Suddenly you moved to a townhouse to solve a personal problem but here you have faced another new problem. The new problem is unexpected noise that you cannot tolerate.
In an early living place, you didn’t face that type of problem. In your new townhouse, it seems that people are screaming around your room all the time.
Now, you want to know the answer to this question: can people hear neighbors in townhouses?
So, now you have a confusion: are all the townhouses noisy?
Is there any solution to overcome this noisy problem in condos or building units or condominiums or other private places?
Like you, I also faced this type of problem almost 2 years ago. But I have also found the solution to remove the unwanted noise which comes from the room outside.
Now, I have shared the reliable ways those can be your solution if you read the total writing. I have also given you some important notes in the last portion of this post.
Townhouse vs Condo: What is the Difference?
Condo and townhouse are almost the same. A shared wall between rooms is seen in a townhouse. On the other hand, a shared wall may not be seen in the condo.
Besides, outside sound can enter both condos and townhouses, if they are not well soundproof. That is why you should focus on keeping your condo or townhouse silent.
Are Condos Noisy or Soundproof?
Normally townhouses have shared walls and condos have room walls too. The outside sound may enter your room through the wall.
Some people make the noisy condos silent and others people don’t know how to soundproof the area. So I think, you have come to the right place where you will get reliable information that other people also follow with easy guidelines.
So continue reading…
Can You Hear the Sound of Downstairs or Upstairs Neighbors in Townhouses?
If you have a shared wall between rooms and the wall has some cracks or gaps, you can hear the loud music that comes outside your room.
Besides, the main noise source is the door and window. Sound waves can come to your room in these ways. Even if you close the door and window, still that sound may enter the room.
The main reason is that internal or external noise can travel in the ear medium. The sound that comes to your room or not depends on the airflow of the room.
Can You Block Neighbor Noise in a Condo or Townhouse?
The reliable answer is: yes, you can reduce the transmission of the noise of the townhouse neighbor. But you should fix the gap in your room wall.
At the same time, you need to implement acoustic material that you can easily find from any local marketplace. The installation process is not tough. You just need to know the exact information which also follows other people.
For reducing city noise, there is guidance for the residents (New York City, America). Acoustical materials may be used for residential noise control. (source)
Besides, you should also maintain the noise etiquette rule of townhouses. So you should also try that the sound of your room can’t go outside of your house. Your neighbor may also get disturbed by hearing the sound of your internal room.
So you need to muffle any type of audio speaker. This is the reason why you should soundproof your house immediately.
Now, I will share some reliable ways that you should know to remove condo noise. So concentrate on the below notes.
N.B: First talk (complaint) to the property or condo owners or building managers about neighbor noise of townhouse. If this doesn’t work for you, then you can talk with your loud neighbors about apartment noise laws (noise clauses). Finally, you can implement the acoustic element in your room.
Reliable Ways to Reduce Townhouse Normal Noises
Already I have told you that noise vibrations may come into your room through some main sources. Now, I will tell you about them and at the same time, I will also share the solution to each problem.
Besides, I have also shared some other ways that you may follow.
1. Fill the Gap or Cracks in Your Townhouse Area
You should block all kinds of air passing ways so that outside sound can’t enter inside the house. For doing that you should fill the gaps of the house properly.
You can directly block these gaps with the reliable adhesive sealant so that any kind of sound waves can’t pass. For blocking cracks, you can also use that sealant.
2. Soundproof the Door and Window
The main sound entrance ways are the window and door of the townhouse. So you should focus on implementing acoustic material in those areas.
If you don’t know about soundproofing doors and soundproofing windows, you can read that information to get easy guidelines. You may try noise-reducing heavy curtains to the window. You can also use plexiglass to the window.
3. Block the Everyday Floor Noise
The floor of a house is also another way for transferring impact noise (footstep and other sounds). This is why you should also apply acoustic underlayment to the hardwood floor.
After applying that acoustic material, you will be able to increase the layer of the floor surface. At the same time, any kind of disturbing sound like impact sounds can’t pass through the floor.
If you don’t know how to soundproof the downstairs floor, you should know that topic seriously.
4. Soundproof the Ceiling
The ceiling section is also another main way where sound can pass easily. So you should check the weak point in the ceiling surface. After finding the gaps, you should block them.
Next, you should apply drywall with the resilient channel. This acts on the ceiling surface as a noise barrier. You can read the post about how to soundproof a ceiling section properly in an easy way.
5. Soundproof the Wall
Soundproofing a wall surface is also important because your townhouse room is separated by the shared wall. Maximum ambient noise may come to that wall from outside.
You can hear your noisy neighbors through the shared wall. This is why you should implement acoustic elements to the wall surface.
You can use mass-loaded vinyl because it is the most reliable soundproof material which can stop maximum sound waves (noise violation).
You can also use acoustic foam on the wall surface. You need spray adhesive to attach the foams to the wall surface.
My Overview
Finally, I want to inform you that you can hear the noisy sound of a townhouse or condo if you don’t install any kind of acoustic element in your room.
You can get this type of element for implementation in the room. If you don’t know how to do that, you can read the easy guideline.
You can get this type of guidelines anywhere but read-only reliable information that you need. I have also shared some guidelines in my different blog posts that you can try.
Here, I have tried to share some reliable ways for removing excessive noise. If you read the total post, you can understand the right way to soundproof the luxury condos and townhouses.
Before implementing any types of acoustic elements, you should find out the gaps and other weak points where air may easily pass.
After finding these locations, you should block them so any noise waves are not able to travel from one place to another.
You should implement acoustic elements to the door, floor, wall, and ceiling area where most of the sound passes.
You and your family should follow the condo rules of noise ordinances (noise control law or building code) so that everyone can live without excessive sound pollution.
You may get help from condo associations about this noisy issue for the establishment of the entitlement of peace.
If you have a little more time, you can read the short answers that are in the FAQ section. After reading these answers, you can also get some more ideas in a short time.
FAQ: Are Condos or Townhouses Noisy?
Can Anyone Hear the Neighbors from any Detached House?
You can hear the neighbor’s sound from a detached house if your room is not soundproof. Airborne noise can easily come to your room through the air.
So if the two rooms are separated with a high distance, there is also a chance to enter sound waves to your room through gaps.
Is there a Needed Soundproofing Setting between Townhouses?
Of course, this kind of setting is needed, because all of you should maintain the noise etiquette rule or association rules. Besides, children may get sick with regular noisy sounds.
Are All the Stacked Townhouses Noisy or Quiet?
Townhouses may not be soundproof and especially the person who lives in this type of house should focus on soundproof floor sections. Because a high volume of impact or structure-borne noise may travel through the floor material.
Are All the Townhouse Walls Insulated?
Normally, shared walls are used for separating townhouses. That is why this wall needs to be soundproof by applying acoustic material.
How do You Reduce the Noise (Sound) Level in a Townhouse?
You need to apply sound absorbing and blocking material inside the house. Sound-absorbing elements also help to reduce the internal echo of the room. On the other hand, sound blocking (acoustic) material helps with noise insulation.