People who live in apartments generally accept a certain level of noise as part of the experience of urban living. But there are limits to the amount of noise anyone can-or should-be expected to tolerate. When that threshold is passed, your peaceful and tranquil home can suddenly become a source of stress and anxiety.
Acceptable levels of noise depend on a number of factors. These
range from how well your building was constructed to the
loudness of the sound; your tolerance for noise; and even the
time of day.
To help you keep the peace and quiet in your home, Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has a number of tips on
how to reduce excessive or unwanted noise in your building.
These include:
-  Get to know noisy neighbours, and make them aware of
how their activities are affecting others. Speak with other
neighbours to see if the noise is bothering anyone else, and
consider adopting a joint strategy. Discuss ways to reduce
objectionable noise, such as laying down carpets, moving stereo
equipment away from shared walls and agreeing on reasonable
hours for noisy activities. If all else fails, consult with
your building management or condo board.
- If your building's elevators, refuse chutes, garage
door openers, air conditioning units or other mechanical
devices are the problem, ask the management to better isolate
those devices from occupants. Ensure that motors are mounted on
springs or pads to reduce vibrations. Move air conditioning
compressors away from operable windows, or restrict the hours
of the day or days of the week when some of the devices can be
used.
- To reduce noise coming in through openings or gaps in
your walls, place gaskets behind electrical outlet cover
plates. Check to see if electrical switches and outlets in
common walls are offset from those on the other side of the
wall. Make sure plumbing pipes are isolated from solid framing
with flexible sleeves and cushions.
-  If noise frequently comes in from outside the
building, ask management to take measures to discourage
loitering and other after-hours activities. Contact a bylaw
officer to advise you on noise regulations in your area.
-  Inside your apartment, consider adding more or
heavier fabrics and upholstery to absorb more sound. Carefully
caulk the joint under your baseboards. If you are replacing
windows, install windows with a high Sound Transmission Class
(STC) performance rating and make sure they open away from any
source of noise.
-   If serious noise problems in your building persist, ask management to retain an acoustical consultant to study the problem and recommend solutions.
For more information, visit
www.cmhc.ca
or phone Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation at
1-800-668-2642.
This article was supplied by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
