SOUNDPROOFING our LIVING ROOM - stud wall method (Renovation Part 23)

[@GosforthHandyman]

Couple of corrections for this one here: gosforthhandyman.com/corrections/

[@jamiecurrie5828]

Are you able to report how successful the soundproofing is now it has been fitted for a while...thank you for the great and inspirational videos and DIY tips 👍

[@erictheviking672]

I wish all handy men/women were as thorough as you. I love watching you work and always learn both useful or simply interesting things. Cheers Andy.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers Eric!

[@stewartmcardle8149]

Really nice and considerate of you to implement this feature. Noise from inconsiderate neighbours can be so debilitating. And that even goes for people living in detached houses too.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Yeah, we're not the quietest of families so one less thing to worry about 🤣

[@stewartmcardle8149]

@@GosforthHandyman I'm a musician of many years standing but, I've always recognised that one man's (musical) pleasure is another man's (musical) pain!

[@cgavin1]

1:10 Gone but not forgotten; miss you big man!

[@GosforthHandyman]

I know, wonder how long that had been there?!?

[@Shaunie2k]

What was it i couldnt see on phone

[@findingthatperfectspot4692]

@@Shaunie2k A dead and decomposed bird.

[@lukewilliams2700]

Don’t know if I’m too late or you’ve already done it but a sound test before and after when you do the studio would be cool! Great videos

[@raydriver7300]

You are a very clever man, Andy. Now apply for a rates rebate as the inside of your house is so much smaller 🌞

[@GosforthHandyman]

Ha very kind! If only, sure it went up about 20% this year!! 😭

[@highpath4776]

@@GosforthHandyman Get a water meter fitted to reduce (!??) the water bill.

[@treblebass6721]

Enjoying your renovation videos! Just a tip. I find using an old bread knife works really well for cutting any type of fibre insulation. The slightly serrated blade cuts through it easily!

[@GosforthHandyman]

I'll need to buy one as Mrs Mac won't let me use the house one 🤣

[@a..d5518]

@pat Barter with hardly any dust or flakes in the process, it's what I used when insulating the TV/Theater room with rock wool, from the mechanical room with the 30 year old forced air furnace, can't hear it anymore.

[@64maxpower]

You are someone I'd enjoy living next to and work with The inso helps with fire deterrent too

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers and should do! 👍

[@dwangs465]

I've just used the same system to do my living room and bedrooms on my semi detached. Has worked great made a massive difference. Cost me a fortune tho but well worth it.

[@Mr_Ashley]

May I ask roughy how much before I dive into researching before I go any further with my renovation 🙈?

[@dwangs465]

@@Mr_Ashley cost me just over £5k for the lot but my living room Is really long and I also did one room which I use to play guitar in. It's made a massive difference we get on great with our neighbors but I've got a young family that are loud and hated thinking we were annoying the neighbors with kids shouting and me playing guitar.

[@Mr_Ashley]

@@dwangs465 thank you so much for your reply! Funnily enough same boat for me, I enjoy cranking the amps to 11, and my daughter is the loudest creature on earth 😂

[@jumpfok]

@@Mr_Ashley Aah, that is that sound I keep hearing in the evening 😆

[@GosforthHandyman]

Glad you got sorted! Not an easy job but worth doing 👍

[@veloistist]

I thought I was odd because I put in second stud walls between us and our neighbours just in case they were noisy - my wife certainly thought it was weird - glad there are at least two of us. This looks really comprehensive system. Also did the floor insulation but only I. The last 5 years but luckily we have a crawl space under our floor so glued the Kingspan to the underneath. Wish I had thought about doing it like you as soooo much easier. Love the videos.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers! Got a vid coming up on the under floor insulation, only trouble is none of the joist spacings are even so cutting the insulation exactly is a challenge! 😁

[@veloistist]

Yes, our floor joists were all different spacing. Cutting Kingspan with about two feet headroom then trying to stick to the floor joists is challenging in the extreme. 🤪🤣

[@Richardincancale]

I had a professional sound insulation firm do my party wall. With the mass loaded vinyl they glued it to the acoustic plaster board before putting the board on the wall. Seemed like an easier way to do it. They put up the acoustic plaster board with mass loaded vinyl first, then finished with the second layer of acoustic plaster board. Protects the neighbours from the piano!

