Upstairs Guy Is Killing Me

[rwalia99]

First of all, thank you for this amazing resource.  Here's my story...

I have lived in my condo for 4 years.  The couple upstairs had carpet, and I heard movement but it was minor and just a little annoying.  I always just considered them to be heavy walkers.  But then the new guy moved in and my life became a living hell.  He tore out the carpet since there were bamboo floors underneath (I can't blame him).  I've seen him walk...he's not really a heavy walker and he's not a large guy...but I can hear every single step he takes all night long.  I know when he's walking from the bedroom to the kitchen because I can hear him.  I know when he gets ready in the morning, because when he wakes up it wakes me up too.  I'm not sure if they installed the floor without any kind of dampening but I'm guessing they did.  So I'd like to ask for some options, hopefully not too expensive.  He's willing to help in whatever way he can but he just moved and money is tight.  I have a good handyman, and I'm hoping to take care of this soon so I can sleep again.  I have recessed lights in my ceiling so I don't know if that affects any possible insulation.  I live in Sherman Oaks, CA and I like it here but I dread every minute that my upstairs neighbor is home.  Please advise. Thank you!

-Sleepless in Sherman Oaks

[Randy S]

If he keeps the bamboo flooring then your only option is to decouple and float your ceiling below...I would suggest you float a bedroom ceiling in order to get some sleep and save money...You will need to take down the existing ceiling and remove the canned lights..
you will need to install a decoupled ceiling system. give me a call and we can discuss the particulars of your project at no charge...

Randy S.
760-752-3030 ext. 104

[rwalia99]

Hey Randy thanks for the chat today.  I talked to the guy upstairs.  Carpet is not an option he said.  He is willing to pay a portion to replace the floor and put some better padding under it.  From our conversation earlier, that doesn't sound like it would be a worthwhile option, right?  Sigh.

[Randy S]

Two ways to look at it....
Anything is better then what you have today and as far as quality reduction vs. cost if he is willing to pay half then it wouldnt be that bad of a hit..you can do an underlayment that will deliver a value of reduction but you must, MUST lose the canned lights in order to get the reduction that will justify the cost.

[rwalia99]

Well I just talked to the HOA president.  Looks like there might be a violation of the CC&Rs going on.  She's looking back to see if there was a previoius complaint, which may actually be why the carpet was put in by the previous owner in the first place.  If the HOA rules that floor needs to be put in with proper padding, is there something specific I should request?  And if they ask for carpet, is there something I should request under the carpet?  Thank you so much.

[Sound-Answers.com]

Greetings from Sound-Answers.com

Knowing exactly what the CC&Rs say on this matter would really help.  Hopefully the part dealing with finish floors and impact noise was written by an acoustics consultant at some point in the past.  If carpet goes back down, a standard carpet pad should suffice.  If the hardwood floor comes up so that an underlayment can go down first, the underlayment should be specifically designed for impact noise control (i.e., reduction of IIC - Impact Isolation Class).  There are many different types available.  Minimum thickness should be 5 mm.  Preferred thickness should be 10 mm.  We suggest you let the floor issue run its course and see how much improvement you get.  Then, if the noise levels are still unacceptable, follow through with the resilient (floated) ceiling.

We wish you the best of luck!

Experts at Sound-Answers.com

[rwalia99]

Thank you again.  Well, it looks like this is going to be long, drawn out, and expensive.  I've spoken to an attorney and we're going to try to get carpet put down in the bedrooms. 

I have a little bathroom below his which is another issue.  I can literally hear everything that he's doing in his toilet.  Every drop of pee.  It's disgusting.  The flushing sounds like a waterfall.  Is this an easier issue to fix on my end?  Can I insulate the walls or ceiling to help with this at all?  I don't want to hear the upstairs guy taking a dump right above my head.  There are no recessed lights, just an exhaust fan in the ceiling.  Thanks again!

[Randy S]

Sorry to hear that, but I'm not surprised...That is how it usually plays out.
For the bathroom ceiling, this is normally a problem issue due to the ceiling fan and recessed lighting.
A band-aid solution would be the cheapest.
You can apply MLV/psa, Green Glue and 5/8" drywall...just keep in mind that even then you will Not achieve the full value of the material because of the ceiling fan...not to mention dealing with the pipe. This reduction would be minor at best.

Now if you want to gut the ceiling completely and address the pipe, line the vent duct, fill the cavity decouple the vent fan and add the barrier you would achieve a far better result.

or just run the vent fan all the time..

[rwalia99]

Thanks again, Randy.  Well he has said he will cover 80% of the floor with area rugs.  I said I would wait to see how that does and then decide if I'll continue with my attorney.  To be continued...

[Sound-Answers.com]

Greetings!

Regarding the piping noise within the bathroom ~ you most likely have more access and control over attenuating that noise than in the case of the impact noise on the hard finish floor above.  If you were to remove your bathroom ceiling and drywall on the wet wall, you would likely expose all the problems.  Seal all gaps cracks in the floor above with nonhardening sealant.  Locate where pipes are supported or touching building structure (joists, studs, top/bottom plates, etc.)  Replace rigid supports with resilient supports.  Insert 40 durometer neoprene (1/4" minimum) in between any pipe and contact point with building structure.  Wrap all pipes with barrier material (1" fiberglass laminated to 1-2 psf loaded vinyl).  Insulate in between the joists and in between the studs with fiberglass insulation.  Put up new drywall (2 layers preferably), tape & paint.  We know it sounds like a lot, but with good preparation beforehand, it's easily a weekend job (okay, maybe a long weekend - like the one coming up).  You say it's a small bathroom, so costs shouldn't be that high.  None of the materials we recommended are all that expensive.  (This is just a longer version of what Randy S stated ~ we only commented because if you're handy, it really wont be that bad to do it right.)

We wish you the best of luck!

Experts at Sound-Answers.com