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noisy upstairs neighbors

amsterdammer | Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on August 16, 2005 07:47am

Hello,
I just flew in from San Francisco and….. Anyway I am in need of some sound ( no pun intended) advice. My wife and I just purchased and will soon begin remodeling the apartment above ours here in Amsterdam. I have a problem with noises coming from the upstairs neighbors. Nothing really loud but you can hear them walking over their hardwood floors, moving chairs ect.. The ceiling construction is wood joists with no insulation between and beautiful ornamental plaster ceilings on our side. Obviously I have no access to the bays from above and tearing our ceiling down is out of the question. I am thinking blown in insulation but accoring to the info it only reduces sound by 12 db. If anyone has a brilliant idea I would love to hear it as I find these noises very disturbing,especially above our bedroom.

Thanks,
Dan

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Replies

  1. User avater
    EricPaulson | Aug 16, 2005 08:11pm | #1

    I may not be 100% correct, but I believe the BEST way to lessen the noise is to ISOLATE it.

    The noise is being transfered through the beams to your ceiling. There are systems for new construction that isolate the ceiling finish from the framing, thus preventing the transfer of the bulk of the noise.

    I'm sure others know better than I on this.

    Eric

    It's Never Too Late To Become

    What You Might Have Been

     

    [email protected]

  2. buildboy | Aug 16, 2005 11:49pm | #2

    Sound rated floor/ceiling assemblies have to address two types of noise. One rating is STC which is basically airborn noise such as from voices. This can be somewhat attenuated with insulation such as you were considering. The other component of sound rated assemblies, and the one you are troubled by is IIC or impact isolation class (footfall). Unfortunately, this type of sound is difficult to deal with. There are isolation membranes that could be installed between the subfloor and your neighbors hardwood floor. However, not likely to happen in your situation. Also, resilient channels are often used to "float" ceiling membranes such that sound transfer is reduced. Also not likely considering your situation. All this is a moot point, and provided only for your interest. If it were me I'd consider one of two options: Offer to purchase your neighbors a rug and pad, or get yourself some 99 cent earplugs. Sorry for the bad news...

  3. hacknhope | Aug 16, 2005 11:57pm | #3

    Oh, shudder.  Spent too many years in apartments - and not in lovely Amsterdam's charming architecture. 

    You probably won't like the solution, especially if you have beautiful hardwood, but carpetting on the floor above would gain you a pretty sizeable reduction in percussive foot-falls, screeching chairs and even voices.  If the apt is yours to rent, you could put down carpet or supply just shy of full-room-size area rugs.   These could be entirely man-made oriental immitations or Ikea moderns (which counterpoint wonderfully with many antique spaces and the usually neutral tones of rental units).  Put it in the lease that the carpet stays down.   

  4. buildboy | Aug 16, 2005 11:59pm | #4

    Oh, one other thing. If memory serves, I believe a reduction of 10db is equivalent to cutting noise volumes in half. Not bad. But again, I think your situation is mostly impact noise, which insulation alone will hardly effect.

    1. seb | Aug 17, 2005 02:49am | #5

      3 db increase is doubling...

       

       

  5. Tim | Aug 17, 2005 08:59pm | #6

    Renovate the upstairs apartment, move into it, and rent out the lower unit.

    1. User avater
      AdamGreisz | Aug 17, 2005 10:09pm | #7

      Now that is a thinking mans response.

       Wood is Good

      Adam Greisz<!----><!---->

      <!----> 

      1. Tim | Aug 17, 2005 10:28pm | #8

        I really didn't mean it as a flippant SA remark, just that's the only arrangement I've ever seen work for those who chose to rent out half of their house to strangers.

        1. User avater
          AdamGreisz | Aug 17, 2005 10:34pm | #9

          Actually I am with you and really did think it was a good idea (not knowing the specifics). So in return two messages were not supposed to read as flippant.

           Wood is Good

          Adam Greisz<!----><!---->

          <!----> 

          1. amsterdammer | Aug 17, 2005 11:41pm | #10

            Hello,
            I think you guys have a good idea. However We own the bottom 2 floors and our neighbors own the top 2. Thinking of moving to the country in a few years if my citified wife will go along with it.Maybe a zen mediatation course would help me.

          2. NotaClue | Aug 18, 2005 11:00am | #11

            Try installing Quiet Rock on your ceiling. http://www.quietsolutions.com
            They'll send you an architectual book with a sample if you call. It's sheetrock with 1/16" steel and two layers of polyviny butyrate (that's my guess, anyway). In the same way that laminated glass kills sound, this sheetrock does too.I know you don't want to mess with your ceiling, but if you do, it's a pretty cool answer. We just finished an installation and it works.
            Comes in three thicknesses/sound ratings.
            The thickest one would pretty much silence the noise from the unit overhead, I bet.
            NotAClue

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