I own a condo built in the late 70’s with a unit above (which is a rental property) that transmits both impact noise and ambient sound (voice, music, etc.) through the ceiling. I finally convinced the owners of the unit to replace the carpet (an upgrade that will hopefully bring better tenants) and as part of this effort I’m considering a layer of the 1/8” loaded vinyl available from Super Soundproofing below a rebond pad. Is this the most effective approach to reducing this problem or would I be better served spending money working below on my ceiling by adding resilient channels? Unfortunately I can’t do both but I want to get the most bang (no pun intended) for the buck.
If I work in their unit they will help defer some of the cost of the loaded vinyl which is probably going to run close to $2000. And this doesn’t include the cost of the carpeting.
Also, it’s highly likely I’ll lay the loaded vinyl myself. How difficult is this material to work with? I have no experience laying carpet but I can use a utility knife and take accurate measurements. Is this an adequate skill set?
Finally, I can’t imagine you want to nail tacking strips through the vinyl so what do you use to attach the pad/carpet for stretching?
I’d love to see some success stories on this web site/forum also! I’m a bit apprehensive dropping a few grand on a *solution* I’m not totally convinced works (but appears to be better than anything else I’ve found). References would be great! Heck, if it works for me I’ll definitely add a thread regarding my story. Customer success stories are a great way to sell product and educate a desperate public whose quality of life is diminished due to problems like this.
Thanks very much for your help!
Desperate Don