While living in an apartment building, you may hear noise from downstairs or upstairs neighbours.
This can be very annoying when the noise is constant.
You’re wrong if you think the noise can only be heard from the upstairs neighbours.
Even the downstairs neighbours can become the worst nightmare for you.
Here’s this article to your rescue.
How to reduce noise from downstairs neighbours?
People living in apartments may know better how irritating it gets to hear constant noise from your neighbours.
You may expect it least to hear noise from the neighbours downstairs, but when you experience it, you will be surprised.
Apartments are small living spaces where you hear almost everything when the people living downstairs, upstairs or next door make noise.
So here you go, I’ve found you ways to reduce noise from your downstairs neighbours.
Talk to them
The first and foremost thing I would suggest to you is to go and talk to your neighbours downstairs.
Before you take any other measure against them, talking to them would be wise.
Sometimes people don’t know they’re being loud because that’s how they normally are.
If you go and talk to them, this may make them realize that they’re a source of disturbance and irritation for the people around them.
But remember to be very polite.
It may be difficult for you, especially when you don’t feel like talking to them because they’re so irritating.
But being polite can do wonders.
Invite them to your apartment, or let them invite you to sit and discuss things.
If you talk politely, your neighbours downstairs may understand it better.
Talking rudely or showing them your anger may make them offensive.
Still, if they don’t understand your thing, don’t worry; you have other options.
You can talk to your landlord or complain to the property manager.
Explain how irritating it is for you to live in all that noise.
Everyone deserves to live in a peaceful environment, especially when they’re paying for it.
It’s a high chance that when the property manager talks to them, they will feel how serious the noise problem is getting.
So this might help in making them quieter.
Soundproof the floor
Now that you realize that talking to your neighbours downstairs did nothing good, I have another solution for you.
Soundproofing your floor will help in deadening the noise.
And to soundproof your floor, the simplest technique is to place heavy and thick rugs on the floor.
Make sure that you cover the entire floor with rugs or carpets.
The more thick and heavy the carpets are, the more sounds they absorb.
It’s the golden rule that when you add more mass, it helps in deadening and absorbing the noise.
Also, it gets almost impossible for the noise to pass through.
So, if your neighbours downstairs are noisy, the noise passes through their ceiling into your floor, making your house polluted.
For this, you have to do maximum work on your floors.
Mass Loaded Vinyl
Mass Loaded Vinyl is one of the best soundproofing materials used these days.
It can be used on the walls, ceiling, floor, windows or even doors.
The only drawback is that it doesn’t look aesthetically very appealing.
But when you use it to block noise from the neighbours downstairs, you can easily add it to your floor under your carpet.
As discussed above, carpets and rugs absorb and deaden the noise, but the noise will be blocked if you use Mass Loaded Vinyl under them.
Blocking the noise means it will be completely unable to pass through it.
And when it’s placed under the carpet or the rug, you won’t have to worry about it not looking nice in your room.
Soundproof the doors
Doors are one of the biggest culprits in letting the noise in.
You must have noticed that most of the doors used in constructing our houses these days are hollow core doors.
They allow the noise to pass through them very easily.
If you try to replace your hollow core doors with solid core doors, you will notice a great reduction in the noise.
It may cost a little bit more, and you may have to call a professional to do this task.
If you don’t want to invest in new solid core doors, you can change your existing hollow core doors to the solid core.
If you fill sand inside a hollow core door, it will become a solid core door.
This is a DIY method, but it works well.
It may require a lot of hard work, and you may even need to call someone for help.
This way, the door becomes solid, and it becomes really heavy.
This makes it impossible for the sound to pass through it.
Moving blanket
Moving blankets have been used for years for soundproofing.
They are very effective in absorbing noise and dampening it.
Although they resemble a fluffy carpet, they may not seem aesthetically appealing on the floor.
For them to look good and work effectively, you can place nice carpets or rugs on top of them.
This will help in reducing much noise from the downstairs neighbours.
