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Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
james
()
Date: January 16, 2012 12:09PM
Just wanted to get honest opinions on soundproof apartments in the springfield/burke area. I am a first time renter and hear that noisy neighbors and thin walls are really a problem. I never considered that noise would be a factor when searching for an apartment. Is this really true or is it just minimal noise? If this is common then are there any apartments with stronger walls that anyone can refer?
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
pinkflamingoz
()
Date: January 16, 2012 12:45PM
That is a fact of living in attached dwellings, goes for townhouses too sometimes.
You can't soundproof against someone exercising in the apartment above you and making your ceiling shake.
If you want to guarantee against apartment noise you need to rent a house, or maybe a basement in of a house.
You can't soundproof against someone exercising in the apartment above you and making your ceiling shake.
If you want to guarantee against apartment noise you need to rent a house, or maybe a basement in of a house.
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
vgnlinfxn
()
Date: January 16, 2012 12:51PM
Go to the complex that you are interested and ask some of the people who live there.
Most of the time who your neighbor is has a greater impact on noise than whether the walls are thin. Some people are just loud.
Most of the time who your neighbor is has a greater impact on noise than whether the walls are thin. Some people are just loud.
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
Major Issue
()
Date: January 16, 2012 12:55PM
Sound is a HUGE issue with apartments, and it comes from all sides - upstairs (make sure there is a carpet requirement), downstairs (noise floats up), and both sides (probably the most aggravating) - plus through the pipes and outside (traffic, construction,...).
Your level of aggravation depends on 1. your tolerance for noise in general and different types of noise, 2. the degree to which the apartment building has taken measures to control or mitigate noise, and 3. your neighbors.
You are not going to find soundproof apartments. Noise goes with the territory. But I would definitely keep my eyes and ears open when you are looking, and talk to the management about this issue.
P.S. I once lived in an apartment in Crystal City where building maintenance was doing work on the roof for weeks which carried through the pipes, there was a new building being constructed right next to the apartment complex, and the neighbors were a pain in the butt. Thought I was going to go crazy.
Your level of aggravation depends on 1. your tolerance for noise in general and different types of noise, 2. the degree to which the apartment building has taken measures to control or mitigate noise, and 3. your neighbors.
You are not going to find soundproof apartments. Noise goes with the territory. But I would definitely keep my eyes and ears open when you are looking, and talk to the management about this issue.
P.S. I once lived in an apartment in Crystal City where building maintenance was doing work on the roof for weeks which carried through the pipes, there was a new building being constructed right next to the apartment complex, and the neighbors were a pain in the butt. Thought I was going to go crazy.
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
O
()
Date: January 16, 2012 04:16PM
Major Issue Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> (noise floats up)
WTF ?
-------------------------------------------------------
> (noise floats up)
WTF ?
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
VA Phins Fan
()
Date: January 16, 2012 04:56PM
Most apartment communities are not allowed to give out the demographics of their residents. I don't know if it is a law or just their own rules.
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
Ralph Pootawn
()
Date: January 16, 2012 08:50PM
top floor, bro
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
JJK
()
Date: January 16, 2012 08:58PM
Ralph Pootawn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> top floor, bro
Top floor is good. That way you won't have a herd of elephants
walking around over your head all night. Also avoid an apartment
around newlyweds. My wife is a screamer and we were kicked out of
an apartment once because of it.
-------------------------------------------------------
> top floor, bro
Top floor is good. That way you won't have a herd of elephants
walking around over your head all night. Also avoid an apartment
around newlyweds. My wife is a screamer and we were kicked out of
an apartment once because of it.
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
NoiseSolution
()
Date: January 16, 2012 09:06PM
Noise Cancelling Headphones, try a pair of Bose QC15's. You won't hear anything...
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
PlugIt
()
Date: January 16, 2012 09:31PM
NoiseSolution Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Noise Cancelling Headphones, try a pair of Bose
> QC15's. You won't hear anything...
Cheaper to buy everybody in the apartment ear plugs.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Noise Cancelling Headphones, try a pair of Bose
> QC15's. You won't hear anything...
