How to Soundproof Your Condo
There are many wonderful benefits of living in a condominium building. One problem with living in close proximity to others is that you may be able to hear them. Some noise may be expected when you live in a condo, such as the street noise of the city. But you may discover other problems later, as you find that your new neighbor likes to listen to music while you are trying to sleep or study. Or it may turn out that you are the noisemaker and you are interested in soundproofing your apartment rather than live with the complaints.
You may be able to handle your problems with a polite conversation, phone call or knock on the door. In extreme cases, you might have to seek enforcement of the condo rules or call an attorney. If the former solution does not work, and before you resort to the latter, you may want to consider soundproofing your condo.
It may not be possible to completely eliminate the noise with these techniques, as there are no guarantees in life, but it should be possible to minimize it.
Pre-Construction or During Renovation
Some of the most effective strategies for blocking, or in the very least decreasing, outside noise are best implemented during construction or renovation of the condo. If you are buying a new condo, be sure to ask about any anti-noise measures taken, and if you are still concerned, seek to upgrade the construction material. If you are renovating, consider thicker interior walls, soundproof wall sheeting, insulation, and multiple pane windows can decrease the amount of outside noise that comes into your condo. You may also want to add mass loaded vinyl, quietrock or acoustic foam to the walls, ceiling, or floor to aid in preventing noise transmission.
Of course, be sure to consult with your condo association regarding the measures which you are taking during construction or renovation.
Post-Construction
If you have bought a condo and aren’t planning renovations, but face a problem with loud noise coming from your neighbors’ condo and are interested in soundproofing your own condominium, the rest of this article is for you. Begin by identifying where the noise is coming from. Sound and vibrations travel through walls and it is important to implement measures that block the transmission of the noise. Then, consider implementing a few of our strategies to aid in blocking the noise:
- Carpet your floors to decrease noise coming from the condo below your unit.
- Hang drapes over the windows to decrease outside noise.
- Paint your walls with sound absorbing latex paint.
- Blow insulation into the walls.
- Consider a white noise generator, such as an air purifier, to drown out low level noises.
If the noise problem rises above the level of an inconvenience, consider consulting an expert in soundproofing or a company selling soundproofing products. While they may come at a higher cost than the do-it-yourself solution, you can’t put a price on your piece of mind.