Renting and noisy neighbors

Noise can be a nuisance and worse of all it stalks us in our own homes, thanks to the neighbors. About 100 million Americans share walls with strangers, many in acoustical slums. In U.S. Census Bureau surveys, people consistently rate noise ahead of crime, traffic and other social ills as a primary reason they want to move.

Noise can be beyond frustrating. All this thumping, rock and roll and screaming that barges uninvited into our bedrooms is a known stressor. Noise also makes us ineffective and cranky, raises our blood pressure and robs us of decent sleep.

And now for the bad news: Much of what we've been doing to block the noise doesn't work. If you have tried carpet on the wall, blankets, corkboard or egg cartons, you have probably realized by now, they don’t work. While these materials do line makeshift music studios, they are meant to absorb sound already in the room, therefore improving the quality. Exterior noise still gets in. It just bounces around for a bit less time.

If the noise is enough to bother you, it will still bother you after stapling egg cartons to your ceiling. Even some products advertised as cure-alls on the Internet are far from it. Worse, some construction contractors, unversed in the complex details of soundproofing, have been known to choose or install ineffective soundproofing products, leaving the client with a bill but no relief.

But don't give up hope for peace just yet. It is possible to engage in a little "acoustical self-defense, so long as you understand how sound travels, can identify the source of the problem and know to hunt for the right combination of products.

To start, you need to understand how sound works. Sound is a vibration: the quiver of a violin string under a bow; the rattle of vocal cords; the impact of a shoe against the floor. The vibration excites molecules -- in air, liquid or solid -- that in turn excite the molecules beside them, and so on, forming a radiating wave of pressure. This pressure wave, received as sound, continues until it naturally dissipates or until it is:

• Blocked. This requires mass -- very high-density materials -- to act as a barrier. Lead works; foam doesn't.
• Absorbed. Uses insulation materials to absorb vibrations that would otherwise bounce around -- and echo -- in an air cavity like a drum.
• Dampened. Uses chemically engineered paste or strips to transform the energy of sound into heat.
• Isolated. Uses nonconductive materials, in wall clips or pads, to isolate the transmission of vibrations between objects.

There are several additional tactics you can use immediately:

Use white noise: That is, a consistent, rhythmic hum might help mask light sound and divert your attention. You can find machines or CDs, or try fans or water fountains.

Isolate the problem. Bass, that low boom from your neighbor's stereo, takes a lot of energy to produce. These low-frequency sound waves are especially hard to combat since they travel far and wide, bending easily around objects. It's why foghorns use them, and why when thunder is distant you hear only its low rumble.
Try to block the sound's path by putting special "isolation pads" or "noise-vibration pads" under your bedposts. Ask your neighbor if you can put pads under his TV, treadmill or washing machine to better attack the problem at the source.

If the noise is really bad sometimes the landlord will get involved because he realizes he can't get top dollar with these noise issues.

Know your rights: Learn about sound ratings required for buildings in your area before talking to the landlord or building association. The information will better arm you for coverage of upgrades. If needed, a real-estate lawyer might help you recover costs or get out of a lease.

What you should not do is:

• Knock under the influence (of anger): Yes, it's hard to wait, but it will serve your needs better if you can work calmly and pragmatically with your neighbor. Plus, these things can escalate.
• Save police for a last resort: Even nice people turn not so nice after you call the cops. It might fix a big event, but it could further amplify day-to-day noise problems.
• Avoid another bad situation: If you must move, don't rush. Take time to visit potential apartments at different times of day to evaluate their noise levels. You can find additional tips for quiet-apartment hunting here.

Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of ceiling tiles, acoustic products, sound proofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. For more information, please visit eSoundproof.com. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.

Noise and Its Affect On Your Health

Noise is a nuisance; there is no doubt about it. But more than that, it can cause health problems. For this reason, many are working at reducing the amount of noise in our everyday environment by creating new laws and regulations.

How does noise affect our health? The first and most noticeable affects are hearing loss. Hearing loss is easy to connect with noise because it is observable and measurable.

Hearing loss is often gradual and the first awareness of the damage unfortunately comes once it has started. One first notices hearing loss when they are unable to hear particular words during conversation and then speech on a telephone. Unfortunately, this recognition comes too late to recover what is lost. By then, the ability to hear the high frequency sounds of, for example, a flute or piccolo or even the soft rustling of leaves will have been permanently diminished. As hearing damage continues, it can become quite significant and handicapping. And there is no cure. Hearing aids do not restore noise-damaged hearing, although they can be of limited help to some people.

