How to stop smells coming through walls

Question

We can smell our neighbours cooking through a shared party wall. Is there anything that can be done to reduce smells coming through the wall?

Ryan · Answer

Hi Michael. Cooking smells are usually caused by air gaps rather than the wall itself. Best things to check are gaps around sockets, skirting, pipework and ceiling edges, then seal with caulk or foam. Also make sure the extractor fan is venting properly outside and filters are clean. If it’s a stud wall, adding insulation and acoustic plasterboard can help stop smells travelling through the cavity.
Hope this helps. Thanks Ryan

Richard · Answer

it does depends on the property design, most probably sounds like an older property and if so you have wooden suspended floor and the odours are travelling below ground. Alternatively it could be from the back window an it is blowing into yours. Only if there is a hole through the adjoining property will the smell come though.

Clint · Answer

Hi this is Clint from best way builders home improvement I would say it does depend on the wall and the situation is your wall insulated if not you should think about that how's your wall got a cavity between the two of them if so maybe put an abstractor to try and get rid of the smell before it gets to your side and and without looking at the job that's the best piece of voices I can give you thank you hope you saw problems soon

Mark · Answer

Hi Michael, yes, you can absolutely do something about it, but it requires playing a bit of detective first. Air and smells don't typically just soak through solid brick or plaster; they are almost certainly hitching a ride on air currents through gaps you might not even notice.

Smells travel through air transfer. If air can get through, the smell will too, so check the party wall at sockets and light switches: If your sockets are cut into a stud wall, there might be a direct breeze coming from the cavity or the neighbour's side. You can pop off the faceplates (turn the mains off first!) and seal the internal box with fire-rated acoustic sealant, or use foam socket inserts.

Skirting boards: Gaps between the bottom of the skirting board and the floorboards. Run a bead of flexible caulk or acoustic sealant along the top and bottom of the skirting.

Floorboard gaps: If you have exposed floorboards, the gaps near the party wall might be pulling air up from the void below.

In older houses, floor joists often anchor directly into the party wall. If the mortar around those joists has crumbled over the decades, it creates a direct pipeline for smells.

If your party wall continues up into the loft, check if it’s properly sealed. Sometimes the brickwork in the loft is left unfinished or patchy, allowing smells to drift up from their kitchen, into the loft, and down into your rooms.

If you've sealed every gap you can find and the smell is still coming through, the issue might be porous brickwork or unrendered blocks behind your plasterboard. This is a longshot though.

The ultimate fix here is building a false wall (an independent stud wall) just in front of the party wall:

Leave a small gap (about 10mm) between the old wall and the new studs.

Pack the stud frame with acoustic mineral wool (which stops air movement and bonus: dampens their noise).

Face it with acoustic plasterboard and seal all the edges.

Hope that helps!

Mark at Elevate Homes.

Huseyin · Answer

Yes you need to do insulation and silicone plaster

How to stop smells coming through walls

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