I’ve a client in a Downtown Condo that is having sound issues. The mid-rise building is new construction over old…meaning they added numerous floors above an old warehouse building.
These are very high-end units based on cost and appearance… though, maybe not construction techniques.
My client is fairly certain that the noise source is from the suites on either side of him, not above or below. His description is that when he and his wife are in the bedroom, it sounds as though people are walking across his living room floor. He believes it to be the sound of neighbors in the adjacent suites.
This suite is very finely decorated with art and design so that is a concern in addressing the matter. I can’t just hang acoutical panels and hope for the best.
He also tells me that this is a problem common with owners of other suites throughout the building.
I will be visiting the site soon to inspect and hopefully determine the problem.
Any thoughts prior to my visit?
I will attach a photo from a party I attended there recently to give you all an idea of the interior arrangement.
When you’re this good, EVERYONE wants a crack at you!
http://www.petedraganic.com/
Replies
Pete,
I think the problem is the redhead seated at the bar .
Send her out here and the problem will be solved. ;-)
Nice digs by the way .
Edited 3/11/2007 1:56 pm by dovetail97128
LOL, that "redhead" is only in 8th grade...
There ain't nothing that's going to solve THAT problem.
When you're this good, EVERYONE wants a crack at you!
http://www.petedraganic.com/
Slinking quietly off to the Opthomologist here. By the way , where in the Cleveland area did you grow up? I spent many a day in the Metro Parks along Rocky River back in the fifties and early sixties. Winters skating at Winterhurst in Lakewood.
Southeast area... Warner Rd mostly but also the Broadway area.
My son and I do a bit of fishing in the Rocky River... trout.
When you're this good, EVERYONE wants a crack at you!
http://www.petedraganic.com/
I have no help but the blonde in front looks to trouble.
Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.......BUSTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh yeah... before you go there.... the brunette in the blue dress, sitting on the left, is my daughter (an 8th grader as well).
LOL.
When you're this good, EVERYONE wants a crack at you!
http://www.petedraganic.com/
Edited 3/11/2007 2:02 pm ET by PeteDraganic
There is a product called "supress" drywall, that is dry wall with a gel in between two layers of drywall. you laminate it over the existing drywall walls. Still means you have to paint, do new base, etc. but it is pretty non-distruptive as far as retrofits go. It's expensive, but works really well. Keeps noise from being transferred thru the wall.
What is the floor construction and wall construction? Do the units have staggered stud walls with sound insulation?
can you find out what the original construction was.? Warehouse sound like concrete construction. That would transmit sound like crazy. Did a radiostation reno once and even without knocking any concrete we could work only during night hours.
Looks to me like a very expensive "repair" job considering this building is finished already. Ripping out walls and floors? I don't think so
First of all, if your daughter gets sent anywhere - I call dibs! I need someone to play with my kids while I finish of this dang bedroom/bathroom rebuild. Would she work for less than $8 an hour? :)
On another note, I would see if the sound is getting transfered directly through the floor instead of the walls... especially since it's footsteps. there may be a sweet spot next door that resonates at a node under this floor.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
That is what I am thinking...
That the floor is acting like a sounding board.
Maybe there was something unique about the way they built these floors too. Being that it was more building retrofitted over an existing structure, maybe they tried to be creative and it is amplifying a problem that normally wouldn't be as bad.
When you're this good, EVERYONE wants a crack at you!
http://www.petedraganic.com/
Oh yeah, she'd work cheap but the drive there would be a little pricey...lol
When you're this good, EVERYONE wants a crack at you!
http://www.petedraganic.com/
Dealing with a similar issue.
Read this for starters:
http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/pubs/ctus/35_e.html
Tony,
Thanks... that is exactly the kind of stuff I was looking for.
When you're this good, EVERYONE wants a crack at you!
http://www.petedraganic.com/
I once hung a suspended resilient gyp. board ceiling (complete with these shock absorber-like hangers)for a neurotic musician in New York. I believe I got them from this company: http://www.kineticsnoise.comAnother option is sound isolation mats that are placed below hard surface flooring such as ceramic or stone flooring, but that is probably not suitable to your scenario since it would involve replacing the flooring in the apt. above.These were the devices: http://www.kineticsnoise.com/interiors/af.html
Edited 3/12/2007 7:49 pm ET by TGNY
Actually, I believe this is sound transference from adjacent suites, not from above or below.
My preliminary thoughts are that the sound is traveling through the continuous floor slab, from suite to suite.
It will be interesting nonetheless.
When you're this good, EVERYONE wants a crack at you!
http://www.petedraganic.com/
first... if your guy can hear them.... they can hear him also... so first i'd work with the people next to him and try to reproduce the sounds...
I'm no expert on this... but I've read everything i can find on the issue for the last 2 years for my loft project... I've read about building sound rooms. recording studios ect... places where sound is king... or NOT...
on my second floor which is concrete over the original wood... i made sure the the concrete didn't pass between units... so i placed wood screed boards where the fire wall base plates would go...to give some seperation... i also learned that saw cuts in the same place would do the same thing... for sound issues...
holes... holes are a huge place for sound to travel... even small non used screw holes in the backs of outlet boxes should be sealed... anything to disrupt the sound waves is good... alot of one material is BAD.. ie several layers of 5/8" drywall is not as effective as 1 layer of 5/8 and one layer of 1/2" because the waves that will pass 5/8 will pass 5/8 but may not pass 1/2"...
if the sounds is travel'n thru the concrete floor... i couldn't tell what floor material they used in the unit... but... if it's the same as next door... then someone needs to change... ie: tile in one and wood in the other... concrete floors shared between units is like share'n the head of a drum... carpet would help...
walls... if it's walls... I'd want to know the constrction used... and if any insulation was used... if they used foam... BAD.... cellulose ...better, metal studs? double stud or not? wood studs? channel?
there is much that could be done during construction that can't be done now...
btw... there are may people in court over this very matter... builders usually don't win unless they can prove they did the best current practice at the time of the build... which is the main reason i have researched as much as i have on this issue...
as a side note... i found one study where they glued all the drywall scraps to the back side of the drywall (hung one side first then glued scrap) where they showed that even adding a few scraps to the back side in a stud cavity was a big improvement... even only covering 30% or less of the backside... they thought part of it was the glue (liquid nails type product) and part was just break'n up the sound waves... and part was the random shapes of the scraps... i followed this practice one to rid myself of the scrap... and to rid myself of a pallet of out of date liquid nails products...
keep us posted on what you find... this is more and more of an issue as people get closer to each other
p
Some excellent observations and suggestions.
Thanks!
I have to figure a best way to create a sound break in these already finished suites... Oh joy!
When you're this good, EVERYONE wants a crack at you!
http://www.petedraganic.com/