The Upstairs Thumping Floor
Is it possible that a new wood floor can be installed in a way, an improper way, such that the new floor transmits sound, or rather the THUMPS of foot steps much more than it should? My new upstairs neighbor in my PSlope “brownstone” has begun driving me crazy with the thumps of his floor/my…
Is it possible that a new wood floor can be installed in a way, an improper way, such that the new floor transmits sound, or rather the THUMPS of foot steps much more than it should? My new upstairs neighbor in my PSlope “brownstone” has begun driving me crazy with the thumps of his floor/my ceiling; I am trying to figure out why this would have not occurred with the prior upstairs tenant who was, actually, a larger person. Additional fact: I live on the third floor; Thumper is upstairs on the 4th floor, which was added decades after this 1980’s building was built.
The followup question is how likely are carpet/rugs to reduce the thumping?
Thanks!
insulation would have to cover completely side to side with no gaps, then it will help, also leaving a gap of air above the insulation is good so the sound has to keep going from medium to medium.
Although adding insulation will mean taking out the floor which in most cases is not an option
I noticed my upstairs neighbor subletted and the new tenant wore dress shoes with a solid heel. this was much louder than the regular tenant who wears sneakers. thick rugs with something under the rug help a lot if placed in the right spots, stopping the noise where it starts which is the best place to stop it.
Those Park Slope brownstone coop buildings are so non-sound-absorbing it’s ridiculous. They’re like hollow wooden boxes between floors that amplify everything. Somebody doesn’t even have to have that heavy a step and it thunders down below. Now that we’re in a house we hear creaking floors upstairs in our own house but not that loud thundering thumping of footsteps. What if some kind of insulation was sprayed between the floors in the coop buildings, would that work? Seems like there’s supposed to be something in there.
I have noticed that people who did not grow up in NYC have a louder walk. When I was in college my LI and upstate roomates who were mostly on the smaller side sounded like Velociraptors the way they stomped around upstairs. Definitely agree with the heel comment. When you grow up in a row house or apartment you tend to walk with a “lighter” foot.
My guess is that the floor was negligently installed, and that the owner (tenant is renting from coop owner) is responsible for fixing the floor, or paying for it to be covered so that the noise is bearable; it is currently not.
I am currently asking about the mechanics of why the floor/ceiling has suddenly become “thumpy; not interested in the degree to which I have legal recourse (I do) at this point.
It’s been my experience that something can be done. I HATE hearing someone walking above me so I try to live on the top floor wherever I am. Like others have suggested u can ask her to install rugs.. if she doesn’t ..i would contact the landlord. I do know that when i first installed my floating wood floors they hadn’t settled so i did notice there was a thumping for about a month when i would walk on them..
but im giving honest advice on how to REALLY deal with it. MOST people just get USED to the noise. and there really ISNT anything that can be done, forcefully anyway.
*rob*
And yet two other people suggest otherwise…hmm.
thumping and knocking on floors isnt illegal (at any hours really). really there isnt anything you can do about it. dont you get used to the noise eventually anyway?
*rob*
Hardwood ‘Floating’ system allows less noise to travel between.
You can also buy hardware that you can mount ceiling drywall to even reduce significant amount of noise.