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 SOUNDING
OFF
Noise
ranks as one of the ultimate irritations in a home; here's
how to stifle it
By
Lou Manfredini
Q:
I live in an apartment, and although I like my neighbors I
can't stand the sound of them clomping overhead and talking
behind the walls. How can I get some quiet?
A:
Much as we love them, our homes are not always oases of calm-especially
if we live in apartments or multi-family dwellings. The noise
we hear from neighbors or even our own family members clomping
above us or through the walls can be extremely distracting.
Before I explain what you can do about it, let me describe
what the problem is.
Sound
is a vibration that passes through the solid structure of
your home. Jump up and down upstairs, and the vibrations literally
travel through the floor, subfloor, joists, drywall, and then
out toward your ears. Laying carpeting on floors or putting
cork tiles up on the walls can muffle the noise, but you'll
still be able to hear it.
A more thorough way to deaden sound is to have a contractor
separate the connection between the wall or ceiling and the
noise on the other side. In the case of the ceiling, a contractor
would create a drop ceiling that attaches to the adjacent
walls rather than the joists above, and leaves a gap of air
that can be filled with sound-deadening insulation. This new
ceiling is then finished with drywall, and looks just like
an ordinary ceiling--except that it will be quieter, since
the sound vibrations won't travel through it as well. Walls
can be treated the same way, with a "false" wall
built a few inches away from the actual wall. This also severs
the structural connection to block sound vibrations, but is
strong enough to hold any electrical or plumbing systems you
might need.
In either
case, you'll be sacrificing six inches or so of ceiling height
or floor space within a room. But if constant noise irritates
you enough, I'm sure you'll be willing to make the compromise.
Q:
Is there a quicker solution to silence things?
A:
Yes-by buying a "white noise" machine and plugging
it in. These are common in workplaces, and make a hissing
sound that masks background noise. Your ear grows accustomed
to the steadiness of the noise, and pays less attention to
interfering sounds. It sounds crazy, but it works.
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This article
originally appeared in USA Weekend magazine.
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