Anyone sound proof their home effectively?

[Retired and Restless]

I moved into a townhouse which I own and found out that my next door neighbor has two kids who scream and yell all the time. The other side has a barking dog. I have tried to talk to the neighbors and got no where. Tried to get the homeowner association involved with no luck.

My thought now is to get the walls professionally sound proofed.

Anyone have experience with soundproofing through expert contractors and have luck and know how much it will cost?

 

[travelover]

You can add a lot of sound proofing just by adding additional drywall. Ideally, you'd add a second wall so the studs don't touch the original wall, fill with fiberglass insulation, then drywall the new wall with a couple layers of 3/4 or 5/8 drywall. Seal any outlets or pass through holes very well with caulk.

 

[REWahoo]

Retired and Restless, you sound a lot like Waiting For Pension and Forced to Retire. Why don't you three guys get together and see if you can't help each other with your problems?

 

[mpeirce]

You can add a lot of sound proofing just by adding additional drywall. Ideally, you'd add a second wall so the studs don't touch the original wall, fill with fiberglass insulation, then drywall the new wall with a couple layers of 3/4 or 5/8 drywall. Seal any outlets or pass through holes very well with caulk.

This!

The last townhouse we lived in had a double wall between the units with added insulation. This worked very well.

Even just having extra insulation in the walls helps - when we had our current home built, we had this done between the family room (main TV area) and my office (I used to work at home) and it helps a lot.

Still, if the neighbors are particularly noisy, I'd spring for the double wall.

 

[RunningBum]

Retired and Restless, you sound a lot like Waiting For Pension and Forced to Retire. Why don't you three guys get together and see if you can't help each other with your problems?

Maybe they've all "gone travelling" together?

Good call. I was guessing the same from the SS thread but it seemed to soon.

 

[jfn111]

Check out the home theater builds in the AVS Forum. AVS Forum | Home Theater Discussions And Reviews
There is some great examples of soundproofing.

 

[travelover]

Check out the home theater builds in the AVS Forum. AVS Forum | Home Theater Discussions And Reviews
There is some great examples of soundproofing.

Here is a good link from that forum: 4 Elements of Soundproofing - Soundproofing Company

 

[Sunset]

Just wait, as you get older your hearing will go, so it will all be quieter.

 

[omni550]

What about through-the-ceiling noises?

Similar question, but a bit different.

Upstairs neighbor clomps around. I never hear his TV or stereo, etc....mostly just his heavy footfalls from the minute he gets out of bed around 7 am (which often wakes me, as I'm in those final bits of lighter sleep). I can hear the vacuum being run upstairs, but that is only in use occasionally and during my waking hours.

It's a 13-year old 2-story condo, 1650 sq. ft...with about 18" air space above my drywall ceiling to the concrete and tile floor of his unit. The utilities (water, electric, A/C ducts, return air ducts, etc.) are run through this air space, as the unit is built on a slab.) My kitchen has 5 recessed can light fixtures which also extend into this air space.

I have started running one of these white noise sound machines in my bedroom at night, which seems to cut down on my sleep being interrupted by his stomping. https://www.amazon.com/Marpac-Dohm-DS-All-Natural-White-Machine/dp/B00HD0ELFK?th=1

Although I'd prefer not to have to listen to any noise (white or otherwise, lol) when I'm sleeping.

Any quick and easy ideas to soundproof between our units?

omni

 

[Hermit]

Similar question, but a bit different.

Upstairs neighbor clomps around. I never hear his TV or stereo, etc....mostly just his heavy footfalls from the minute he gets out of bed around 7 am (which often wakes me, as I'm in those final bits of lighter sleep). I can hear the vacuum being run upstairs, but that is only in use occasionally and during my waking hours.

It's a 13-year old 2-story condo, 1650 sq. ft...with about 18" air space above my drywall ceiling to the concrete and tile floor of his unit. The utilities (water, electric, A/C ducts, return air ducts, etc.) are run through this air space, as the unit is built on a slab.) My kitchen has 5 recessed can light fixtures which also extend into this air space.

I have started running one of these white noise sound machines in my bedroom at night, which seems to cut down on my sleep being interrupted by his stomping. https://www.amazon.com/Marpac-Dohm-DS-All-Natural-White-Machine/dp/B00HD0ELFK?th=1

Although I'd prefer not to have to listen to any noise (white or otherwise, lol) when I'm sleeping.

Any quick and easy ideas to soundproof between our units?

omni

There are lots of quick and easy things you can try such as insulation and more drywall. If you really want to mitigate the noise, you need to do some research on noise transfer and see if you can figure out how the noise is transferred and what to do to mitigate it. The AVS Forum is the best place I have found for in-depth discussion in noise transfer and mitigation. BTW, that footfall issue you have is one of the hardest to eliminate.

 

[COcheesehead]

We share common walls, but there is about a 6 inch airspace between us and the neighbor and the studs do not line up. We hear nothing.

 

[Bamaman]

Insulation is not all created equal. They have a special sound deadening insulation available, and 5/8" drywall or two layers helps.

Have you considered putting Ernest Tubb's "T for Texas" on a loop on your stereo, turning it up very loudly and going away for the weekend?

 

[Al in Ohio]

You can add a lot of sound proofing just by adding additional drywall. Ideally, you'd add a second wall so the studs don't touch the original wall, fill with fiberglass insulation, then drywall the new wall with a couple layers of 3/4 or 5/8 drywall. Seal any outlets or pass through holes very well with caulk.