Cheaper to buy everybody in the apartment ear plugs.
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
wnrsm
()
Date: January 16, 2012 09:58PM
Sharing walls with people sucks. Having a detached home is expensive.
If you can't or don't want to afford a detached home, you'd be better off with an expensive townhome or apartment... both for build quality and better neighbors.
If you can't or don't want to afford a detached home, you'd be better off with an expensive townhome or apartment... both for build quality and better neighbors.
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
g6
()
Date: January 18, 2012 02:12PM
Find a place that only shares ceilings and floors...that would help.cut down on most of the noise
.
.
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
apt living
()
Date: January 18, 2012 06:42PM
top floor is your best option. trust me on this one.
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
fffggg
()
Date: January 19, 2012 12:44AM
Hi. Rises are concrete floors which are quiter than those shifty garden style apartments which basically have a piece of plywood and drywall between floors.
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
Top Floors
()
Date: January 20, 2012 07:08PM
Apartment dweller for many years and in every type of structure. The previous mention for concrete construction found in hi-rise buildings and older apt. builds is always much better than most of the newer stick-build garden apartment variety. There is no way to avoid all noise and really depends on neighbors. Some people are loud by nature and habitual door slammers! And, if they have little ones running around above you... awful.
Residing on the top floor of your building helps to eliminate much of this bother but not all of it. And noisy neighbors might be the least of your worries if you have to deal with cooking odors that constantly permeate your walls. Bacon n' eggs on a Sunday morning smell wonderful in the stairwell. Fish-Curry does not!... to most and depending on your surroundings.
Top floor residence does help with the noise issues... no one on top of you.
There's no good way to soundproof a rented apartment aside from turning up your TV or stereo and letting the rest of your building deal with your own white noise.
Residing on the top floor of your building helps to eliminate much of this bother but not all of it. And noisy neighbors might be the least of your worries if you have to deal with cooking odors that constantly permeate your walls. Bacon n' eggs on a Sunday morning smell wonderful in the stairwell. Fish-Curry does not!... to most and depending on your surroundings.
Top floor residence does help with the noise issues... no one on top of you.
There's no good way to soundproof a rented apartment aside from turning up your TV or stereo and letting the rest of your building deal with your own white noise.
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
For real though...
()
Date: January 20, 2012 08:52PM
Cmon, lets not beat around the bush here. You host weekend orgies at your place and you don't want the fuck sounds getting out. Nothing to be ashamed about.
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
i used to
()
Date: January 20, 2012 09:12PM
I used to hang those heavy blankets on the wall- the big heavy wool (I think?) ones with the tigers and wolves and your favorite football team on them that you see in ethnic stores LOL. Seemed to help- my neighbors never complained and I played the drums....
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
Flam a diddle
()
Date: January 20, 2012 11:16PM
Must have been some heavy duty blankets. No way an apartment resident gets away with accoustic drumming that's heard three blocks away. Must have been electronic drums through headphones that only bothered adjacent residents with pedal kick and snare vibrations thru adjacent wall/floor...
Re: apartment soundproofing
Posted by:
SoundIsFun
()
Date: January 21, 2012 02:00AM
pinkflamingoz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You can't soundproof against someone exercising in
> the apartment above you and making your ceiling
> shake.
Yes you can, with a suspended ceiling. But then some vibrations may still come through the walls, and for that you'd need a double wall. And then you may get vibrations from the floor, but a floated floor solves that. I'm not saying it's possible to do this to one's apartment or that there are any apartments like that, but that's basically what you'd do isolation wise if you were building a recording studio.
-------------------------------------------------------
> You can't soundproof against someone exercising in
> the apartment above you and making your ceiling
> shake.
Yes you can, with a suspended ceiling. But then some vibrations may still come through the walls, and for that you'd need a double wall. And then you may get vibrations from the floor, but a floated floor solves that. I'm not saying it's possible to do this to one's apartment or that there are any apartments like that, but that's basically what you'd do isolation wise if you were building a recording studio.