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?



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

On Aug 9, 9:31*pm, "Bob" 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?

* 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

On Aug 9, 10:13*pm, Joe wrote:
On Aug 9, 9:31*pm, "Bob" 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?

* 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

Foam in the wall space between the concrete blocks and the wallboard
would help if there is a furred-out wall. Is the sheetrock attached
directly to the concrete blocks, or is the wall spaced out with 2x4 or
2x2's. If the wallboard is glued directly to the concrete blocks, you
may want to furr out that wall with 2x2 or 2x4's and fill the space
with foam, or even carpet scraps which are amazingly effective in
cutting sound transmission.

On Aug 9, 7:31*pm, "Bob" 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?

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

If you’re going to soundproof the wall between the two units you will
need to soundproof the entire wall without any breaks and that
includes the attic space. Good luck.

Bob 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?


Simple solution: Tell your neighbor that you insist he sit on the toilet
when he pees.

"Joe" wrote in message
...
On Aug 9, 9:31 pm, "Bob" 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?


It sounds to me like there are openings in the block wall and/or that it
isn't continuous through the roof. A block wall's mass is good to take out
even the lower frequency sounds. If possible, and I know that it's probably
not possible without removing drywall, see if there is an opening in the
block wall near where you hear the most sound.

If you do remove drywall, consider adding fiberboard to the block wall with
glue, then placing a new, insulated, stud wall a half inch or so away,
leaving an air gap.

Check to see if there is a hole or gap around any outlets on that wall- if
so, stuff the gap with insulation or use foam, but not in the box itself.


Nonny

On Aug 9, 9:31*pm, "Bob" 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?

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

I recently researched how to soundproof a room to use as a recording
studio. The best idea was to build a room within a room to physically
separate the two walls with insulation or just air.

The second best was to separate the drywall from the studs, in your
case, the concrete blocks, by using resilient channel and then attach
another layer of drywall using Green Glue.

That was too expensive for me so I insulated the wall, even interior
walls, the best I could with fiberglass and tried to separate the
drywall from the studs with strips of soundproofing foam that is
usually installed under laminate flooring. It worked a little bit but
not that great.

In your case, you are not getting the noise because of the holes in
the concrete blocks but sound vibrations traveling through the
concrete and drywall materials. Sound travels better through solid
materials than dead air or insulation.

"Bob" wrote in message
ng.com...
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?



Some people, me included, are not meant to live in a condo.

On Mon, 9 Aug 2010 20:46:48 -0700 (PDT), "hr(bob) "
wrote:

On Aug 9, 10:13Â*pm, Joe wrote:
On Aug 9, 9:31Â*pm, "Bob" 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?

* 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

Foam in the wall space between the concrete blocks and the wallboard
would help if there is a furred-out wall. Is the sheetrock attached
directly to the concrete blocks, or is the wall spaced out with 2x4 or
2x2's. If the wallboard is glued directly to the concrete blocks, you
may want to furr out that wall with 2x2 or 2x4's and fill the space
with foam, or even carpet scraps which are amazingly effective in
cutting sound transmission.
Or what the pros use - rock-wool

On Mon, 9 Aug 2010 22:06:42 -0700 (PDT), Molly Brown
wrote:

On Aug 9, 7:31Â*pm, "Bob" 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?

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

If youre going to soundproof the wall between the two units you will
need to soundproof the entire wall without any breaks and that
includes the attic space. Good luck.
To do a perfect job, yes. To make a BIG difference and do a very good
job, not required.

Bob 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?


Earplugs. Fifty cents.

Bob 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?



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

Take up skeet shooting as a hobby or work on an oil rig, in 6 months
maybe 3 hearing most anything won't be a problem.

On Aug 10, 1:19*pm, wrote:
On Mon, 9 Aug 2010 22:06:42 -0700 (PDT), Molly Brown





wrote:
On Aug 9, 7:31*pm, "Bob" 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?

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

If you’re going to soundproof the wall between the two units you will
need to soundproof the entire wall without any breaks and that
includes the attic space. Good luck.

*To do a perfect job, yes. To make a BIG difference and do a very good
job, not required.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I guess the job I did several years back wasn’t very good enough.

Nonnymus wrote:


"Joe" wrote in message
...
On Aug 9, 9:31 pm, "Bob" 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?


It sounds to me like there are openings in the block wall and/or that it
isn't continuous through the roof. A block wall's mass is good to take
out even the lower frequency sounds.

I agree. It is hard to get better than concrete block. If it is concrete
block I agree that there are probably bypasses through the wall, perhaps
for plumbing pipes in the bathroom example.

If possible, and I know that it's
probably not possible without removing drywall, see if there is an
opening in the block wall near where you hear the most sound.

If you do remove drywall, consider adding fiberboard to the block wall
with glue, then placing a new, insulated, stud wall a half inch or so
away, leaving an air gap.

Check to see if there is a hole or gap around any outlets on that wall-
if so, stuff the gap with insulation or use foam, but not in the box
itself.


Nonny

"Bob" wrote in
ng.com:

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?



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


When the white trash, wannabe homeboy neighbor cranks up the gangsta rap, I
crank up the opera.
The fat lady usually convinces him to turn that **** down.

TheHack wrote:
"Bob" wrote in
ng.com:

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?



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


When the white trash, wannabe homeboy neighbor cranks up the gangsta rap, I
crank up the opera.
The fat lady usually convinces him to turn that **** down.

Put a mike and speakers up against the wall, and play it back at him,
loud, a fraction of second out of phase. It'll drive him crazy. He'll
think his stereo is fried. As he turns his down or off, he won't be able
to hear yours. Of course, you'll have to observe silent running
protocols in your place while you do this.

--
aem sends...

TheHack wrote in
31:

"Bob" wrote in
ng.com:

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?



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


When the white trash, wannabe homeboy neighbor cranks up the gangsta
rap, I crank up the opera.
The fat lady usually convinces him to turn that **** down.

there's a product that spaces wallboard away from the block wall without
using studs that transmit sound.
it's "sound channel" or "resilient channel".
a double layer of wallboard also helps.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
localnet
dot com

I agree. It is hard to get better than concrete block. If it is concrete
block I agree that there are probably bypasses through the wall, perhaps
for plumbing pipes in the bathroom example.



If possible, and I know that it's
probably not possible without removing drywall, see if there is an
opening in the block wall near where you hear the most sound.

If you do remove drywall, consider adding fiberboard to the block wall
with glue, then placing a new, insulated, stud wall a half inch or so
away, leaving an air gap.

Check to see if there is a hole or gap around any outlets on that wall-
if so, stuff the gap with insulation or use foam, but not in the box
itself.


code requres no openings between units think firewall.

if there are openings they should be properly sealed

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