On Sat, 10 Jun 2006 00:42:43 -0400, (Good Life)
wrote:

I can no longer maintain a house so am looking into purchasing a condo.
I would like to know what question I should ask the builder about the
soundproofing in the common walls. I have looked at 3 different
condos. The salesperson at each place gave me a different answer when I
asked about material used between the common walls. I want to buy an
end unit located on the top floor. That leaves 1 neighbor on the side
and one downstairs. Would anyone be able to tell me how I could be
assured of good soundproofing material?


Unless you have the opportunity to physically open the walls
(unlikely) there is no easy method. Salespeople love to brag about
triple-thick soundproof insulation, etc. Try to arrange to be there
at say, 10 - 11 PM on a Saturday Night to see if you can here your
neighbors TV, party, etc.

Do you want to leave your windows open? What kind of noise will you
experience just from that. I once had a super-insulated condo, but
in the spring, I liked to open the windows for fresh air. The
neighbors kids would run around the courtyard all day screaming and
jumping like the place was a public playground.

Buying a top floor condo could present its own problems. Air there
air conditioning compressors located on the roof? If so, can you
arrange to be inside your condo when these are turned on? The
mechnical equipment up there directly over your space may be from
lower-floor neighbors so you might not have control over when they are
switched on.

Roof leaks? If you have any, the top floor is going to be the first
to suffer. (Lower floor condos are sometimes plagued with bathtub -
toilet overflows from absent-minded upper-floor owners.)

Airflow - If the common hallways are enclosed, there should be a
negative pressure gradient between the hallway and your unit.
Otherwise cooking smells, smoke, cigarettes, pipes, from the neighbors
are going to seep into your unit.

Heat - Depending on your climate and exposure, the top floor gets the
hottest in summer and will have the greatest (most expensive)
air-conditioning load.

I hope I didn't discourage you. I went through the condo run-around
in 2000 and it almost killed me. Never again would I purchase a
condo.

Beachcomber