condo neighbor below complaining of noise..what ca

[kris feist]

My neighbor below me has complained about the noise ...AGAIN !!. I agree that my boyfriend's kids who stay over often should be quiet, but this was 12:00 in the afternoon! She said she was trying to rest and the constant banging and yelling were keeping her from being able to do that. Is there any way (other than muzzling and restraining the kids) that I can do to reduce the noise level...i.e. something with the carpets, perhaps? Thanks for any help! :-/

[Boborther]

Kris.

There is a material that could be installed beneath your carpets called SSP floormat. This a foam backed mass loaded vinyl (MLV) material that would roll out onto your subfloor. The seams would over lap and we would recommend a bead of acoustical caulk between the over lapped seams. You could smear a little bit of the caulk into the seams with your fingers. Then you would caulk around the perimeter of the floormat (imperative), and finally nail your tackless (carpet tack strip) directly through the vinyl floormat, and then simply carpet and pad right over the floormat. You can still use your old carpet and padding if they are in good shape, though I would recommend replacing the carpet padding with one called "rebond" (looks like a collage of different colored foams) The rebond has very good soundproofing qualities.
Kris, it is that simple. Now this system will work well for voices and other loud noises, but you will still have to tell the kids to take it easy with the "hop scotch" games on the carpeted floor. This floormat is designed for impact noise, but nothing is completely fool proof, if you catch my drift?
Kris, I sure hope this helps you to make the right decision. Thanks for you post.

Bob Orther
Super Soundproofing Sales/Technical Associate.
Ph: (760) 749-7049    FAX: (760) 749-6384
URL: www.soundproofing.org
e-mail: boborther@soundproofing.org
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