"Jo - the girl" wrote in message
...
I don't expect for a typical house to be soundproof, but is it normal
to be able to hear a TV through a floor?

I'm trying to go to (community) college and am living with my parents
for financial and health reasons. My bedroom is right above the family
room where my father watches TV for about 17 hours a day. When I go to
bed I hear the TV blaring through the floor, when I try to study or
relax I hear the TV through the floor. It's one thing to hear a very
muted sound through the floor but it's another when I can almost hear
the words of whatever program he's watching. He's not deaf so I don't
know what his problem is. But whatever it is, it's driving me insane.
I've had to put up with it for years but lately it's really bad.
Unfortunately, there's nowhere else in the house I can go to get peace
and quiet.

Is there anything that either of us can do to soundproof the floor/
ceiling without tearing the house apart? Or is there something that we
could put around the TV so the sound won't travel upwards through the
ceiling?

I can put up with other noises but that TV is extremely annoying. I
think the problem is the constant change in sounds and tones.


Like others have suggested, the first thought that comes to my mind is a set
of headphones. I seem to recall wireless sets for TV hook ups, but I can't
remember where. Your story reminds me of my grandmother. Whenever I would
visit her the TV would be extremely loud and uncomfortable for me. She
refused to have her ears checked and insisted nothing was wrong with her
hearing. I did have to talk louder for her to hear me and I noticed that
she always looked at my lips when I talked. When I wasn't looking right out
her was when she heard me the least. Maybe you will have better luck with
your father. He probably needs a hearing aid of some sort.