Can Soundproof Rugs Solve My Upstairs Neighbor's Noise Complaints?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around noise complaints in an apartment setting, specifically addressing the impact of floor noise on neighbors. Participants explore potential solutions, including soundproof rugs and other methods to mitigate noise transmission, while also considering the social dynamics of neighbor interactions.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses frustration over being yelled at for normal activity, suggesting that a thick soft rug might help reduce noise.
  • Another participant shares their own experience with loud neighbors, indicating that they have also faced significant noise disturbances.
  • Some participants question whether the yelling was directed at the original poster, suggesting it could have been aimed at a child or pet instead.
  • One participant notes that noise issues may stem from the building's construction and suggests using soft-soled slippers to minimize sound.
  • Another participant mentions that adding weight to the floor could potentially reduce noise transmission by altering resonance frequencies.
  • Several humorous suggestions are made, including pretending to be stealthy or playing loud music to mask noise.
  • Concerns are raised about the building's sound insulation, with some participants noting that older buildings may have poor noise control.
  • A participant reflects on their own noisy habits in college, indicating that some people may not be aware of how their movements affect others.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the noise issue, with no clear consensus on the best solution. While some agree on the effectiveness of rugs and slippers, others highlight the challenges posed by building construction and individual behaviors.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge that the building's age and construction materials may contribute to noise issues, and there are references to unresolved mathematical concepts regarding sound transmission and resonance.

HuskyNamedNala
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I live in a second floor apartment and I am having trouble with floor noise. I just moved in this week and the guy below me has already yelled from his room a few times to "Go to bed, son of a bit**". Well, the problem with that is 1) I was only walking through my bedroom, 2) it was 8 at night. Now, if it were later like 10 pm, I'd probably just say sorry, but I was pissed off and told the guy to mind his business and buy earplugs or learn to deal with it.

The point is, I'm not going to deal with some moron for the rest of my lease who is so sensitive to the slightest acoustic disturbance that he has to yell and scream, but not actually have the courage to knock on my door and discuss the problem.

Tomorrow I am going to go to home depot and look for a soundproof rug or something similar. Any ideas on how to deal with this (either with physics or negotiation) before it escalates?

I was thinking a thick soft rug might do the trick. Or 3 smaller thinner rugs, but this is absurd. I shouldn't have to worry about walking into my own bedroom at night, lest I incur the wrath of a wanna-be thug.
 
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Ooh, maybe I should cuss out my upstairs neighbors, they are so loud that they have awoken both me and my dogs numerous times, the banging and crashing is unbelievable. I understand normal noise, but the crashes actually shake the walls, I can't imagine what they could be doing. The constant banging makes my dogs bark and me a nervous wreck. I wish someone like you would move in. I'm, just hoping these people move out soon.

And you are right, normal activity is acceptable, you should complain to your landlord, this tenant may have driven out previous tenants.
 
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Are you sure the comment was directed at you? He could have been talking to his kid. I'd hate to think a parent would talk to a child in that tone, but sadly, it happens.

Or perhaps he was talking to a dog. Which is just as sad, really.

It's totally unreasonable to expect complete silence from neighbors at 8 in the evening!
 
Yeah. Ironically I've heard this guy yell at his TV as if he were a doctor with a patient flatlining. I personally am not bothered by noise because I grew up in a noisy house. I'm pretty sure it was directed at me, as the timing of me entering my room and opening my dresser drawer is consistent with his bellows of agony. I might talk to the landlord if he does it again.
 
Were you wearing shoes? What is your floor made out of? Is the noise from flexing of the floor in certain parts, or from your feet.

There are ways of quieting floors with a few screws if you know exactly is causing the noise.
 
The tenant on the ground floor has probably been fed up with your predecessors and their noise, and is getting in right from the start to make you aware of how noise carries through a floor. Some people seem to have a natural gait that amounts to clomping around on their heels. Some buildings are badly constructed as far as noise transmission goes, probably built when there was no building code for such things.

1) Soft-soled slippers or similar for home wear.

2) Turn it into a game, pretend you are Anne Frank striving to remain undiscovered living in someone's ceiling. :smile:
 
Slippers and rugs would be my first option.
Lianas (or ropes) would be my second one.
http://www.gwthomas.org/tarzmov13.gif
My third option would be to play this at a loud volume when you walk; neither you nor you neighbor will be disturbed by any floor noise...:smile:
 
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Tell him to 'f up and go to bed' himself.
 
Here a lot of the problem is that a lot of the floors are tile and no sound insulation between floors, so chairs being pulled across the floor, walking, jumping up and down (aerobic exercise perhaps), bouncing balls on the floor, herding elephants. I never heard the couple with a 7 year old the first year I was here, they were so quite. Then all hell broke loose with the next family, then two guys moved in, never heard a sound, now these people that seem to go out of their way to be noisy, although I've not said anything, perhaps I should.
 
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  • #10
every time he complains start stomping around like a maniac. :biggrin:
 
  • #11
Have you talked to the landlord? If such light noises carry so well they may be in violation of building codes, and you could ask for it to be fixed.
 
  • #12
NascentOxygen said:
Some people seem to have a natural gait that amounts to clomping around on their heels.

I used to be like that. When I was in college, I once arrived back at my dorm room door and my roommate opened it while I was reaching into my pocket for my keys. He explained that he had heard a clomping noise that stopped right at the loudest point, outside the door, so he figured it must be me. :-p
 
  • #13
Thanks guys. I think one of the problems is that the buildings are old and the sound propagates very well through the I beams and structure. I might talk to my landlord about the problem, but ever since I told that guy to go F himself he has stayed pretty quiet. It doesn't help that I have a big frame too (good for weightlifting, but not running or walking quietly lol). Interestingly the living room is much louder than the bedroom (there is a squeaky board) and the guy doesn't say anything (except when someone misses a pass, at which point you might as well assume he got diagnosed with AIDS giving the screaming).
 
  • #14
I did read one solution about adding weight to the floor. This makes sense from a vibrations standpoint since once can modify the resonance frequency by either adding mass or changing the material modulus (the latter isn't going to happen haha), but I think adding mass just acts more like a damper.
 

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