White noise machine
White noise machines may not help reduce or block the noise from downstairs neighbours, but they may help drown out the noise.
White noise machines are economical and portable.
They can be easily operated by the elderly and even children.
So when you get too upset because of all the noise from your downstairs neighbours, switch on the white noise machine.
It is budget-friendly and may not cost you much.
If you think you should not invest in buying a white noise machine, as an alternative, you can play white noise on YouTube using your mobile phone.
Soundproofing windows
As already discussed, doors and windows are the biggest culprits in letting the noise in.
If they have gaps or empty spaces, the noise will pass through even more easily.
Remember, if air can pass through, so can the noise.
Look for any gaps in the windows.
You may find empty spaces between the window and the window frame.
To seal that gap, use weatherstripping tape.
Using acoustic caulk is also a good way to soundproof your windows.
Keeping the windows shut will also help reduce the noise from the neighbours downstairs.
If your budget allows, you can replace your normal windows with soundproof ones.
Hang soundproof curtains
Along with other techniques to soundproof your windows, if you hang soundproof curtains on the windows, you will notice a great difference in reducing the noise.
This is one of the most effective and budget-friendly ways to soundproof your windows.
These soundproofing curtains are made of heavy and thick material, which help block, dampen and absorb most of the noise that passes through the windows.
If your budget doesn’t allow you to buy new curtains, you can use any of your old curtains for this purpose.
But remember, they should be thick and heavy; only then will they work effectively.
You can also hang soundproofing curtains on the walls using curtain rods for some extra soundproofing.
Wall hangings
Wall hangings are one of the best, easy and budget-friendly ways to soundproof your house.
The soft wall hangings will absorb all the noise you hear from the neighbours downstairs.
Remember, soft materials help in reducing the echo.
There is less echo when you have more soft materials in the house, like cushions, pillows, curtains and wall hangings.
Also, most of the noise is absorbed and dampened.
The best part is you don’t have to call any expert for this purpose; you can do it on your own as you like it.
Also, along with soundproofing, wall hangings will make the interior of your house more aesthetically appealing.
The ceiling vibrator
If you’ve already tried approaching your neighbours and tried all the other solutions, but still you’re very disturbed and irritated by the noise from your neighbours downstairs, I have something else for you.
Using a ceiling vibrator is perfect revenge!
All you have to do is place the motor side of your ceiling vibrator to attach directly to your floor.
Now, wait for your neighbours downstairs to start their party of noise.
Or, if you want an act of perfect revenge, start your ceiling vibrator once you get to know that your neighbours downstairs are sleeping.
This little device will be enough for your revenge.
Try this technique continuously for some days until they plan to shift somewhere else.
Or maybe realize this noise irritates them, and they will start acting more mature the next time.
Conclusion
The above article discusses some of the manageable and easy techniques to eliminate noise from your downstairs neighbours.
But being very practical, remember you cannot eliminate the noise.
You can only try to reduce the noise while being smart.
FAQs
How do I react to noisy neighbours?
You must be very angry at your noisy neighbours but try to be calm, polite and friendly while talking to them.
It’s a high chance that they realize how irritating they have become for their neighbours if you talk to them politely.
Often people are unaware of how noisy they are until someone tells them.
Q: What are some common sources of noise from downstairs neighbors?
A: Common sources of noise from downstairs neighbors include footsteps, furniture moving, vacuuming, and loud music or TV.
Q: What can I do to address noise from downstairs neighbors?
A: You can try talking to your neighbors and politely expressing your concerns, using soundproofing materials, rearranging your furniture, or using white noise machines or earplugs to reduce noise.
Q: Is it appropriate to complain to the landlord or property management about noise from downstairs neighbors?
A: Yes, it is appropriate to bring noise concerns to the attention of the landlord or property management, especially if the noise is excessive or violates the terms of the lease.
Q: How can I address noise from downstairs neighbors if talking to them directly does not work?
A: If talking to your neighbors directly does not work, you can try using a mediation service, filing a noise complaint with local authorities, or seeking legal action if necessary.