On 8/9/2010 11:13 PM, Joe wrote:
On Aug 9, 9:31 pm, wrote:
I have a small one story condo with each unit separated by a concrete block
firewall with wall board on either side. Unfortunately, neighbor noise such
as loud talking, TV's and radios, comes through without much problem. To
give you an example, when reading in my living room next to the common wall,
I can here someone peeing in the bathroom on the other side.

Anyone have experience in this area? I've heard of sound dampening wall
board but how effective is it? Would some kind of spray foam against the
concrete block do the job?


Density and air spaces. Seal any openings/leaks first.

Is it high frequencies or low frequencies that are the most
bothering? A dense wall stop the highs and mids (mostly). The air gaps
and acoustic breaks help stop conducting the lows (mostly also).

Perhaps sand in the block cavity, if that is possible. Or just adding
layers of sheetrock. I Googled this, and it seems about right:

http://www.soundproofing101.com/soundproofing_3.htm

Something like that will be the most practical.

It's been a while since I've done any of this, so I'm not sure I have
this exactly right.

Jeff





* The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a healthy appetite
at one end and no responsibility at the other.

You will need to research the numerous ways that soundproofing firms
use to get control over the errant audio. Maybe even hire an expert,
if the consulting fee is reasonable for your budget. Once you have a
firm grasp of the solution, before proceeding, call city hall and ask
about sound transmission codes. If it appears that there is a code
violation, the builder could be required to pay part of the upgrade.
If you're stuck with it, do the usual common sense things to find a
reliable contractor to do it. Too much sound deadening will be
wasteful, too little even more so. Good luck.

Joe