Noise a Top Consideration for Condominium Buyers

The price might be right, the layout spacious, and the commute short, but that perfect condo will be less than ideal if the noise from the upstairs neighbors rivals that jackhammer on the street.

For condo buyers, particularly those exchanging suburban quiet for urban hubbub, what they hear or don’t hear can make a difference in quality of life after they move in, says Mike Komula, an acoustician with Dudek, a California environmental consulting firm that helps builders assess the acoustic qualities of new buildings.

To help buyers learn what living there will be like before they sign a contract, Komula offers the following tips:

Make some noise in an adjacent unit. Have a companion turn on a radio, flush toilets, walk along the floors, and turn on bath and sink taps. Plumbing noise can be an issue when pipes are too small or transmit vibrations through the walls, he says. Check the layout of the floors in multistory buildings. See if compatible rooms are stacked. For example, rather than a kitchen or bath you want another bedroom above your bedroom. Look for dual-paned windows. Dual panes absorb more sounds. “Thicker panes and a wider air gap between the panes will increase sound reduction,” he says. Swap hollow interior doors for solid-core doors.

Quiet Construction

Builders are becoming increasingly cognizant of noise, and they know that “managing noise makes their multifamily projects more attractive to buyers,” says Komula. He recommends asking the builder, if possible, about construction details that enhance noise reduction.

Are the shared walls double walls? Two, rather than one 2 x 4 foot stud wall absorbs more noise by creating an air gap and separating the walls.

How many layers of drywall are on each side? Two layers absorb more noise than one.Do walls and ceilings use resilient metal channels that act as shock absorbers? Does the floor have a lightweight layer of concrete on the top? This adds mass, reducing the transmission of airborne and impact noise.

Additionally, Komula suggests buyers ask about the Sound Transmission Class rating for walls between units and levels, floor-ceiling construction, between units. Most states include a rating in their building codes. California’s minimum is 50. An STC rating of 65 indicates a very high quality in terms of noise reduction.

— By Camilla McLaughlin for REALTOR Magazine Online, April 27, 2007