so, the new apartment is awesome in so many ways. cheap, big, sunny, close to yoga (15 min), close to prospect park (5 seconds), close to the co-op and central library, friends within walking distance.
there's only one teensy tiny little drawback.
the.
neighbors.
i want to kill them.
i dream about them suddenly going mute, their television disappearing, their clonkity clappity stomping ceasing forever.
i'm not usually so violent. in thought or deed. however, i've NEVER had such loud, obnoxious, freakin infuriating neighbors before. i contemplate neighborcide on a daily basis.
i'm going to try to hold out for them to move before i snap.
there's only one teensy tiny little drawback.
the.
neighbors.
i want to kill them.
i dream about them suddenly going mute, their television disappearing, their clonkity clappity stomping ceasing forever.
i'm not usually so violent. in thought or deed. however, i've NEVER had such loud, obnoxious, freakin infuriating neighbors before. i contemplate neighborcide on a daily basis.
i'm going to try to hold out for them to move before i snap.
posted by Soapwalla Chef at 6:26 PM
5 Comments:
Happy Anniversary, R.
Regarding the neighbors, I understand. If you are permanently living there, I would look into soundproofing your place. The no-tech solution, to begin with, is to hang a lot of Mexican rugs from Oaxaca. They really are art. The next step is to purchase some mats to hang on the wall that have baffles inside. These don't let the vibrations pass through. It might not help if the clankety clank is coming from the ceiling, but at least, if that noise occurs, the sound will be absorved in the wall, so you won't hear it as much.
I keep two white noise makers and a fan going at sleep time to help mask the noises.
If they go out of control, sometimes I have resorted to blasting a mambo or salsa song (Celia Cruz is great) to let them know you hear them.
Another idea is to get a drum, a zen chant card, then chant a zen chant, puntuating every phrase with a drum beat. It gets the message across.
You can laugh all you want, but except for the waffle hangings, I think I've done all of these things I suggest.
hugs
Arturo
arturo, you're brilliant! i'm getting rugs and a big freakin drum this afternoon :-)
thanks for all the suggestions. i'll let you know which ones do the trick...
But they might find the Zen chanting peacefully reassuring. I suggest beating a BIG drum and screaming some !Xhosa war cries or something like that. Something that will curdle their blood.
I would add that if this is your permanent home, there are some sites with suggestions. For example this one:
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/infsoundproofingapts.html
That one suggests putting an extra layer of gypboard on runners, adding some vinyl sheet insulation, if you own the place and can modify the party wall.
There are foam absover materials, some of which can be hung on ceilings and walls.
http://www.acoustic-material.com/HTML/foamWALL.html
The best idea was for sheet material that has baffles built into it. The problem is how it will appear in your side, since you want to make your space look cozy and like a home. So the panels that are designed for inhome theaters may be a solution. You probably have to only insulate the party wall, or the ceiling. A contractor could help you install something more complex.
I find it is also useful to meet the neighbors and let them know your schedule and that you would appreciate quietness when you go to bed, say, around 9:00pm. Legally, they can make the noise they want until 10:00. After that if they make loud noises, it becomes something you can report to the police.
I saved another link to some baffle products at my office, so I will see if I can send it to you later.
Cheers,
Arturo
Here is another idea that could work, and I'll shut up and go to sleep. You could get some frames, acoustical wool material to go in them, and then fabric cover over them. The frames are typically 4' tall. You could plan some stacked, to 8'against a wall. It may result in having to hang your artwork over the frames from wires, the way people in Holland hang paintings. (I once learned that walls in Dutch homes are double systems, to allow water to run down, since they are built over water. So paintings are not nailed to the walls, but hung from wires.) Anyhow, if your residence is not your permanent one, you could install things such as what I'm suggesting here, because it's an assembly of parts held together, and can be taken apart without damaging the existing wall when you leave. The most important room to sound proof, obviously, is your bedroom, so you can rest.
Anyhow, I'm talking too much. Hope you have a nice weekend.
hugs
Arturo
http://www.acoustimac.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=12&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=9
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