Travelover has stated just what I was going to post. I worked with Architects who did this in similar cases plus I did a job for a radio station with soundproof rooms. A really sound proof wall is 18"-24" thick double wall with studs and drywall vertical layers isolated, but you can do almost as good with a double wall not as wide, say 12". Studs are staggered.

 

[Sunset]

.....
Upstairs neighbor clomps around. I never hear his TV or stereo, etc....mostly just his heavy footfalls from the minute he gets out of bed around 7 am (which often wakes me, as I'm in those final bits of lighter sleep). I can hear the vacuum being run upstairs, but that is only in use occasionally and during my waking hours.

It's a 13-year old 2-story condo, 1650 sq. ft...with about 18" air space above my drywall ceiling to the concrete and tile floor of his unit. The utilities (water, electric, A/C ducts, return air ducts, etc.) are run through this air space, as the unit is built on a slab.) My kitchen has 5 recessed can light fixtures which also extend into this air space.

...............
Any quick and easy ideas to soundproof between our units? .

Buy your neighbor wall to wall carpeting or switch units.

I understand your issue, I had a person in a concrete apt living above me want to wear high heels on the tile floor, once they walked on the carpet it was a lot quieter, but the tile floors were loud.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Ah..shared walls, what a treat. That alone is enough to keep me from living in a town home/condo/apt/etc. Then again, I am sitting here listening to my neighbor use his industrial backpack blower to blow leaves for the 3rd time this week...and his sessions last about 2 hours; It's absolutely miserable. I am thinking our next homestead is going to have to be at least 5 acres for *some* sort of buffer, because 1/2 an acre ain't cutting it.

 

[Breedlove]

Don't know if this would work for you but my Metal building house , I had sprayed 2.5 " closed cell foam . It seemed more expensive then conventional insulation but it keeps the house insulated and sound proofed . Understand this is a steel roofed home .

They usually charge a 1500. 00 minimum to come out and if you are just doing the walls you could probably get by on less then 4000.00

 

[Revlefty]

Take up the drums or the tuba and make sure you practice a lot.

 

[jonat]

I am a big fan of Roxul "Safe and Sound" mineral wool insulation. It is specifically designed for sound insulation (and fire resistance), much better than fiberglass. Lowe's sells it. I also use their insulating batts (which also reduce sound), more insulation than equivalent fiberglass.

With adjacent walls and ceilings, there's a limit to what you can do. Decoupling the surfaces is key, but tricky in an apartment/condo situation.

 

[ponyboy]

And this is the very reason I purchased a home on 30 acres...no neighbors...no connected walls.

We lived in apartments for 10 years. I couldnt imagine owning a place that has walls connected to someone else. At least in an apartment you can leave relatively easy.

If I spoke to the neighbors and housing board and nothing changed...I would invest in a serious surround sound speaker with a massive sub...and no one would be getting any sleep.

 

[Kimo]

Ah..shared walls, what a treat. That alone is enough to keep me from living in a town home/condo/apt/etc. Then again, I am sitting here listening to my neighbor use his industrial backpack blower to blow leaves for the 3rd time this week...and his sessions last about 2 hours; It's absolutely miserable. I am thinking our next homestead is going to have to be at least 5 acres for *some* sort of buffer, because 1/2 an acre ain't cutting it.

Exactly why I am on 17 acres!

 

[COcheesehead]

Ah..shared walls, what a treat. That alone is enough to keep me from living in a town home/condo/apt/etc. Then again, I am sitting here listening to my neighbor use his industrial backpack blower to blow leaves for the 3rd time this week...and his sessions last about 2 hours; It's absolutely miserable. I am thinking our next homestead is going to have to be at least 5 acres for *some* sort of buffer, because 1/2 an acre ain't cutting it.

LOL. I had more neighbor noise in our single family homes than in our town homes. First thing is you need to make sure the shared walls are constructed correctly PRIOR to purchase. Double drywall, air space, no touching studs, etc.
Because our current home was constructed that way, we hear nothing. The bonus is no neighbors cutting grass at 6am or 6pm on a weekend. The HOA cuts the lawn when we are gone during the week. No neighbors blowing leaves, no revving engine car repairs and if there was, we'd have an HOA to complain to instead of having to deal with loud neighbor ourselves. All in all, I'll take my shared walls and all it's energy savings as well.

 

[sengsational]

I'd put a sound generating device on the shared wall. Undefined, sustained sound isn't distracting. If your place is otherwise quiet, you're not going to reduce their antics with insulation, and why give-up your square footage to lower by a dB or two.

 

[travelover]

........why give-up your square footage to lower by a dB or two.

Done properly, it makes a big difference.

 

[ls99]

Standalone house, triple pane low E windows and doors. Even if dorky neighbor decides to run lawn lawn tractor during our dinner time, it is not heard.

Bonus: air leaks reduced. Heating 3 BR house with about 400 gal of oil and about 3/4 cord of wood, mostly to watch flames in the glass front stove. In southWest PA.

Omce lived in apartment complex for about 6 months. Never to be repeated. At my camp/mancave nearest neighbor is about 4 miles away. Don't care what noise they make

 

[braumeister]

I've lived in townhouse condos (two-story, side-by-side) three times in my life, for a total of eight years in that type residence. Never once did I hear a sound from the adjacent units. I suspect that the OP (if it even was a legitimate post, which is doubtful) was simply dealing with substandard construction.