[@GosforthHandyman]

Great stuff! Yes, I've seen it done that way. Need 2 people since the boards are so heavy 🛠️😁

[@Richardincancale]

@@GosforthHandyman There were indeed two of them! They built a complete metal frame, attached by rubber couplings to the ceiling and floor, no connection to the party wall at all. It works very well 👍

[@ourclarioncall]

Yup, I teach guitar and daughter plays piano How much did this cost you if you don’t mind ?

[@Richardincancale]

@@ourclarioncall No problem - in mid-2016 it cost €4000 plus vat for a wall with a surface area of 13.75m2. That was for a layer of bubble wrap/silver foil stuff for thermal isolation, steel frame on two layers of rubber mounts, thick wool, compressed wool, loaded rubber, two layers of acoustic plaster board, finishing and painting, three sockets/switches with acoustic back boxes.

[@ourclarioncall]

@@Richardincancale that’s about the same size of my living room party wall. Thanks for the info 👍

[@normanboyes4983]

Very nice work Andy (and a great series) - good to see you and PeterM getting a thumbs up from the Sunday Times. 😀👍

[@GosforthHandyman]

Thank you and I know! Mad eh? Never been in the Sunday Times before. 🤣

[@maggiefriend2146]

Very informative video. No longer live north of Newcastle but always loved the estate your house is in. Your so lucky your on the edge looking over the stream and golf course

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers! Yes, lovely area, lucky find! 👍

[@monkeyboy8424]

Excellent technique and job well done. As you know, separation is the key. Soundproofing is an interesting subject and well worth the extra expense.

[@cuebj]

Wish I'd seen this 8 years ago when started on house we now live in. One thing I really did get right though: became obsessed with cleaning voids below floors. Had a Henry of my own, builder's Henry, and a Titan blower-vacuum. I'd spend whole weekends with all three running almost continuously getting read of every grain of dust and loose mortar, mouse and spider droppings, out of every crevice. Pay-off in smell removal, lungs not tightening up, and pleasant surprise of anyone who does electrics or plumbing in he voids and for me storing stuff is massive.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Defo worthwhile while the floors are up! 👍

[@ourclarioncall]

Yeah, I’d be the same! Good work

[@Lord-Brett-Sinclair]

Smart way to get a detached house for semi cash 💰! Well done . I Lived with neighbours from hell next door for 18 months and this treatment will add more value to the house than the cost win , win , win !

[@matthewcarlrose]

Just had all of my soundproofing delivered by soundstop - Wow what a recommendation! Never known customer service like it. High hopes this will drown out my next doors dogs! :D

[@Cheximus]

Did it..?

[@matthewcarlrose]

Certainly not a audible as they where!

[@robertthompson90]

This looks very labour intensive but I'm sure the results will be worth it, plus you must feel very satisfied having done all of that. A job well done!

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers! Yeah, not too bad. Takes about a day and a half to do a room 👍

[@videogalore]

As you say, lots of ways to do this, one pointer to highlight would be to stop the insulation protruding into the void behind the timber studs you have built. The isolation gap works best if all elements are excluded from this area, not just the studwork.

[@ChickenDinnerz]

Any advice on how to stop this? Currently struggling with rockwool flopping towards the party wall that m trying to isolate with new stud structure

[@videogalore]

@@ChickenDinnerz Well, one answer is in your own name! Chicken wire stapled between the studs to retain the insulation. Pig of a job, but it means that you can pack it tightly without it making contact with the wall behind.

[@ChickenDinnerz]

@@videogalore haha thanks. Will give it a go

[@ooslum]

Nothing more satisfying than putting the boards back having cleaned out the rubbish the lazy bugger who was last there, decided to leave.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Defo! Very satisfying job 😁

[@normanboyes4983]

It’s the way most builders clear up lift up a floorboard sweep all the rubbish down there, drop down a few pop bottles full of piss and put the floorboard back down (badly) so it squeaks.😉

[@gazgano]

You must have all of the cables in your PC lined up neat, tie wrapped, colour coordinated etc. I can tell. Great vid. 👍

[@MattHill303]

Thanks for the video, some good information, I've got a dot and dab boarded party wall in a bedroom that pretty much amplifies any sounds that gets into the party wall so the plasterboards need to come down and something maybe not as major as this to go up.

