Sound issues in 4 plex

[ddsk1191]

Ok, I'm just about at my wits end with these noise complaints. I have two long term tenants with shared bedroom walls. One set of tenants work late night shifts and another set who need to wake up early. As these walls are thin and in no way soundproofed, I have gotten several noise complaints from tenants in the affected unit saying they are unable to sleep. 

I'd prefer not to evict tenants if I can because the tenants who work late do pay rent on time and are otherwise very easy to work with tenants. 

Is there a cheap and effective way to soundproof the walls or any simple way to handle this situation that does not involve evictions?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Kassandra RPM Alaska]

Is there a way to go into the attic and blow in insulation?  Or make a small hole to blow in insulation?

[ddsk1191]

Tenants say noise is coming through walls. Would additional insulation in attic help this? Or do you mean blowing insulation from above into wall joyces?

[Kassandra RPM Alaska]

Have you checked the attic recently?

Wind will move it around...

I also know places built in the 1980 had low R ratings and sometimes they dont put things into the walls like they do now.

It actually doesn't cost to much to do insualtion and might be able to do it yourself.

[ddsk1191]

This is a brand new renovation and the contractor claims the interior walls between those rooms are insulated. 

[ddsk1191]

Is there anything interpersonally you'd suggest trying? 

[Kassandra RPM Alaska]

Aww!  I've used a heat laser gun before to find the gaps.  Maybe it is a space to try that?  Or go and make the sounds yourself and hear it....then you'll have a better picture on if you have a unreasonable tenant or not.

[ddsk1191]

I'm fairly certain this is a reasonable claim as I've had numerous tenants tell me they can hear everything between the walls (not to mention I live on site so I too can hear everything). I'm looking at quotes for installing mass loaded vinyl in between sheetrock at the moment. I figure if it's less than a month's rent it might be worth it. (?)

[SAV-ON Flooring Anchorage]

You could also glue luxury vinyl planks on that wall. The man made material with the glue would cut out alot of decimals.

[Ben Persinger]

Breaking up the sound transfer is complicated with conventional framed walls because the framing touches the drywall on each side causing a drum like effect. There are a couple options that reduce it but not necessarily eliminate it. Like others said insulating the attic is a good idea. If there are any plugs in the wall they should be sealed up with those foam gaskets that go on behind the cover plates and if there are any connecting doors those really should have weatherstripping and a theashhold like you have on a door connecting your house to a garage. 

Here are a couple things i have tried. 

1 - install a product like quiet rock (a special drywall that is basically two 1/4 sheets of rock with a layer of glue/vinyl between them). It is critical that you seal the wall up when you install this. For instance along the floor where the framing ties to the floor. That product runs about $75 a sheet. It's pretty spendy but helps with higher decibel sounds. Not so good with foot treads etc.  

2. Second option I have used is to cover the wall with fiber sound board then install resilient channel strips and rerock the wall with 5/8 rock. It helps break up the harmonic transfer through the wall. One site that has some good info on this is here 

http://www.greengluecompany.com/benefit/how-green-glue-works

[Jenni Stewart]

I have a friend in another state who owns 3 different 4-plexes and has solved the issue by moving one tenant to a different unit as soon as one opened...with no guarantee that it would "fix" the problem and it's had mixed results.  Some moved to a new unit and hated it and moved, others stayed for years.  Some don't want to move and INSIST that the other tenant move, and they are told that the other tenant has just as much right to live there as well.  

Another friend owned his own house but wanted to listen to his rock music at super loud decibels and not piss off his neighbors.  He was a Vietnam  Vet and had moments where he had to listen to music at super super high decibels.  

He remodeled one room of his house and lost almost a foot of square footage.   He added to the existing walls several inches of sound proof material/insulation and then framed again and had a nice room, albeit a bit smaller.  A LOT of insulation was added to the ceiling (this was a downstairs room in a split level).  It was insulated so well that his own wife could barely hear the music and the neighbors couldn't hear at all.

As a landlord and owner, I think investing in insulating the adjoining rooms will pay off in the future.  Do it now and reap the benefits...Happy tenants, Happy Landlord.  

Jenni

[ddsk1191]

Jenni, Ben, et. al,

Thanks so much for this feedback. I would like to try the insulation route. Are there any recommendations for contractors who do this type of work in Alaska? My place is in Fairbanks. 

[Kassandra RPM Alaska]

Um...I think alasco ?.....   @Ben Persinger might know more options....  @Realtor Matt Miller do u know?

[Ben Persinger]

Alasco does good work but I am not sure if they work up in Fairbanks. The person I work with typically is Ryan Baker

(907) 244-3199

If they don't work up there they may have some recommendations. 

[ddsk1191]

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll give them a call. 

[SAV-ON Flooring Anchorage]

On 8/5/2018 at 12:07 AM, Dalton Stokes said:

You could also glue luxury vinyl planks on that wall. The man made material with the glue would cut out alot of decimals.

 Going this route would cost under $200. The vinyl planks can be as low as a $1.19 a square foot and the glue is about $30 bucks.

[Frank at RPM Everett]

This is a great idea, Thank you for your input.

Frank Volkert