Living in an apartment building, condominium, or basement apartment, you might find the most common noise complaint to be the one caused by your neighbours living above your apartment. The sound of footsteps, dropped objects, chair shuffling, children running, or bouncing balls can be incredibly disruptive due to its frequency and unpredictability, and we understand how frustrating this can be for you.

Reducing HVAC noise (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) or heat pump noise can significantly improve comfort levels within a building, particularly in spaces where occupants desire quiet.

This article will address HVAC noise in condo apartments and residential homes.

Elevators are part of all multi-residential buildings and condominiums taller than three stories. Dealing with elevator noise in a condominium is a common challenge for condominium residents.

Condo residents often complain to condo management about mechanical noise, hum, or vibration in their apartments and demand that management take action to fix it.

Party walls, also called demising walls, are essential to any multi-family building.  Party walls provide separation between dwellings.  They must provide fire and noise resistance specified in the Ontario Building Code (OBC). The noise resistance (level of party wall soundproofing) is specified in the OBC as minimum Sound Transmission Class (STC) 50 or, if tested in the completed building, as minimum Apparent Sound Transmission Class (ASTC) 47.  However, this requirement does not apply in Ontario to buildings built before 2012.

My recent client owns a semi-detached house, he was renovating it. The renovation was almost completed when I was hired to assess the sound attenuation of the party wall.

The client’s neighbour, on the other side of the party wall, was unhappy with the renovation next door.

Recent design trends in modern homes, such as open-concept layouts, large windows, hardwood flooring, glass stair railings, and granite countertops, cause noise problems in new homes. Open concepts have increased noise transmission and reverberation within and outside the homes.

Creating a soundproof office is crucial for maintaining confidentiality and providing a quiet atmosphere for psychology professionals. Often the offices were incorrectly designed and soundproofed by inexperienced contractors.

When requesting my soundproofing consultation, some clients do not know if their buildings are constructed from concrete or wood structures. This may explain why they are surprised when they find a noise problem in their new condo.  Wood buildings “sound” differently from concrete buildings.  Let me explain.

Condo buyers and owners need to understand that meeting the NBCC's minimum requirements for condominium soundproofing does not guarantee high soundproofing or noise control between units.