[@trevorburford-reade8685]

Hey Andy, at 15:50 I thought you could have matched the pattern of the wallpaper a little better.

[@UberAlphaSirus]

Lol, was gonna say the same.

[@GosforthHandyman]

I know, was a bit gutted that I was only about an inch out 🤣

[@Nickgowans]

I'm doing something similar to a slightly lesser extent. I have a particularly annoyingly loud next door neighbor who seems to live in their bedroom and gabs in a very loud voice overnight. I'm skipping the mass loaded vinyl and just having a pair of plasterboards, I'm also planning on using acoustic tape across the studwork. I think it should be quite sufficient.

[@riccardon-g2j]

The noise really depends from house to house. I remember one 1960s terraced house I was renting I could hear the neighbour snoring in the night. Converted Flat with joist ceiling, are like having someone else in your house, absolutely dreadful. Instead my parents in law have a Victorian semi and can hear almost nothing to be fair, only when their neighbours play piano. Luckily now I live in a detached so no noise issue but all the walls are external walls so cold and tendency to damp... can't have it all

[@GosforthHandyman]

Yeah, some older Victorian stock is amazingly soundproof. Dense bricks and small mortar lines probably help too 👍

[@gingerelvis]

My 1902 house has stone walls that are at least 400mm thick I can't hear a thing from next door through the walls (and they can be pretty loud), but the neighbour still complains when I'm doing work to the place!

[@AVCastillo007]

Amazing work. Thank you for showing how to go about insulating walls with this method. I live in a semi-detached house and am in the beginning stages of working out how much it will cost. Excellent work

[@Tez73]

Great vid Andy . I did one years ago and someone told me to stick a full sheet of hardboard onto the plaster with the smooth face touching the plaster , the hard flat smooth surface deflects sound back into the wall . And then do what you have done and leave an air gap , stud with acoustic insulation and plaster board . Well worth doing even though you loose a few inches off your room size

[@GosforthHandyman]

You'd have to run the numbers but I don't think the hardboard would do much. Not enough density unfortunately. Perhaps something like ceramic tiles would help. 👍

[@Nickgowans]

​@@GosforthHandymanHardboard would help to cover a different area of the octave band dulling out some of the higher pitch noises but will have little to no effect on the lower frequencies. While mass is very important and has the biggest overall impact on overall reduction, it's equally important to cover a wide spectrum of material thicknesses and densities to cover different areas of the acoustic spectrum. As well as using damping to stop internal reverberation and lateral transmission. This is why on acoustic glass, we tend to use multiple thicknesses with multiple thicknesses of soft laminate interlayers.

[@Abbadon2001]

very well presented content, refreshing style and clear information.

[@jameswells6796]

I recently soundproofed a bedroom wall in a house I rent out as the party wall was so thin you could hear next door word for word. I used The Soundproofing Store’ who were amazing - they have a calculator on their website to provide a costed list of required items. Their ‘direct to wall’ reducto clip, furring bar, acoustic mineral wool, tech sound mass vinyl and double acoustic 15mm boards only lost 60mm from the room. The tenant is amazed how effective it is. I wouldn’t hesitate doing it again if I had the need.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Great stuff! Yes, Soundstop have the calculator - very useful! You can check it out at www.soundstop.co.uk/ 👍

[@RPB2468]

Top video, very informative, just what I needed. Thanks pal !

[@gavincollins9376]

acoustic silicone between the stud and bwk, around all the p/b, and between any joint

[@Giles4me]

Thank you for this video have now got a better idea how to help my friend who has a problem with his neighbour...

[@GosforthHandyman]

No worries! It's always a balance as nothing is 100% do just down to how far you want to push it. 👍

[@davidgerardgeraghty9890]

Great work Andy, great insight experience and detail

[@markharrison1884]

Kudos on the approach re flanking. Hats off to you sir.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers! Seems to work really well 👍

[@robertgeiger2268]

in America duplex is a single unattached building with a fire wall down the middle 2 make two dwelling units. what your probably referring 2 is row houses (a row of attached houses in a block[an area blocked of for dwelling units]or many blocks) confident u already know this. great job by the way.

