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If you’re hearing your neighbours like they’re in the same room, the problem often isn’t the wall at all — it’s the chimney breast.
Shared chimneys in semi-detached houses can act like open acoustic ducts, especially where old brickwork and mortar have deteriorated. Even small air gaps or ventilation openings can completely undermine soundproofing attempts, no matter how much money you throw at surface treatments.
The key takeaway is simple: sound follows air. To reduce noise properly, the air path has to go. That means sealing ventilation, filling voids with the right acoustic materials, and making everything as airtight as possible.
This is one of those frustrating problems where doing “most of it” doesn’t work — it has to be done thoroughly.
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Key Takeaways
• Chimney breasts in semi-detached houses can act like open acoustic ducts
• Even expensive soundproofing fails if air paths remain
• If you can hear switches, doors, or a stove clearly, sound is travelling through voids, not solid masonry
• Ventilated or partially sealed flues will continue to transmit noise
• Blocking sound requires removing airflow entirely
• Filling the flue with absorbent material is more effective than surface treatments
• Acoustic slabs or rock wool only work if every gap is sealed
• Acoustic foam is critical — small gaps will defeat everything
• Results depend on how continuous and airtight the fill is
• If structure can’t be fully fixed, personal noise control is a realistic fallback
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