Soundproofing One Wall, Soundproofing Options

[sethjacquay]

I am going to be moving into a new apartment next month and
my new landlords warned me about a dude in the building next door
who might complain about sound.

I am interested in soundproofing the wall that the neighbor and I share
probably about 10' by 8' in size.

Obviously, headphones would work, but when I am singing and playing
acoustic guitar I will feel better about letting loose with some sort
of sound barrier on that wall.

Any suggestions?
Does anyone else have some sort of setup they use?

I was thinking about those foam absorbers, but I read that they actually
don't block the sound and might actually cause him to hear more noise.

I am considering a vinyl barrier that would hang from the wall. It won't block everything
but should add another layer to help reduce the sound transmission directly through the wall.

[Presto]

I've a hunch that the floor could be a culprit for transmitting vibrations not only downstairs but also next door. Have you got some sort of carpet on it?

Yeah, when you've made contact stick some music on and go and listen next door - before you try anything.

I live in the country and the nearest neighbour is about 100 metres away, but I occasionally like to put the volume up when listening, and country people do get used to a quiet environment. I remember asking the neighbour if my music was too loud. He said it wasn't loud enough. Then when I got home he'd put his military music on very loud He told me his neighbour on the other side once had a loudness competition with him and blew his speakers

Trapped air is a good insulator, but I've heard a second layer of trapped sand would help too. Better check on that though. I'm sure you could get something fixed up without buying expensive stuff. If your room is small, you don't want to make it too much smaller though.

This post has been edited by Presto: Thu 16 Sep 2004, 20:27