[@dasschaf2476]

Your description of a duplex sounds exactly like a semi-detached house in the UK. Your description of row houses sounds like what is called terraced housing in the UK.

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍👍

[@toml3285]

You should get some of that gapo tape for your PIR insulation. It works great especially for old timbers that aren't straight anymore.

[@wollaminfaetter]

Your music is always great, but in this episode it's awesome.

[@killachief187]

Thanks for the tips I'm planning on doing this. My house is only breeze block on either side so I can hear everything.

[@haydenuk02]

Great work and thanks for sharing this with us take care

[@GosforthHandyman]

No worries! 👍

[@moiragoldsmith7052]

Well worth the work! Have a good week. x

[@GosforthHandyman]

Thank you, yes, huge difference! 👍

[@slywind30]

You're a star! Been looking for good tips for installing this stuff and this was perfect! Subbed for more!, Love doing a bit of DIY at home👍👍

[@ifitistobeitisuptome]

Great video, very helpful! Thanks!🙂

[@Cradley684]

Great job Andy, could do with some of that with our neighbours I tell ya, Stay Safe Mate !!!.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers Brian!

[@OptikC]

Great to see you doing this, planning on soundproofing the party walls in my next property

[@GosforthHandyman]

Great stuff, yeah worth doing if you're getting replasterjng done anyway 👍

[@OptikC]

@@GosforthHandyman would this work/still be effective if done directly on brick? I’m removing the chimney breasts and doubt there’ll be much plaster left on the party walls as a result 😁

[@marklydon435]

That framework is touching the wall via the side walls, ceiling and floors which all connect to the party wall. Surely there is some form of decoupling that can be used between the stud and the connecting points.

[@martypick5176]

Yes you can get isolation strips that you attach to the timber work prior to attaching it too the wall you just run the isolation strip around the primates.gives it the decoupling 👍

[@mandyleeson1]

Great job as usual, Andy. 👍🏽

[@GosforthHandyman]

Thank you! 👍👍

[@dubioushumor9243]

The one downvote is from the guy that always tells people “if it’s too loud you’re too old”

[@StuckInTheM1ddle]

or else the nosey neighbour who has their ear against the wall and likes to listen-in on the other neighrbours conversations through the wall

[@GosforthHandyman]

Even so, I'll probably keep my big drums out of the house 😁

[@eamoncrosby2368]

Your a genius!! 🙌🙌👏👏👏

[@thomasamos4055]

We find sound carries up the chimney. Surely the chimney breast is the weak link here?

[@jonb8241]

Something about the irony of you drilling and banging on the neighbouring wall, possibly causing an annoyance to the neighbours whilst installing sound proofing 😂😂 Nice work, as per usual 👍

[@ourfriendinthenorth6234]

Can i ask why you used a Genie Clip on a frame that is not touching the party wall? I thought the reason for using these clips is when you have no choice but to attach them onto the party wall.

[@SCOTTYDP77]

It's not a fly it's a sky raisin 😂 anyhow great renovation you're doing with this house

[@nutter-world]

Absolutely fantastic, love the workmanship. Great work.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers Alex!

[@ronandaly96]

How well has this reduced the sound from next door? I'm looking into a lot of different solutions and this one seems to be a good idea

[@thornwarbler]

Superb..........Thanks for that 🙂

[@louisekelly6115]

@ Gosforth Handyman I’m planning on doing this in an alcove in my 1930s semi. A question though. It looks like you completely filled that gap behind the stud frame with the rock wool. I thought the point of the gap was to decouple from the party wall. Hasn’t that “separation” now been breached?

