LH Significantly Reduces Living Noise with New Construction Method...Improving Kitchen and Bathroom Noise in Public Rental Housing

Introduction of Ventilation Methods to Block Kitchen and Bathroom Noise and Odors
Drainage Noise Reduced from 46dB to 38dB
New Construction Methods to Be Applied to All Public Rental Housing from 2025

Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) announced on the 6th that it has significantly reduced everyday noise by applying new construction methods to kitchens and bathrooms in multi-family housing.

Starting this year, LH will fully implement the ‘Bathroom Same-Floor Piping Method’ in public rental housing. This method installs the drainage and sewage pipes for the respective floor on the bathroom wall, so that wastewater discharged within a unit does not flow down to the lower floor but is directly discharged within the unit, minimizing drainage noise. According to experiments by the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, using this method reduces drainage noise significantly from 46dB to 38dB. It can secure a quietness level comparable to that of a study room.

LH applies the same-floor exhaust method to all housing units to prevent noise and odors from passing between neighbors. To solve the problem where existing ventilation devices such as range hoods transmitted noise and odors to upper and lower units through shared ducts, the new exhaust method is designed to discharge directly outdoors from within the unit. This fundamentally blocks noise and odor transmission between units. This method has been applied to bathrooms and kitchens in rental districts since 2023, and will be applied to kitchens in rental districts starting October 2024.

Oh Juheon, Head of LH’s Public Housing Division, stated, "We are discovering excellent materials and new construction methods to resolve inconveniences caused by inter-floor noise and everyday noise, and we will continue to do our best to further improve the quality of housing for the public."