Are older buildings or newer buildings generally quieter in the valley?

[sav858]

Originally Posted by Perma Bear

How come virtually every single family detached house I see was built in lthe 50s or 60s?

I don't really know or really care, maybe you need to leave the neighborhood around your parents house more often.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by Perma Bear

How come virtually every single family detached house I see was built in lthe 50s or 60s?

You should get out more. I grew up in an 1970s house. There are a million of these late 70s homes all over the region. And of course in Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda there is a to of homes from 1910s-1940s too.

Multi-family buildings are anywhere from 1920s to 1980s. My street has apartments and condos from 1950s-1980s. Go a few blocks over and you'll see 1920s multifamily mixed in with the newer (but pre-1980) ones.

I live in a 1950s building. While the insulation isn't great, it actually is pretty quiet. I can only hear external noise from the windows - and my windows are single pane. I don't hear things from the walls or above or below.

[_Clinical_]

^^This. Having single vs double pane windows does make a big difference with respect to noises from outside. In my recent apartment search I found that a lot of older buildings have been upgraded to double pane windows (especially if close to BART). If you know what to look for, it's pretty easy to tell the difference between a single or double pane window while you are house/apt hunting (ie look for 2 panes with an air gap b/t them).

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

My experience has been that the older buildings are quieter. They are built more solidly and usually have higher ceilings. So, if you have a tenant above you, it won't sound like they're walking on your head lol. And you usually won't hear every word everyone is saying - and every act they are engaging in together as a couple - uh hem - if you're in an older building.

The exception can be if a building was renovated with cheaper walls to make smaller units within the building. But, by and large, the older the building, the better the soundproofing, because they actually used solid materials for walls.

[jrb724]

I lived in an apartment with plaster walls. It seemed to have pretty good sound proofing (or maybe I just had good neighbors). I am guessing it was a 1950's or earlier building. Pre-drywall era basically.

There are many different eras of housing stock throughout the Bay Area. Definitely not limited to 50's-60's construction. Plenty of single family homes and apartment buildings built before and after that era.