Yet again noise from upstairs, suggestions? :)

[creztor]

Ok posted many times before so here  I go.  Usual sounds, chairs being dragged, tables moved the main problem, sometimes running and doors closing.  Renting an apartment so forget doing anything major, will obviously talk to the people up stairs but there is only so much they can do and wondering what other options i also have.  Roof/their floor is cement with tiles on top.  Below that is a crawl space? with water pipes and then my ceiling which is thin wood.  So I have a space between my wood ceiling and the cement roof/their floor of a few feet.  First thing that comes to mind is putting some fibreglass insulation in there however Im under the impression this wont do much.  Im not sure but it seems that the sounds are echoing in the wood roof/crawl space area, again I could be very wrong as you can probably tell I am not in the know about these things   Cant spend oodles of cash here so just looking for something at least the can reduce the noise.  Thx for any suggestions.

[johnbergstromslc]

Since you can do much in the way of structural work, definitely try the fiberglass.  It should help some. 

Something you might want to do first is seal up gaps in your ceiling and their floor.  With several feet of space between your ceiling and their floor, you shouldn't be hearing much noise.  Even a 'thin wood' ceiling, as you said, should provide some isolation in that case.  It sounds like you have some gaps/cracks/penetrations leaking sound. 
Get some good, flexible silicone caulk (or the acoustical caulk sold on this site - it's cheaper) and do some gonzo sealing.  Pretend you're building an aquarium - seal up the 'crawlspace' like it's going to be full of water.  Any little crack can transmit a surprising amount of sound.  Also, put a good weatherstripping foam gasket around the access door and make sure it seals up tight. 

Then insulate the space.

If you do both - sealing and fiberglass - and are still unhappy with the results, you might have to resort to MLV (mass loaded vinyl).  You can buy it in standard widths and if you carefully and completely cover your entire ceiling (laying it over the fiberglass), caulk and tape up the seams and edges, it should be acoustically equivalent to adding a sheet of drywall.  It would add significantly to the cost, but you can break it down, roll it up and take it with you when you move out, to use on your next noisy apartment.  There are a lot of bad buildings out there, unfortunately! 

[creztor]

Thx for reply it was a big help.  Appears the ceiling is not "thin wood" it is gyprock.  Im assuming insulation batts would offer better noise reduction than having insulation sprayed/piped in to the ceiling?

[johnbergstromslc]

The insulation doesn't matter that much, as long as it's soft and absorbant.  Expanded foam works best for thermal insulation, but it's crap for sound - too rigid.  If you can stand the dust, use cellulose - it's the cheapest. 

(Cotton works no better than anything else, despite what I'm sure you will be told, but it costs 4 times as much.  By the time you've paid shipping, you'll pay over a buck/sq. ft., versus 27 cents for fiberglass, which you can get just about anywhere.)

I would concentate on the sealing first.  Get yourself a good flashlight and see what's up.  There are probably a lot of holes for wire, pipe, drains, etc. coming through their floor, and a lot of sound leaking out.  Seal those suckers up.  You'll be surprised how effective it will be.  Also, you'll get a good feel where the sound is coming from.