What can you do to an apartment to block sound?

[matrix82]

Talked with the other super (there are two supers for our building). She went up right away and had a talk with the neighbour, she could hear the music from the elevator. So far it's been quiet for three days.

I do use a large box fan to sleep anyway, it creates a good amount of white noise, but doesn't really deal with the bass noises which is the big problem. I've lived in apartments for 10 years and hadn't had a neighbour like this before. I've had loud neighbours on weekends, but not ones who are loud every single night.

[cath007]

Interresting. I would like some solution as well...Freaking eldery neigbour at my right put her tv so high and telephone... She is talking loud or she is like knocking in the wall...it is like she is in my appart...her habits are worses the winter because she is borried and research some kind of attention....she is crazy...and I have to slept the tv open with some music ...and my sleep is so hard ...the days are difficults...I am tired...

[cath007]

I ate crazy neibourgs...the best answer I got from the landlors...we are not responsible of the habits of ours owners...are you kidding me?

[matrix82]

@Cath007, I can understand a certain amount of noise in an apartment building. Like I know I will sometimes hear an arguement/loud talkers or things dropped on the floor, the occasional party. It is the constant noise that drives me crazy. I think it is irresponsible in someways of landlords to drop the ball when it comes to noise. If they have quiet, clean, apartments, they will keep tenants longer, instead of a constant turn over. I had a great landlord when I lived in another city when it came to noise. He would come over anytime day or night, his rule was if it can be heard outside of your apartment it is too loud. I heard him one day just pounding on a neighbours door after I had come home from school. It was around 3pm, and a neighbour had their soundsystem up very loud. After he had a talk with them, it was quiet. He wasn't too good with the building upkeep (we had leaking roof, plumbing issues etc), but that apartment building was so quiet. Shortly after we moved, I learned he passed away during heart surgery, he was 78.

As for your neighbour, maybe if you haven't talked to them, tell her that you can clearly hear her conversations. It sounds like there maybe be a lack of insulation in the wall between the apartments in your building. I don't hear conversations unless they are in the hall, and sometimes in the bathroom.

One apartment I lived in for about two weeks I was noticing every other night I would start hearing a pounding on my floor, as if to say quiet down, when I was sitting on my computer no music on or reading a book again no music or even walking around. One night as I was studying I had enough, I yelled out the window, I am not making any noise. The pounding stopped. I figured out the neighbour had been mistaken about noise, thinking it was me, above, when it was actually the apartment next door to them who was loud with the music. My friends lived below the loud music players, I put two and two together. I wonder if the lady is mistaking noise she is hearing coming from your apartment, hence the knocking on the wall?

If you can move your room around, I would put heavy furniture along any shared walls, that cuts down on noise a little bit. I looked into the sound foam stuff and it is out of my price range right now. I have wondered if one of those vinyl wall stickers, the large ones that would cover a whole wall, if that would cut down on any of teh noise, as it looks nice, comes off fairly easy and is put on fairly easy, similar to these:
http://www.justmurals.com/view_prepa...FQyk4Aodh1YA7A

I've seen them on clearance at decorating stores off and on for around $100.

[cath007]

you know when you just want to be nasty and noisy per purpose...it is volontary an she is exactly what she is doing...

[matrix82]

you know when you just want to be nasty and noisy per purpose...it is volontary an she is exactly what she is doing...

That is awful. I don't understand why people are like that.

[Tbites]

If you can move your room around, I would put heavy furniture along any shared walls, that cuts down on noise a little bit. I looked into the sound foam stuff and it is out of my price range right now. I have wondered if one of those vinyl wall stickers, the large ones that would cover a whole wall, if that would cut down on any of teh noise, as it looks nice, comes off fairly easy and is put on fairly easy, similar to these:
http://www.justmurals.com/view_prepa...FQyk4Aodh1YA7A

I've seen them on clearance at decorating stores off and on for around $100.

Matrix, I'm not sure why you think a thin piece of vinyl would reduce the noise and vibrations bass carries... do you think painting 4 layers of latex paint would make a difference ? I mean, same principle. The foam doesn't havev to be specialized stuff, just something high density the size of your neighbour's speakers... even big floor speakers are usually no bigger than 2'x2' I think

[matrix82]

I was wondering if would cut down a little on noise. I don't know, hence, why I said, wondering.

[screamy]

The super is ethically but not legally responsible for providing you with a peaceful place to live... your landlord is. If you've tried milk&honey with your neighbor and that's not working... time to send your landlord a registered letter

There is a "right to quiet enjoyment" in every lease I've ever seen in my 20+ years of legal work. The super is required to intervene, and if he will not, it is up to the landlord to get involved and get it resolved so that everyone can enjoy their space....and then fire the super who is not doing his job.

[Tbites]

There is a "right to quiet enjoyment" in every lease I've ever seen in my 20+ years of legal work. The super is required to intervene, and if he will not, it is up to the landlord to get involved and get it resolved so that everyone can enjoy their space....and then fire the super who is not doing his job.

I'm well aware of that and I've mentioned it in a prior post

[frugal50]

doesn't other neighbors complain about this inconsiderate jerk?
i would call the police
there is a 24hrs noise bylaw

[matrix82]

Talking with another neighbours, yup, I am not the only one bothered by him. Also by the one time in the early fall, he had a party, another neighbour must have called the super (I didn't didn't), because the noise stops and then I hear him on the balcony Loudly complaining it wasn't fair he had to turn the music down (my windows are open and our balcony's share the same railing/floor, but have a concrete divider).

I don't know if Fredericton has a 24 hr noise bylaw when it comes to apartments (new to the city).

[Tbites]

Nowhere near you, not sure if this applies....http://www.fredericton.ca/en/citygov...Safety-S13.pdf

Couldn't find anything about noise in the Residential Tenancies Act http://laws.gnb.ca/en/showdoc/cs/r-1...9#anchorga:s_9

The only place noise/disturbance seems to be stipulated is in the Standard form of Lease...https://www.pxw1.snb.ca/snb7001/e/10...B-45-0065E.pdf but it seems highlighted mostly as the tenant's obligation

Maybe screamy can chime in for you

[matrix82]

Thanks Tbites for the info. I know my lease has an additional section which states:

"k) The Tenant agrees not to utilize bass amplifiers or woofers on entertainment equipment. If your entertainment system is heard from outside your apartment, complaints may warrant an eviction."


"h) Resident and visiting children must be supervised so that they will not present a disturbance or disciplinary problems for the other tenants or Management. Children or guests are not to play or loiter in the interior common areas (laundry room, hallways, entrances, exits and stairwells)."

"d) No Tenant, members of his/her family, guests or visitors shall make or permit loud or improper noise (e.g. play or operate a musical instrument, radio or television, stereo, machinery or other equipment) or do anything that would reasonably annoy, disturb or interfere with other tenants quiet enjoyment in other apartments in the building. The Tenant, his family, guests, visitors, servants, clerks or agents shall not consume or have in their possession to consume in any common area of the premises, alcoholic beverages or illegal substances."

[duckface]

When life hands you Edward Cullen...throw him back and demand Eric Northman....mmmmmm Eric

BEST. SIGNATURE. EVER. :D


Ok ok, on the noise front...I had a neighbour who blasted movies super loud with a crazy bass setup and the booming bass would vibrate our house...and we were in completely detached houses! No open windows or anything. Some folks just have a love affair with their subwoofer.

Maybe if you talk to the guy and approach it from a problem-solving point of view, suggest putting some construction foam under his speakers etc., well, hopefully he'd be reasonable. You shouldn't have to glue foam to all of your walls to try to drown out his asshattery.