People with partial deafness from exposure to noise do not necessarily live in a quieter world. The many sounds still audible to them are distorted in loudness, pitch, apparent location, or clarity. Consonants of speech, especially high frequency sounds such as "s" and "ch," are often lost or indistinguishable from other sounds. Speech frequently seems garbled, sounding as if the speaker has his or her "head in a barrel." When exposed to a very loud noise, people with partial hearing loss may experience discomfort and pain. They also frequently suffer from tinnitus -irritating ringing or roaring in the head.

There is even further pain the hard-of-hearing person faces: the emotional anguish caused, perhaps Unintentionally, by friends and associates who become less willing to be partners in conversation or companions in other activities.


Noise also affects our bodies subconsciously. In readiness for dangerous and harmful situations, our bodies make automatic and unconscious responses to sudden or loud sounds. Of course, most noise in our modern society does not signify such danger. However, our bodies still react as if these sounds were always a threat or warning.

In effect, the body shifts gears. Blood pressure rises, heart rate and breathing speed up, muscles tense, hormones are released into the bloodstream, and perspiration appears. These changes occur even during sleep.

The idea that people get used to noise is a myth. Even when we think we have become accustomed to noise, biological changes still take place inside us, preparing us for physical activity if necessary.

Noise does not have to be loud to bring on these responses. Noise below the levels usually associated with hearing damage can cause regular and predictable changes in the body.

In studies dating back to the 1930s, researchers noted that noise developed marked digestive changes which were thought to lead to ulcers. Cases of ulcers in certain noisy industries have been found to be up to five times as numerous as what normally would be expected.

Similar research has identified more clearly the contribution of noise to other physical disorders. A five-year study of two manufacturing firms in the United States found that workers in noisy plant areas showed greater numbers of diagnosed medical problems, including respiratory ailments, than did workers in quieter areas of the plants.

From a study done with animals, researchers concluded that noise may be a risk factor in lowering people's resistance to disease and infection.

To prevent aggravation of existing disease, doctors and health researchers agree that there is an absolute requirement for rest and relaxation at regular intervals to maintain adequate mental and physical health.

Sleep is a restorative time of life, and a good night's sleep is probably crucial to good health. But everyday experience suggests that noise interferes with our sleep - in a number of ways. Noise can make it difficult to fall asleep, it can wake us, and it can cause shifts from deeper to lighter sleep stages. If the noise interference with sleep becomes a chronic problem, it may take its toll on health.

Human response to noise before and during sleep varies widely among age groups. The elderly and the sick are particularly sensitive to disruptive noise. Compared to young people, the elderly are more easily awakened by noise and, once awake, have more difficulty returning to sleep. As a group, the elderly require special protection from the noises that interfere with their sleep.

Other age groups seem to be less affected by noise at bedtime and while asleep. But their apparent adjustment may simply be the result of failing to remember having awakened during the night. Sleep researchers have observed that their subjects often forget and underestimate the number of times they awaken during sleep. It may be that loud noises during the night continue to wake or rouse us when we sleep, but that as we become familiar with the sounds, we return to sleep more rapidly.


The most obvious price we pay for living in an overly noisy world is the annoyance we frequently experience. Perhaps because annoyance is so commonplace, we tend to take our daily doses of it for granted - not realizing that the irritability that sometimes surfaces can be a symptom of potentially more serious distress inside us. When noise becomes sufficiently loud or unpredictable, or if the stress imposed is great enough, our initial annoyance can become transformed into more extreme emotional responses and behavior. When this happens, our tempers flare and we may "fly off the handle" at the slightest provocation.

Indeed, noise can strain relations between individuals, cause people to be less tolerant of frustration and ambiguity, and make people less willing to help others. Although no one would say that noise by itself brings on mental illness, there is evidence that noise-related stress can aggravate already existing emotional disorders.

Is noise a problem? It seems it is one we often don’t recognize. Fortunately it is also one that can be remedied with the proper treatment of your home or work place with soundproofing. As for recreation, maybe a trip out into the country will be the ticket there.

Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of ceiling tiles, acoustic products, sound proofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. For more information, please visit eSoundproof.com. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.