Soundproofing in Dublin apartments

mcfifi

Hi all...

I'm hitting 30, a lover of a peaceful & quiet living environment and a good nights sleep. Basically, I am sensitive to night-time noise & cannot cope without my 8 hours (at a minimum). So I am tired (literally) of living with people who while our work schedules may match, sleeping patterns definitely do not...

Finally I decided, despite the cost impact, that it was worth it for me to find my own 1 bed apartment to rent. I avoided converted period properties as I expected little to no soundproofing & settled on apartment block which appeared to have the quiet & peace I was looking for i.e. result... except it has become apparent very quickly that the wall separating my bedroom from my neighbours' is paper thin. And the couple seem to sleep from 2am at a minimum to 7am (who lives like this?!) but spend from 11.30pm moving bedroom furniture / opening & closing drawers, wardrobe doors... Etc, etc. I can hear them cough, chat, the works... It's very upsetting to have decided to pay a lot of extra money every month for quiet living to get the total opposite My work & personal life is suffering as I am stressed out over having signed 1 year lease combined with living on 4/5 hours a night..

There are quite a lot of threads on Boards on the lack of soundproofing in apartments in Dublin. But I cannot find much naming & shaming and conversely I would love to know what apartment blocks really are soundproofed to a high standard so that if (more likely when) I decide to move in next few months I know where to look / avoid as this is my No. 1 priority.. Areas I'm interested in are Dublin 6, 6w, Dundrum, Sandyford & Kilmainham (and anywhere in close proximity to these areas).

Thanks in advance

the_syco

mcfifi wrote: »

apartment blocks
soundproofed

Sorry to sh|t on your parade, but I doubt you'll find it. Although you may get a quite apartment, sound can still travel up or down and sideways.

Have you thought about renting a small detached house? You'll probably need to go further a field, though.

=-=

Something else you should look into is white noise, and rubber pads under your bed legs. You'll only hear the white noise (eg; water crashing onto a beach), and the rubber pads would stop any noise that would be carried by the structure.

worded

Low tech solution but good ear plugs are a great idea !

PirateShampoo

The apartments in Ceder brook up next to parkwest have solid concrete walls. Never heard my neighbours while living there.

The_Conductor

PirateShampoo wrote: »

The apartments in Ceder brook up next to parkwest have solid concrete walls. Never heard my neighbours while living there.

Doesn't make one iota of difference- the best noise insulation I've come across was actually cladded cinder block walls- the way you just can't escape noise pollution from concrete is unreal.

OP- noise pollution is part of communal living- it doesn't matter where you go- you are going to encounter it.

You can rent sound proofed apartments (they rarely come up though- and are incredibly expensive- they normally would involve pretty much gutting the interior of an apartment and rebuilding it from a bare canvas).

As per the previous comment- I'd suggest moving outwards- and renting a bungalow/cottage...........

mcfifi

the_syco wrote: »

Sorry to sh|t on your parade, but I doubt you'll find it. Although you may get a quite apartment, sound can still travel up or down and sideways.

Have you thought about renting a small detached house? You'll probably need to go further a field, though.

=-=

Something else you should look into is white noise, and rubber pads under your bed legs. You'll only hear the white noise (eg; water crashing onto a beach), and the rubber pads would stop any noise that would be carried by the structure.

Thanks for the reply... I'm all over white noise but it's just not cutting it. I'll look into rubber pads though as it is more the structural noise which is driving me mad.

Parade not totally sh|t on I do get that complete silence in communal living is impossible but there are (surely?!) variations between apartment blocks in what you can hear from neighbours.. Ranging from coughing / opening & closing of furniture in my current situation to v background noise of say doors slamming in another. Obviously the neighbours themselves play a huge role & I may well laugh at the irony of acquiring a couple of insomniacs next door... some day...

mcfifi

worded wrote: »

Low tech solution but good ear plugs are a great idea !

Thanks but like white noise, earplugs just aren't cutting it here though I know do they work for lots of people.. Call me super sensitive!

djimi

If you are that sensitive to noise then you really are wasting your time in an apartment. With the best will in the world you are never going to block out all noise when you are living ten feet away from 3-4 different sets of neighbours. You might find some places that are well built and pretty well soundproofed (I barely hear my neighbours at all) but even at that you will still hear things like doors closing loudly and toilets flushing (our neighbours toilet is on the other side of the wall to our bed).

mcfifi

PirateShampoo wrote: »

The apartments in Ceder brook up next to parkwest have solid concrete walls. Never heard my neighbours while living there.

