Is the separating wall between two apartments up to code?

Hello, I recently bought a condo in an 8 unit pre-war building in Park Slope, which was fully gutted/renovated. I am very concerned that the separating wall between my apt and the adjoining unit are not up to code.   I can hear conversations in the next apartment. When I had my cable installed last week, I noticed that the wall was only 1 layer of 5/8″ drywall.  I also had a contractor come in last week who stated that this is a code violation and there needs to be 2 layers of 5/8″ drywall on each side of the wall.   I reached out to the developers on this, who claim that this is up to code.  Should I bring a DOB Inspector in to look at this?  Or could this cause more trouble if it is a violation? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

nedi722

in Inspection 12 years and 2 months ago

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m926bk | 12 years and 2 months ago

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It’s too bad that the developer/previous owner took out the plaster walls – plaster on lath is pretty sound deadening.  Contemporary drywall on studs has terrible acoustical properties – but it isn’t neccessarily a code violation.  I would NOT invite a DOB inspector into your building for the reasons mentioned above.   You could reach out to a code consultant, perhaps, or read the building codes for interior wall construction which are available online.  Also, I don’t know what age/construction type this pre-war building is, but the walls between units are likely not structural, althought they might support some of the ceiling framing above.  There is usually a strucutural steel frame encased in fire-proof materials.  There are a lot of posts on the forum about soundproofing (from owners and renters) which might be of some help.

zampano | 12 years and 2 months ago

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There are acoustical requirements in the code depending on when the building was built. It appears that your building was built under one of the earlier codes and this wasn’t a requirement. Generally speaking, codes are not retroactive. Call in an inspector and he will find something to write a violation for which you will have the pleasure of having to remedy or hiring an architect or engineer to argue that it is not in fact a violation. Guess what – you own your apartment and you own part of the building. Think like a home owner and not like a tenant if you want to not spend a lot of money. Think a layer og 5/8″ gyp bd on resilent channels or build a seperate wall with a gap in front of the existing wall. PS – move the electric boxes when you do this to make sure they aren’t in the same stud bay as your neighbor’s.

brucef | 12 years and 2 months ago

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Single 5/8″ dry wall on either side of metal studs is enough for code on the same floor. Yes you can hear right thru it, but they are concerned with fire protection not privacy. Search for threads regarding sound-proofing. I would give up a few inches and build an additional wall on your side with a layer of homasote, gel glue following instructions (no screws), and another layer of drywall. That will make a significant difference, almost as much as a wall with a cavity filled with un-faced insulation. Not developers fault, not city’s fault, but your fault for not checking. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but your post seems low on humility and high on assuming your problems are someone else’s fault.