Soundproofing the ceiling

I’d be grateful for feedback from anyone having knowledge of/experience with soundproofing a ceiling.  I live in a 700 square-foot pre-war one-bedroom co-op which I like in all respects except for the constant, jarring footfall noise from my upstairs neighbors.  The walls and ceilings in my building are, I believe, typically thin as pre-war construction goes, but in any case, the thuds and bangs from above throughout the day and evening have become unbearable, so I’d appreciate information from anyone who’s had similar noise issues — in particular, the cost, how effective the various soundproofing remedies are and the names of any contractors or soundproofing specialists you’d recommend (this is unfortunately not a job I have the time or skill to undertake myself).

Thanks in advance.

maigheo

in Soundproofing 13 years and 9 months ago

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lulumoolah | 13 years and 6 months ago

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I’m in the some situation, though I am in a rental unit.  It sounds like you have structural issues, so the only thing you can do is install a drop ceiling which will create a sound barrier.  You may also want to open up the ceiling and install soundproofing material, but at the very least get a drop ceiling unless you already have a low ceiling.

Ted White | 13 years and 9 months ago

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http://www.soundproofingcompany.com/solutions/soundproofing_ceilings/

This article may be of some help. It covers various solutions, as well as their relative performancem cost and ease of installation

slopemope | 13 years and 9 months ago

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if you don’t hear them speaking, or TV’s and just “thuds and bangs” (people who walk with the balls of their heels) it would be costly and probably only marginally helpful.  Vibrational noise is difficult.  Insulation above the ceiling and 3 layers of quiet rock with green glue will help, but steve is right the sound travels through the whole structure.  If it was just sound through the air, speech and TV music is easier to fix and with more certainty (minard’s ceiling fixture etc).

Start with getting your neighbor getting a rug (with pad underneath) and see how far that gets you.  Then see where you are.

PLGenius | 13 years and 9 months ago

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I feel your pain. I live in a pre-war apartment building and I found out about my upstairs neighbors habit of watching television at 3 a.m. only after I had already renovated and added new crown moldings (which would make it annoying to have to add a drop ceiling).  What I did learn from the renovation was that in prewar buildings, there is seldom any insulation between units.  When there were holes in my ceiling, I could look up and see the bottom of my neighbor’s subfloor.  With that said, I know somebody who hired a contractor to inject soundproofing insulation into the cavities between the studs and she report that this did help to some extent.  That might be better for a more continuous din (like a television or stereo) rather than occasional loud thumps, but it could be worth it to investigate that option.  Good luck!

minard | 13 years and 9 months ago

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one of the easiest ways to improve -not eliminate- noise from upstairs is to remove any ceiling fixture, remove the junction box and seal the hole with two layers of sheetrock. A lot of noise comes through the opening of the ceiling light. The more costly alternative would be to build a second ceiling a few inches below the primary ceiling with the minimum number of hangers possible. that is with as few connection to the old ceiling as possible. Ideally the new ceiling should be self-supporting but that involves installing metal joists tied into the wall studs and it becomes a big deal.

ilovebrooklyn | 13 years and 9 months ago

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Agree with the other responses.  Most buildings have an 80% carpet rule.  Ask your neighbor to observe it, and complain to the board if he/she does not.  You might still have a contractor take a look, though, especially if you live in a converted brownstone and not a full-out concrete slab prewar apartment building.  Converted brownstones are notorious for transmitting noise absent proper soundproofing.

elbow | 13 years and 9 months ago

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I agree with Steve, rugs are the best way to go.  Most likely your building’s house rules require a minimum percentage of floor rug coverage and the apartment above doesn’t meet it.   Talk to your neighbor, and if that doesn’t work, go to the board.

stevecym | 13 years and 9 months ago

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Ok, I am not an expert in this but have had more than one customer consult me about this and I have, in turn, consulted with acoustical engineers.  The short story is, that most of the sound you are refering to is probably transferred into the wood floor they are walking on, across the floor and into the studs which support the structure.  The noise then travels down the studs into your space.  This is difficult to deal with without setting the walls and ceiling of your unit off from the studs and joists making contact with the unit above.  Some people will write in here about products called Green Glue (which is placed between and new layer of drywall laminated to your ceiling and or walls) and sounddeadening drywall, both of which will have some benefit but may not solve the problem.  In most cases where i have heard about this type of noise, the people in the lower unit ended up trying to resolve the situation with the people above by asking them to place rugs and bribing them, etc. Steve http://brownstoner.staging.wpengine.com/tinkerswagon