Neighbor downstairs
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knightfly
- Senior Member
- Posts: 6976
- Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 11:11 am
- Location: West Coast, USA
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Slideman
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2003 5:21 am
- Location: L.A.
Hey Steve. I certainly have a meter but I've just been trying to figure out how to make things better without contacting the evil being downstairs. I appreciate your help. I'll post once I get this problem worked out to let you know the end results. Thanks again for putting me on the right path.
-Marty
-Marty
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knightfly
- Senior Member
- Posts: 6976
- Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 11:11 am
- Location: West Coast, USA
I understand about the "contact" thing - I've had "neighbors from hell" on one side of me for 26 years, bastards refuse to die...
The blown in insulation is usually cellulose - if it's blown in right, it should contact the paneling on both sides of the frame and dampen it some. That alone could drop your noise level by maybe 5-6 dB. However, without any concrete level information from you, I don't know if that's ENOUGH, almost enough, or nowhere near. How loud is the boombox crap in your CR? Play something on the CD player that's about the same level, then see how much you have to turn it down before it's quiet enough.
Sound isolation is predominately two-way, although flanking noise can be more one direction than the other - what you may have to do in order to NOT cause structural problems, is to "semi-float" your floor by putting a layer of Homasote, then a layer of gypsum wallboard, then 1/2" particle board and some Pergo or similar wood flooring - the wallboard would need to come off the studs, at least for the "offending" wall, and RC followed by 3 different thicknesses of wallboard - make sure if you want to do this that you discuss it more here, so you don't do something that will negate all your work.
Personally, I would do all the LITTLE things we've talked about FIRST, although they are all aimed at helping "That Woman" - Then, if she's still blasting you out after a week or so, pay her a surprise visit when the blaster's on, take your SLM, and measure the SPL in her place (it IS a public place, right?) without even asking. When she wants to know what you're doing, just say "Oh, nothing, just checking thanks" and walk back out. A small notepad and pencil wouldn't hurt either - you can actually write down the levels you measure (again, C weighting/fast response)
Before you do that, get a reference level of her noise in YOUR space - actually set up a mic and get a level, boost til you can read 0 dB on some meter like the console, then re-check it when you get back to your space and see if she's turned it down (or up, in which case you have my permission to strangle her with her hair dryer cord...)
Just doing that may intimidate her into thinking you're gonna get her in trouble, or it might have the opposite effect. Either way, you'll know more than you do now.
If you just want to improve walls and floor, I can help you there too. Just don't build anything and THEN ask if you should have... Steve
The blown in insulation is usually cellulose - if it's blown in right, it should contact the paneling on both sides of the frame and dampen it some. That alone could drop your noise level by maybe 5-6 dB. However, without any concrete level information from you, I don't know if that's ENOUGH, almost enough, or nowhere near. How loud is the boombox crap in your CR? Play something on the CD player that's about the same level, then see how much you have to turn it down before it's quiet enough.
Sound isolation is predominately two-way, although flanking noise can be more one direction than the other - what you may have to do in order to NOT cause structural problems, is to "semi-float" your floor by putting a layer of Homasote, then a layer of gypsum wallboard, then 1/2" particle board and some Pergo or similar wood flooring - the wallboard would need to come off the studs, at least for the "offending" wall, and RC followed by 3 different thicknesses of wallboard - make sure if you want to do this that you discuss it more here, so you don't do something that will negate all your work.
Personally, I would do all the LITTLE things we've talked about FIRST, although they are all aimed at helping "That Woman" - Then, if she's still blasting you out after a week or so, pay her a surprise visit when the blaster's on, take your SLM, and measure the SPL in her place (it IS a public place, right?) without even asking. When she wants to know what you're doing, just say "Oh, nothing, just checking thanks" and walk back out. A small notepad and pencil wouldn't hurt either - you can actually write down the levels you measure (again, C weighting/fast response)
Before you do that, get a reference level of her noise in YOUR space - actually set up a mic and get a level, boost til you can read 0 dB on some meter like the console, then re-check it when you get back to your space and see if she's turned it down (or up, in which case you have my permission to strangle her with her hair dryer cord...)
Just doing that may intimidate her into thinking you're gonna get her in trouble, or it might have the opposite effect. Either way, you'll know more than you do now.
If you just want to improve walls and floor, I can help you there too. Just don't build anything and THEN ask if you should have... Steve
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Slideman
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2003 5:21 am
- Location: L.A.
Thanks for more great info, Steve. The next time she cranks it up, I'll definitely measure with a matching sound source from my cd player (have to hunt around for some equally nerve-racking music). I like the idea fo tweaking the floor like you mentioned but I'll definitely get your advice before embarking on something like that. I'm no fool!
Spoke to an insulation guy who said that he doesn't think the insulation will help much since there's a "plate" between the 2 floors and the insulation will be in the upper half above where her wall meets my floor. I like your optimism better.
Sorry for taking up so much of your time. You really are performing a great service--above and beyond.
-Marty
Spoke to an insulation guy who said that he doesn't think the insulation will help much since there's a "plate" between the 2 floors and the insulation will be in the upper half above where her wall meets my floor. I like your optimism better.
Sorry for taking up so much of your time. You really are performing a great service--above and beyond.
-Marty
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knightfly
- Senior Member
- Posts: 6976
- Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 11:11 am
- Location: West Coast, USA
I partially agree with your insulation guy, but the stuff WILL help SOME - the way flanking noise gets back into the "air" in your space, is that it vibrates the framing, which has the wall panels attached to it - this vibrates the wall panels, which then create sound waves in the air of your room. If you dampen the vibration capabilities of your wall panels, they can't vibrate as enthusiastically, so they don't "re-generate" as much sound.
True, it would be better if you could also have him blow in insulation in the downstairs walls (or fill up the boombox with it
) but it will help by a noticeable amount. Til we know just how much too loud the crap is, we won't know how much MORE you'll need to do.
Speaking of vibrating the framing, this is why Resilient Channel helps so much - if the sound has to physically "wiggle" the wall panels, and those panels are all on "springs", then the springs damp the amount of sound that gets to the panels, and the panels' own inertia ensures that they "just sit there" instead of following the rapid vibrations of the frame. As a parallel, can you imagine what it would be like driving over a bumpy road if your car's body was solidly attached to the wheels?
Gotta go for now, glad you're learning a lot - does your downstairs dolly take baths with her hair dryer plugged in?
True, it would be better if you could also have him blow in insulation in the downstairs walls (or fill up the boombox with it
) but it will help by a noticeable amount. Til we know just how much too loud the crap is, we won't know how much MORE you'll need to do.Speaking of vibrating the framing, this is why Resilient Channel helps so much - if the sound has to physically "wiggle" the wall panels, and those panels are all on "springs", then the springs damp the amount of sound that gets to the panels, and the panels' own inertia ensures that they "just sit there" instead of following the rapid vibrations of the frame. As a parallel, can you imagine what it would be like driving over a bumpy road if your car's body was solidly attached to the wheels?
Gotta go for now, glad you're learning a lot - does your downstairs dolly take baths with her hair dryer plugged in?