If you have moved recently into a new condo and things were going great until you discovered that you have some extremely noisy neighbors that are ruining your peaceful home life then you are absolutely not alone.
Noise complaints and noisy neighbors are one of the top reasons for conflict in any residential area, condominium, or apartment.
Loud people with zero sensitivity exist everywhere and being stuck in a condo where every sound your neighbor makes can be heard by you also has the scarier flipside of your neighbor being able to hear every noise you make- which is worse, to be honest.
It not only makes the living situation uncomfortable but also compromises your privacy to a great extent.
So the question remains as to are condos generally not soundproof and is it normal to be able to hear your neighbors if you are living in one?
Can You Hear Neighbors in a Condo?
There is no one answer to this because there are a number of factors that determine whether the particular condo you are living in is soundproof or not. This is why before you buy or rent any property you should be asking for the developer’s plans so that you can check out exactly the build and make of the construction.
The material used goes a long way to determine how much outside noise can enter your particular living space. If you can hear through the walls then chances are that the walls of your condo haven’t used very sturdy or a dense material for that matter.
Wooden bases for making walls are very common but unless other soundproofing options like a double studded wall, insulation, etc. are not applied to the wall then it is not going to be an effective barrier to all sorts of neighbor’s noise.
On the other hand, those living in condos with solid concrete walls do not complain of noisy neighbors as much. This is because the chemical structure of dry and set concrete makes it difficult for sound waves to travel through it, in simple words concrete is not a good conductor of sound.
Other factors that determine the noise levels in a condo are the building’s age, its history of repairs, and the place it is located in. For example, if you live on a busy street you will hear a lot more traffic noise than neighbor noise.
You should be able to factor all of these in before you decide to buy or rent a condo. Just ask your real estate agent and talk to the managing body of that particular building or condominium.
Don’t miss:
How to Soundproof a Condo
Can My Neighbors Hear Me Talking
Are Condos Soundproof
Are Townhouses Soundproof
Can You Hear Neighbors in Townhouse
Conclusion
There are many ways to deal with noisy neighbors but creating noise yourself for pretty retribution is not one of them. You will just be disturbing other people who are quiet and considerate of others sharing the same building.
Loud neighbors are a common problem. Maybe you did not have the issue when you started living here but a noisy family moved in next door and now you are stuck with not a moment of peace.
Deal with it maturely by first trying to talk with them. You can always take the matter to the building management and then the police if the neighbors show no signs of changing their behavior.