Thanks, this is the kind of info I'm after

mcfifi

djimi wrote: »

If you are that sensitive to noise then you really are wasting your time in an apartment. With the best will in the world you are never going to block out all noise when you are living ten feet away from 3-4 different sets of neighbours. You might find some places that are well built and pretty well soundproofed (I barely hear my neighbours at all) but even at that you will still hear things like doors closing loudly and toilets flushing (our neighbours toilet is on the other side of the wall to our bed).

Thanks djimi ... I do get that I can't block out all noise but I am looking to find out the complexes (like yours) which are well built & pretty well soundproofed.. There is a big difference to me between hearing doors closing loudly & being able to express an opinion on the conversation next door. Thanks!

And maybe my country upbringing has ruined me for city living..

djimi

Look for older build apartments if you want to continue in that sort of accommodation. Generally speaking complexes that were built in the last ten years or so were thrown together with minimal effort and cheapest materials, so you get issues with things like soundproofing. Older apartments tend to be a bit more solidly built.

desertcircus

If earplugs and white noise aren't enough for everyday living sounds, then there's a real chance that you're going to run into problems in any shared accommodation. Have you looked into whether there's any treatments for excessive sensitivity to sound while sleeping?

Mark Spilane

On the continent apartments are even less sound proofed than here believe it or not.
People are just used to living in them that way. Most of them have the windows open all day too with lots of traffic noise and it doesnt bother people.
Apartments will always be apartments. Noise will carry through the buildings.

Richard Dower

Just be happy you cant hear them fighting and then having makeup sex.......:mad:

Had a nightmare couple living above me, they cheated on each other loads of times, and paper thin walls....i was living their life like it was my own, so i 100% fell ya on all points bro!

mcfifi wrote: »

Hi all...

I'm hitting 30, a lover of a peaceful & quiet living environment and a good nights sleep. Basically, I am sensitive to night-time noise & cannot cope without my 8 hours (at a minimum). So I am tired (literally) of living with people who while our work schedules may match, sleeping patterns definitely do not...

Finally I decided, despite the cost impact, that it was worth it for me to find my own 1 bed apartment to rent. I avoided converted period properties as I expected little to no soundproofing & settled on apartment block which appeared to have the quiet & peace I was looking for i.e. result... except it has become apparent very quickly that the wall separating my bedroom from my neighbours' is paper thin. And the couple seem to sleep from 2am at a minimum to 7am (who lives like this?!) but spend from 11.30pm moving bedroom furniture / opening & closing drawers, wardrobe doors... Etc, etc. I can hear them cough, chat, the works... It's very upsetting to have decided to pay a lot of extra money every month for quiet living to get the total opposite My work & personal life is suffering as I am stressed out over having signed 1 year lease combined with living on 4/5 hours a night..

There are quite a lot of threads on Boards on the lack of soundproofing in apartments in Dublin. But I cannot find much naming & shaming and conversely I would love to know what apartment blocks really are soundproofed to a high standard so that if (more likely when) I decide to move in next few months I know where to look / avoid as this is my No. 1 priority.. Areas I'm interested in are Dublin 6, 6w, Dundrum, Sandyford & Kilmainham (and anywhere in close proximity to these areas).

Thanks in advance

Richard Dower

PirateShampoo wrote: »

The apartments in Ceder brook up next to parkwest have solid concrete walls. Never heard my neighbours while living there.

I'm blessed....my new gaff is like a coffin!, cant hear a feckin thing! :eek:
Concrete floor for apt. above, quite couple...no kids, no drama. Area has no dogs and the main road outside with cars has become white noise.

Tis too damn quite!....its kinda scary at night,

who_me

I could suggest an apartment block in Cork - which is not much use to you - but based on that apartment I'd recommend the following:

An apartment on the top floor (no upstairs neighbours) which is carpeted (greatly reduces noise from downstairs), with a hallway/stairwell dividing you from your neighbours (so no sound from your same-floor neighbours) and in a building which is taller than the neighbouring buildings (so no noise from the external neighbours).

