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Im thinking about putting a layer of brick between me and my idiot neighbor. Our co-op was built in '53 and the walls are so thin I hear the guy upstairs farting (granted he is a rhinoceros) and the guy next door TV - (he thinks hes living in a movie theater and blasts his TV so loud it shakes the lamps. I left a note / confronted him - cant take the ghetto out of a low class person I guess.
- I LOVE the apt - i HATE the fact it was built out of paper machie!
Keifer K had a good idea about building a brick wall between us - I will look into doing that - its a 20 foot expanse - my living room is 13' feet wide - If I lose a 1/2 foot and gain some peace, its worth it.
The dichotomy of me putting felt pads on the insides of my kitchen cabinet doors so they wont accidentally slam and bother my opposite neighbor - and this ******* next to me watching 2 & a half men at volume 10 kills me....
I'm surprised that 1953 construction was junk. Do you have concrete floors? Usually hard to hear anything but percussion (like the tap-tap-tap of high heels) through concrete.
Yeah, If you can spare the space a brick wall is a terrific way to cut sound and you'll have all your visitors say "Ohhh, I LOVE your 'exposed brick.'" Since you own the joint, it sounds doable. But make sure the floor will support the wall of you may give your downstairs neighbor a BIG surprise. Perhaps cheaper is to float another drywall wall inside your apartment on independent studs...that makes an excellent sound barrier.
Fill me in, was 1953 construction still real plaster over lath or had everything become drywall by then?
Last edited by Kefir King; 02-29-2012 at 08:46 AM..
Renters: When looking for an apt, you should also take note of who else lives in the building, because these are the people you will be dealing with whenever there are these sorts of issues. If you see cigarette butts outside, tenants smoke. If you see trash in the hallways, tenants litter/don't care about the building or themselves (or you). If you see alot of kids, expect alot of noise. You should always inquire about the other tenants, what they do, etc. If there are DJs, musicians, bartenders, or similar "artsy" types, they work alternative hours, and can make sleeping at night impossible.
Landlords: Take great care in what type of renters you accept into your building, because you will be stuck with them potentially for years. Best to have "regular" 9-5 people, who work for a living, understand the importance of work and a dollar, responsibility, paying bills, and sleep! You want people on regular schedules, which of course accomodates your schedule. Once you stray into "alternative" workers, like the DJs and artsy types who work odd hours and can live a very different lifestyle (more parties/people over, more music, etc), you can get into trouble with noise.
I cannot emphasize enough that it is very important to seek tenants who are the right "fit" for your building, rather than just taking someone who meets the financial requirements. And you will avoid 95% of these problems. Renters make it a point to meet other tenants, or at least observe who is coming in and out and what they are/aren't doing, saying, etc.
This is absolutely true. When we were looking two apartments back, I saw bags of trash outside of folks doors in one building and I knew right away that we couldn't live there. And also make sure to listen for yippy dogs. If they bark while you are walking in the hallway, they will bark All The Time.
Walk through the hallways. You'll fast figure out who it is. Then, leave an anonymous but polite note. Who knows, it might work on them... Probably not, considering a considerate person wouldnt turn it up that loud in the first place, but I've had luck with such notes before.
This is absolutely true. When we were looking two apartments back, I saw bags of trash outside of folks doors in one building and I knew right away that we couldn't live there. And also make sure to listen for yippy dogs. If they bark while you are walking in the hallway, they will bark All The Time.
I wish I would've followed this advice as well. People regularly urinate, vomit, and spit in the HALLWAY so you can just imagine how pleasant my neighbors are.
i wish i would've followed this advice as well. People regularly urinate, vomit, and spit in the hallway so you can just imagine how pleasant my neighbors are.
I wish I would've followed this advice as well. People regularly urinate, vomit, and spit in the HALLWAY so you can just imagine how pleasant my neighbors are.
I would absolutely move out, I would never want to pay to live somewhere like that.
I'm surprised that 1953 construction was junk. Do you have concrete floors? Usually hard to hear anything but percussion (like the tap-tap-tap of high heels) through concrete.
Yeah, If you can spare the space a brick wall is a terrific way to cut sound and you'll have all your visitors say "Ohhh, I LOVE your 'exposed brick.'" Since you own the joint, it sounds doable. But make sure the floor will support the wall of you may give your downstairs neighbor a BIG surprise. Perhaps cheaper is to float another drywall wall inside your apartment on independent studs...that makes an excellent sound barrier.
Fill me in, was 1953 construction still real plaster over lath or had everything become drywall by then?
hey KK, I was as surprised as you.
Dont think the floor is concrete, only because I can hear the guy upstairs farting and yawning. So...
The walls seem to be lathe (when I tried to drive a nail into one (thinking it was drywall) it shattered like plaster. (great) that's a pain in the ass. There are no picture rails as I have read about in older Victorian homes with lathe walls - Just a super fragile walls, that are hard like stone, but shatter like glass.
I have been successful by driving thin pilot nails in then following up with screws/anchors. I hung a 15 lb antique mirror with no problem once I got those anchors in deep.
AS for the brick wall, I was told I can do "anything" in my apt when we were in the co-op interview- so when the time comes we'll get an engeneer in here, see if the floor can support it, and do the brick wall. That's a great look. And in 20 - 25 yrs, if we do want to sell, it will be a major selling point.
As a follow up : I stuck a note under the guy next door's door when he was blasting his radio so loud i could feel it in my teeth - so far so good - hes an owner not a renter - so I dont think he wants to get hit w/ a $100. noise fine if I complain. Been about 10 days, and hes been quiet. I am glad the note worked. 1st time I went over and asked him face to face, didnt work so well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed hes going to continue to be a good neighbor.
As a follow up : I stuck a note under the guy next door's door when he was blasting his radio so loud i could feel it in my teeth - so far so good - hes an owner not a renter - so I dont think he wants to get hit w/ a $100. noise fine if I complain. Been about 10 days, and hes been quiet. I am glad the note worked. 1st time I went over and asked him face to face, didnt work so well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed hes going to continue to be a good neighbor.
If he's quiet a couple more weeks why not hang a nice bottle of Cabernet from his doorknob with a note saying "THANKS." You know, that whole carrot and stick thing.
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) that's a pain in the ass. There are no picture rails as I have read about in older Victorian homes with lathe walls - Just a super fragile walls, that are hard like stone, but shatter like glass.
