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Home Remodeling - Less Noise

By: Lifschitz

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Living with noise can be a stressful experience. People who live in condos, duplexes, semi-detached homes or apartments generally accept a certain level of noise from their neighbours and from outside as part of their urban living experience. But there are limits to the amount of noise anyone can tolerate. When that threshold is passed, your once peaceful and tranquil home can suddenly become a source of stress and anxiety.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) offers the following tips on how to reduce excessive or unwanted noise in your home or building:

* Get to know noisy neighbours, and make them aware of how their activities are affecting others. Speak with other neighbours to see if the noise is bothering anyone else, and consider adopting a joint strategy. Discuss ways to reduce objectionable noise, such as laying down carpets, moving stereo equipment away from shared walls and agreeing on reasonable hours for noisy activities. If all else fails, consult with your building management or condo board.

* If you live in a condo or apartment, and the building’s elevators, refuse chutes, garage door openers, air conditioning units or other mechanical devices are the problem, ask the management to investigate. Solutions may include ensuring that motors are mounted on springs or pads to reduce vibrations, air conditioning compressors are located away from operable windows, or restricting the hours of the day or days of the week when noisier devices operate. Better isolating those devices from occupants by insulating and air sealing walls may help as well.

* To reduce noise coming in through openings or gaps in your walls, place gaskets behind electrical outlet cover plates. Check to see if electrical switches and outlets in common walls are offset from those on the other side of the wall so noise can pass directly through them from one side to the other. Carefully caulk the joint under your baseboards.

* If noise associated with people speaking frequently comes in from outside the building, ask management to take measures to discourage loitering and other after-hours activities. For other exterior noise sources, contact a bylaw officer to inform you on noise regulations in your area.

* Inside your home, consider adding more or heavier fabrics and upholstery to absorb more sound. If the windows in your building are to be replaced, encourage management to install windows with a high Sound Transmission Class (STC) performance rating and make sure they open away from any sources of noise.

* If serious noise problems in your building persist, ask management to retain an acoustical consultant to study the problem and recommend solutions.

This type of information is especially crucial in a situation where you live in a duplex or you're sharing a town home. The walls are often made of dry wall and it is extremely easy to hear your neighbors if you do not properly seal and renovate your home in order to shut down the noise leaking and seeping into the crevices of your household.

Although some of the tips here do work, they are not completely foolproof. It is extremely hard to stop neighbors who are adamant about making noise, particularly ones are experiencing some domestic problems. Do not be afraid to call the police if the noise your neighbors are producing is overly obstructive and intrusive to your well being, safety, and comfor tof your home. We all want to live together peacefully, and there is no reason for you to hear other peoples' stressful problems.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

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