Good luck finding another one of those! I've moved from that to a beautiful old building, but with neighbours on all 4 sides, wooden floors and a bowling alley wedged up against my bedroom window. Ooops.

Richard Dower

Mark Spilane wrote: »

On the continent apartments are even less sound proofed than here believe it or not.
People are just used to living in them that way. Most of them have the windows open all day too with lots of traffic noise and it doesnt bother people.
Apartments will always be apartments. Noise will carry through the buildings.

But for someone like me and the OP such apartements are literal torture!, it does effect your life and peace of mind. Tis terrible being able to hear every last word of a conversation.

More...from my POV i get rather paranoid, if i can hear them then they can hear me, you cant even take a poop without thinking can yer wan above hear every last plop etc.

Communal living is dreadful, especially for noise sensitive types

mcfifi

Richard Dower wrote: »

I'm blessed....my new gaff is like a coffin!, cant hear a feckin thing! :eek:
Concrete floor for apt. above, quite couple...no kids, no drama. Area has no dogs and the main road outside with cars has become white noise.

Tis too damn quite!....its kinda scary at night,

I don't believe in too quiet!!! Any chance you are in any of the areas I mentioned... Care to share if not add to the night fear?!

Richard Dower

mcfifi wrote: »

I don't believe in too quiet!!! Any chance you are in any of the areas I mentioned... Care to share if not add to the night fear?!

Limerick...no good to ya i'm afraid

mcfifi

who_me wrote: »

I could suggest an apartment block in Cork - which is not much use to you - but based on that apartment I'd recommend the following:

An apartment on the top floor (no upstairs neighbours) which is carpeted (greatly reduces noise from downstairs), with a hallway/stairwell dividing you from your neighbours (so no sound from your same-floor neighbours) and in a building which is taller than the neighbouring buildings (so no noise from the external neighbours).

Good luck finding another one of those! I've moved from that to a beautiful old building, but with neighbours on all 4 sides, wooden floors and a bowling alley wedged up against my bedroom window. Ooops.

I got the top floor with neighbours on only 1 side (but hey... That's all it takes ) Why did you move from heaven to hell?!

mcfifi

Does nobody in happily soundproofed South Dublin apartments read Boards? Too content I guess... Would still love some complex names Thanks!

who_me

mcfifi wrote: »

I got the top floor with neighbours on only 1 side (but hey... That's all it takes ) Why did you move from heaven to hell?!

Good question! Was renting, wanted to buy. The new apartment had concrete flooring under the wooden floor so I thought that would mean good sound insulation (hah!), and as for the bowling alley it was very quiet when I viewed, but gets loud around 3-4am.

At night (when the bowling alley isn't boom boom boom musicing or the bowling alley machinery isn't roll roll roll roll THUD roll roll roll THUDDING) I can hear the neighbours walking about upstairs, and can hear their TV and what music they're listening to, and some conversations.

But (like someone said above) I'm actually more upset about noise getting out. I don't mind the lack of privacy too much, but I hate the idea that I can't watch TV or listen to music without some neighbour complaining.

Del2005

mcfifi wrote: »

Does nobody in happily soundproofed South Dublin apartments read Boards? Too content I guess... Would still love some complex names Thanks!

There are no properly soundproofed apartments. It takes up too much floor space to properly sound proof a room/apartment so the builders never bothered and there was no requirements in building regs to soundproof. The only thing you'll get is less noisy apartments but I don't think they'd be good enough for you. As others have said you need a detached house to make sure you can't hear your neighbours and even then there could be other noises coming through

awec

mcfifi wrote: »

Does nobody in happily soundproofed South Dublin apartments read Boards? Too content I guess... Would still love some complex names Thanks!

We live in Vantage in Leopardstown and it's pretty quiet, at least I've never heard our neighbours in the two weeks we've been there! :pac:

None of the bedrooms adjoin on to any neighbouring apartment - there is a stairwell between the master bedroom of our apartment and the master bedroom of another apartment on the floor.

Hear the odd bit of noise from outside, but that goes with living in such a complex. Not a problem for us.