- Denim insulation tends to compress over time, reducing its effectiveness gradually.
- Installation-wise, rock wool panels are more rigid and hold their shape better, making them easier to fit snugly between studs without sagging.

Denim's definitely appealing from a sustainability angle, but practically, rock wool just checks more boxes for me.

Interesting points here, though I'd add a slightly different perspective from my own renovation. While rock wool definitely has the density advantage, I actually found denim insulation surprisingly effective when combined with resilient channels. Maybe it's the way it decouples the drywall from studs, but it really helped dampen footsteps and bass vibrations in our guest room ceiling. Sure, installation was trickier (denim sagging is real...), but it wasn't a dealbreaker for me. Just something to consider if sustainability matters more to you.

"Maybe it's the way it decouples the drywall from studs, but it really helped dampen footsteps and bass vibrations in our guest room ceiling."

Interesting you mention resilient channels - I had a similar experience renovating our historic townhouse. We went with rock wool insulation initially, and while it definitely cut down on airborne noise, footsteps from upstairs were still noticeable. Adding resilient channels later made a huge difference, especially with low-frequency sounds like heavy footsteps or furniture moving. Installation was a bit fiddly (old joists aren't exactly straight...), but worth the hassle in my book.