soundproofing question - apartment challenge

josefismael · 07-01-2009, 12:46 AM

So I've got a special treat for all you DIYers out there - what can I do with my apartment ceiling to soundproof my unit as best I can against the creaking floorboards and joists above?

I've got pretty considerate neighbors, so there's little to no impact/percussive type noise - most of it (I assume) is the just the joists rubbing against the floorboards.

I've looked online and it looks like there are plenty of solutions that involve reinstalling one or more layers of drywall, or otherwise altering the ceiling a bit more than I'm comfortable with. I'm wondering if there's a less invasive way to do this - perhaps I could "hang" a dropped ceiling from the existing textured ceiling? Maybe with some sort of baffle other than air in the cavity?

lets think outside the box here

thanks in advance!
j

ps - If life goes as planned for me the next place I live will be a house that I own. No need to convince me

PLAIN O TX · 07-03-2009, 09:09 PM

This is what convinced us to buy our home. A new person moved in and was obnoxious with his music ( on purpose). We had many discussions. When our lease was up we bought a home and moved. I think he was placed in the complex by a realestate company but have no proof. It worked for both of us!

Ted White · 07-24-2009, 11:08 AM

Tough problem. The resonance (creaking) from the floorboards, their nails and the joists won't go away with insulation alone. Even if you put a super (imaginary) Kryptonite / Titanium ceiling in place, you'll still hear the creaks. Why?

Because your walls are holding up those joists overhead, they are also receiving this troublesome creaking vibration. So you are hearing the creaking in stereo.

This kind of issue is best addressed by treating the floor itself. Get the noise at its source. This involves removing your ceiling drywall. Are you at that point yet?

bjbatlanta · 07-25-2009, 07:59 PM

A "dropped/acoustical" ceiling will do little to help your situation. The sound "travels" through the fasteners and hanger wires. Adding layers of drywall/insulation will do little more than muffle the sound due to the same transfer of sound through the fastening system (longer screws). It will help somewhat though. To truly "kill" the sound would involve the use of a variety of materials (not inexpensive) such as a special "channel" attached to the existing floor, sound attenuation insulation, etc. As Ted mentioned, it would be cheaper to tear out your ceiling and caulk (with glue) both sides of the joists and add some fasteners from above to secure the loose places in the subfloor. If it's just a matter of floor creaks, it may be easier to just "live with it"......