[@edhunter84]

Sound deadened a few of my rooms now. Daughters room was just 25mm of acoustic wool and 2 layers of acoustic plasterboard. Built an isolated stud wall in bedroom after taking chimney down and added 3mm rubber between the boards. Can sleep in peace now. Already done the lounge alcoves once but about to take chimney down in that so will completely redo the wall using the same method as yourself. Sound is a sneaky pollution. Don’t realise how bad it can be till its not there anymore

[@GosforthHandyman]

Indeed - it can be a challenge! Good luck with yours! 👍

[@grahamlane1991]

Hi Andy, firstly great and informative videos, my wife and I enjoy watching them :-) I currently have a mini renovation project ongoing myself which I'd like to include some form of sound proofing the floor between the ground and 1st floor levels. I will be installing a pool table upstairs so keen to keep the noise down of people walking about and balls being potted while my son sleeps below. I will have a doorway covered by a heavyweight curtain (appreciate this will be the worst case area for noise leakage) but the floorboards are soooo creaky I need to stop this. I was looking to install rockwool between the joists and I've seen a foam tape that people install on top of the joist and then rest the chipboard boards onto. I'd also join the boards with D4 glue. From your experience would this combination help to reduce the noise downstairs or would I be wasting my time and money?!

[@roontunes]

Very thorough, but I'd expect to get most of the 'party' noise from the chimney breast ? And you've left it untreated?

[@sirronnitram8937]

Do you have to give notice to neighbours under the 1996 party wall act for this type of work? Or get building regulations approval?

[@darland3821]

No

[@gary7920]

Flanking sound through the party wall in the loft will be the main problem. Noise will transfer through next doors ceiling and through the party wall in the loft space especially if there are gaps in the mortar joints or around purlins where they are built into the wall. I'd treat those decibel reduction figures quoted by the seller with a HUGE pinch of salt. I assess sound test results in new and converted dwellings as a part of my job

[@Chris-oo9bi]

Hi Gary, if the alcoves you're soundproofing are on the bottom floor, how would you combat this without soundproofing the upstairs alcoves? Mineral wool in the ceiling directly above? Won't give the same performance, but would this help?

[@Flat-Five]

Really enjoying following the house project. Currently renovating our first house so lots to learn and this channel is very motivating and helpful so thanks! Do you think you may end up staying in this house or get it perfect and then find another?

[@GosforthHandyman]

I think we'll be here at least until the kids leave home. Best of luck with yours. 👍

[@awantamta]

As per usual, another great job. You know your stuff !

[@GosforthHandyman]

Thank you! 👍👍

[@merk9922]

Great vid. Highly interested in soundproofing atm. Setting up a workshop down bottom of garden. Built from wood but I'll probably make full floating walls on the inside. Not skimming it though so wondering if I'd be better doing mdf then soundtec then mdf. Not sure if mdf is more or less soundproof than acoustic board tbh. Need to do more digging

[@cgavin1]

It really makes only a negligible difference in old houses with party walls and floor and ceiling joists and chimney breasts etc. Its noticeably better but you'll still hear every moan and groan (and explosion). There's a reason detached houses are so much more expensive.

[@GosforthHandyman]

I've found the soundproofing properties of MDF is great. Obviously the main disadvantage compared to plasterboard is the fire rating. I suspect acoustic plasterboard is slightly better but bet there's not much in it. 👍

[@gigs000]

Hi mate, Do you need do stagger the plasterboard joints between the two layers?

[@bi11y1985]

I have a 1950s semi house and I have been willing to soundproofing the attached wall in one room. I would be inclined on doing something like what you have done here. My question is about damp, considering that the wall has a 75mm gap. Will I be OK and will I not have any damp between the brick wall and the new soundproofing wall?

[@chrishull9983]

Impressive. Thankyou

[@ndeb3371]

Hi. Nice work. Do you get much noise through the back of the fireplace area where there is no sound proofing?

[@GosforthHandyman]

Yes, unfortunately the inglenook is always a problem - very difficult to treat if the chimney is used.

[@matubalfaisal2600]

where could i find jeany clips ?

[@chrismcgee3745]

Hi, is there anyway the noise still transmits through the actual chimney breast?

[@whaletooth4616]

What are the names of the songs used in this video? They are so good!

[@nickwalton8864]

Great video again. Does no sound come through the chimney breast? I used to have a back boiler apparently.

[@aliffdzulhailie4599]

Wat density rocwool u used

[@clutch747]

this really helps thank u!!

[@allanh6076]

Could you not put the vinyl behind the new frame?

[@GosforthHandyman]

I think it's better for it to be on the 'new' wall. 👍

[@stephendugmore9668]

Hi, great video really informative. Can I ask why you did'nt do the chimney breast, or have I missed an earlier video. We have had new neighbours move in next door who have young kids and the noise from them and the parties they have on a weekend are having a real impact on our quality of life. Its either get this done or move which we don't really want to do

[@nasmaxfit]

It looks like you squeezed 2 layers of 50mm rockwool into a 50mm frame, is that right?

