You arrive home and think "peace and quiet at last." A few seconds later, the silence is broken by loud footsteps from the flat overhead, barking dogs, banging doors or even the sound of your neighbour's TV.
Residents of apartment blocks have many a tale to tell about unwanted noise. And sometimes it even reverberates into your own flat. So, what can you do?
Getting to the bottom of noise is no mean feat. A distinction is made between airborne sounds and structure-borne sounds. Airborne sound travels through the air as sound waves and is perceived by the ears.
Structure-borne sound, on the other hand, travels in solid bodies such as steel, concrete or wood. Typical examples are impact sounds or walls that literally vibrate when loud music is played. Structure-borne sound itself is not audible. However, it transforms into airborne sound on the surface of solid bodies, where it then becomes audible.
Smooth surfaces such as tiles, concrete walls, glass, laminate or terrazzo flooring amplify the noise as these materials reflect rather than absorb sound waves.
"Many apartment dwellers do not even notice that their flat is echoing at first," says Florian Becker, Managing Director of the Bauherren-Schutzbund in Berlin. "But the reverberation effect, especially in modern flats with lots of smooth surfaces and large windows, eventually becomes unpleasant."
Overhears noises like conversations, music and the hum of a washing machine all add up, and you get the feeling that it's getting louder and louder.
But people can do plenty to improve the acoustics in their home. "Curtains in front of the window, cushions, thick carpets or upholstered furniture absorb noise," says Ines Wrusch, an interior designer in Hamburg.
These so-called absorbers work well on smooth walls and ceilings. Also known as acoustic elements, these open-pored surfaces absorb sound and come in various designs, e.g., as a panel hanging from the ceiling or as a wall fixture covered with fabric or a painting. "They don't have to cover the entire surface as even partially covered areas are effective," says Wrusch.
However, if the noise is caused by the structure of the building, tenants can do little about it. Mutual consideration and thick carpets can help muffle the sound of loud footsteps in the flat above or in the stairwell, which is often contentious among residents. But they do not solve the problem.
"Impact noise is often caused by a lack of structural soundproofing," says Wrusch, "and is often found in old buildings." Stricter noise regulations only came into force after such building were constructed.
Unless the landlord and tenant have agreed otherwise, the rented flat only has to comply with the technical standards in force when the building was constructed. However, all the latest technical standards must be met, if the building is renovated and upgraded, says Wrusch.
Residents of new or newly renovated buildings that meet all the latest sound insulation standards are not immune from noise. Unpleasant noises are also caused by defects such as badly laid floor coverings that hit the walls. "The sound is then transferred to the adjacent walls and the neighbours have a problem," says Becker.
Even slight noises can penetrate a poorly insulated or faulty wall. If noise is coming from the neighbouring flat, put a high bookcase full of books in front of the wall. That is easily done, says Wrusch. Things become a little more complicated, if you opt for a plasterboard partition instead. "That absorbs some of the sound waves from the wall. But tenants should discuss it with their landlord first," says Wrusch.
If the noise is coming through the ceiling from the flat above, a so-called drop ceiling can help. "It is mounted on spring hangers from your own ceiling and floats freely," says Becker.
Meanwhile, to give your neighbours more peace and quiet, you should avoid putting your loudspeakers and TV on the floor or against an adjacent wall. To lower the level of noise, you can try placing the loudspeakers on tennis balls cut in half.
