Q. I recently saw your article regarding soundproofing in the home. Do you have any recommendations for soundproofing ceilings in a condo after it has already been built? Thanks in advance.
Stephanie Newton, Chicago
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A. It may possible to install hangars or clips to your ceiling to add another layer of drywall, but this may cause your ceiling to seem low, said Brian Homans of Shiner + Associates Inc. in Chicago.
If retrofitting the ceiling is a possibility, you also may want to talk to contractors about what sound-blocking products may be options, such as acoustical ceiling tiles, mass-loaded vinyl barriers or fiberboard such Knight-Celotex’s SoundStop, which may be installed behind drywall.
Another option, if it’s feasible, is to tear out the floor in the upstairs unit and install acoustical floorboards under that floor, Homans said. The sound from above may be reduced a little, too, if the upstairs neighbors install carpeting with a good, thick padding, he added.
There are two types of noise, air-borne and structure-borne. Air-borne sound travels through air. For example, voices will come through gaps and cracks in the floor. Structure-borne sound is transmitted through physical material such as the floor system. Footfalls, for instance, will radiate through structures.
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