[@BillChand]

Hi brilliant videos. One question, which floor you have noticed the best for sounds proofing from your party wall Upstairs or downstair?

[@timw0408]

Yes, semi-detached house in the UK = duplex house in the US.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cool - cheers! 👍

[@duffermod1]

Hi Andy . I've got a serious problem neighbor . The wall between house's are 1 old brick thick but is really like a Rizzla paper you can hear everything nightmare. What was the cost and would it be suitable for mine . Any advice would be great .

[@melissashear5379]

I am about to undertake the same project. Can I ask what screws you used to attach the boards to the furring channels? Were they self drilling?

[@LovenailsByJadeHickson]

Great video! I have very loud and disrespectful neighbours so needing to do this myself. May I ask how much was spent for just this wall (approximately) TIA ☺️

[@Kev_Smith]

4:52 if only my neighbours had your outlook!!!!

[@mully89]

Is there any loading issues with the plasterbosrds on the furing bars, say if I wanted to mount a large tv on that wall?

[@jackdavis8786]

What would you do with sockets in the wall? I was thinking you could build an acoustic box behind it and seal with acoustic sealent

[@1405fun]

Can one hang a heavy mirror on this using plasterboard fixtures I.e grip fit

[@julianhullis1567]

What type and size of screw do you use to fix the plasterboard to the furring strips?

[@johnal4560]

WHERE DID U BUY THE Mass Loaded Vinyl THE ONE THAT HAS GLUE THX

[@GosforthHandyman]

Soundstop - see link in desc. 👍

[@AH-ox9kd]

Hi I watched your video and I have the same bedroom and I wat to do same thing I was wondering for 1 bedroom like yours what do I need start to finish the job thanks.

[@kool123g]

Is that techsound 100 or 50 ?

[@isyt1]

Great job and glad it’s working well. Would it not have been beneficial to put a small air gap between the vinyl and the last piece of plasterboard though?

[@GosforthHandyman]

Very difficult to achieve without another stud wall 👍

[@Jj-ff9vq]

Having done the alcoves, isn't the chimney stack shared so you still have a trombone going between the property and therefore taking away the good work you did on the alcoves?

[@CWDave]

How do you find the soundproofing now that the wood burner is installed? Does it let noise through? If it does let noise through is there anything that can be done?

[@gingerelvis]

Those Genie Bars look like they flex a bit (obviously part of their isolation properties) and the gummy techsound must flex slightly, how do you avoid cracking in the plaster where the boards meet the original walls / corners?

[@GosforthHandyman]

Once they're loaded up there's no flex. Just scrim on the corners and no cracking. 👍

[@gingerelvis]

​@@GosforthHandyman Interesting! Just thinking back to my fathers place where the ceiling has cracked where the boards meet and that's with new joists and scrim 😬

[@topgazza]

The fireplace and chimney breast aren’t soundproofed. Is that a problem ? Appreciate the end result as you’ve done it is great but wondered about the fireplace

[@GosforthHandyman]

The chimney breast is dot & dabbed with acoustic plasterboard but the inglenook is very difficult to treat 👍

[@topgazza]

@@GosforthHandyman Of course, thanks. You could always stuff some Sunderland supporters in there. They’re pretty dense, allegedly 😳

[@tonyward2086]

Yes. We call it a duplex in the US.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Thought so! 👍😬

[@georgehitchmough1045]

Sorry for my ignorance, but what sized timber did you use.....dont half find myself second guessing myself far too much recently. Thanks Andy 👍

[@sen5908]

I'm wondering if flexel would be good where the wood meets the walls, it's used on expansion joints in brickwork but is pretty dense, this is the best sound proofing video I have seen, just a couple of questions my joist go into the dividing walls, what about them, could you use a specialist underlay under the carpets ? and then you would have the ceiling, if you removed the plasterboard you could do with doing in-between the joist going into next door, the ironic thing is all that work and the neighbors get it for free

[@full-affect7580]

Is this actually worth it? Does it block out the sound well