Noise Complaint.

[ddot8000]

Hi,

I'm from Toronto, Ontario Canada. I own a condo that I modified the floors from carpet to hardwood. The lady that lives below me claims that ever since the modification, she can hear loud thumping foot steps. I've lived there for almost 3 years now. She says that the thumping keeps her up at night.

The people that did my floors assured me that they installed it correctly. Since I don't know anything about hardwood floors, I assume they did.

The thing that bothers me is that, she has been complaining non stop for the last year, and at first I thought it might've been me, so I was extra cautious and even laid out carper to see if I can reduce the noise. However, there have been occassions where she complained about noise early in the morning (6am ish) when I was still in bed. One time, she even complained when I wasn't even home.

I got sick and tired of her complaining so I got a friend to walk in my room (that's where the modification was done) and I went to her suite to listen in. To be honest, I did not hear anything. Maybe very, faint sound once in a while if you were really paying attention, but nothing like the thumping sound she described that keeps her awake at night. She's called me once when I was just sitting on my chair using the computer and she said she could hear me walk.

The problem I have is that my condo management is threatening me to remove the hardwood floors and put back carpet because there was never a problem before and the lady has been living there longer than I have. But who's to say that it's me and the floors? I don't know what I should do...please help.

Thanks.

[Kiawah]

Unless there is concrete between your floor and her ceiling, she's going to legitimately hear your footsteps. Heck, I can hear footsteps in my house, it goes with the fact that there is no cushioning like you used to have with the carpet and padding. You also don't have sound deadening any more that carpet provides, where any noises in the room now bounce around reflecting and hit hard surfaces.....as opposed to getting dampened with drapes and carpets. Our bathrooms are the loudest because there is tile, hardwoods 2nd loudest, and I hear very little under carpeted areas. I even installed insulation in the ceilings under tile areas, knowing that there would be noise and attempting to soften it.

So yes, it would be louder without carpeting. But is it such that one would complain and be upheld.

I can't speak to your Condo by-laws and whether they can or cannot make you take up the hardwoods. A couple low/lower cost options you can do in lieu of re-carpetting (to try to ease the situation)...is to wear slippers, and put down some throw rugs or runners in the walkway areas.

[HomeGuru]

Originally Posted by ddot8000

Hi,

I'm from Toronto, Ontario Canada. I own a condo that I modified the floors from carpet to hardwood. The lady that lives below me claims that ever since the modification, she can hear loud thumping foot steps. I've lived there for almost 3 years now. She says that the thumping keeps her up at night.

The people that did my floors assured me that they installed it correctly. Since I don't know anything about hardwood floors, I assume they did.

The thing that bothers me is that, she has been complaining non stop for the last year, and at first I thought it might've been me, so I was extra cautious and even laid out carper to see if I can reduce the noise. However, there have been occassions where she complained about noise early in the morning (6am ish) when I was still in bed. One time, she even complained when I wasn't even home.

I got sick and tired of her complaining so I got a friend to walk in my room (that's where the modification was done) and I went to her suite to listen in. To be honest, I did not hear anything. Maybe very, faint sound once in a while if you were really paying attention, but nothing like the thumping sound she described that keeps her awake at night. She's called me once when I was just sitting on my chair using the computer and she said she could hear me walk.

The problem I have is that my condo management is threatening me to remove the hardwood floors and put back carpet because there was never a problem before and the lady has been living there longer than I have. But who's to say that it's me and the floors? I don't know what I should do...please help.

Thanks.

**A: In what US state is your condo in?