Thuds from barefoot footsteps above meets all building standards!?!

Norman_Castle

Jaguar555 wrote: »

I'm not talking about occasional noise. This is ongoing - when they walk … I hear them .. thud … thud … thud

Do you hear both of them or just one? Some people can be very heavy footed. If they have visitors are the visitors as noisy?

wesleyad

Can you pay to have a carpet fitted (if they accept)? Not really fair to you but would make a big difference.

Slithery

Jaguar555 wrote: »

I asked other residents in the building if they have a similar experience and although they hear noise from above occasionally. It's nothing like I have to put up with.

Which could mean that it's an issue with either you or your neighbour, rather than the building.

GaleSF63

I have lived in a ground floor flat for 20 years with 2 flats above me and although the flat above has laminate flooring I don't hear footsteps - never have, having had 3 different neighbours.

However what I do hear is the front door of the 2nd floor flat. Not only that but I hear it most clearly on the opposite side of my flat to where the door is.

I have never heard the door of the first floor flat.

Something must be transmitting the sound along and down. Perhaps your problem is something similar. Not that mine is a problem; it's just odd.

Sibz

Buy them some lovely thick slippers?

stuzz82

Did you fix this issue. I'm a developer and trying to solve same issue. Basically if your getting a thud effect it suggests you have a sealed air chamber that is amplifying the footsteps. This needs to be filled if you want to solve issue.
Let me know how you get on 

pinkteapot

WARNING - OLD THREAD FROM JANUARY 2019.

ppyhs

Jaguar555 said:

Hi,


I moved into a new build apartment last month. It's in London and I paid £475500 for the apt - not cheap. It's on the 9th floor of a 10 story modern new build and there are concrete floors between each level. The builder is a reputable builder (who I am refraining from naming right now)


Each time the people in the apartment above me are home I can hear them walk around barefoot in their living room above mine. It's a constant thud, thud, thud sound. I can hear this while watching TV or having a conversation. I know the people and they are very nice people not doing anything abnormal. It's just walking back and forth from the kitchen to their sofa. They don't have kids.


I don't hear any airborne noise from above (music, speaking etc). It's only the impact of walking.


I asked other residents in the building if they have a similar experience and although they hear noise from above occasionally. It's nothing like I have to put up with.


I contacted the Developer and they came around and witnessed it themselves. They acknowledged that it was strange. They followed it up with an email saying that they met all NHBC standards so they won't be taking any further action. They carried out acoustic tests and said that they meet all standards that they need to meet. They considered the case closed from their end.


Informally one of the acoustic test engineers mentioned that it would probably pass tests as the absolute sound is not loud. However, they agreed that something doesn't seem right and questioned maybe if the "bridge" is broken allowing impact sound to travel down.


I'm at my wits end about what to do next. The constant thudding is driving me crazy especially when trying to work or read in the evenings.


Is it reasonable to expect to hear somebody WALKING around BAREFOOT in the apartment above in a brand new, insulated new build worth almost 500k?


Should I get an independent Engineer in to have a look at what is happening.


If I have to go down a legal route I will but would like to get the view of others and maybe suggestions about what else I could do?


Many Thanks

Hi, 

I recently moved into a new build high rise flat and encountered the exact same problem as you.  Except we can hear also the neighbour beside us. Our living rooms are connected, and each footstep he takes sends a vibration into our floor, shakes our connecting wall.  

I was wondering if you found a solution to this? 

Contractors have sent their sound acoustic specialist to do tests this week, and claims that everything is normal and within standard.  But they did come over to hear the footsteps and agree there is something wrong months before.  Now they claim we have to settle this with the developer as the test has "passed." 

If you could kindly let me know what you did, or how you went about solving this, would be greatly appreciated! Desperately in need a quiet home to live in.  

user1977

ppyhs said:

Jaguar555 said:

Hi,


I moved into a new build apartment last month. It's in London and I paid £475500 for the apt - not cheap. It's on the 9th floor of a 10 story modern new build and there are concrete floors between each level. The builder is a reputable builder (who I am refraining from naming right now)


Each time the people in the apartment above me are home I can hear them walk around barefoot in their living room above mine. It's a constant thud, thud, thud sound. I can hear this while watching TV or having a conversation. I know the people and they are very nice people not doing anything abnormal. It's just walking back and forth from the kitchen to their sofa. They don't have kids.


I don't hear any airborne noise from above (music, speaking etc). It's only the impact of walking.


I asked other residents in the building if they have a similar experience and although they hear noise from above occasionally. It's nothing like I have to put up with.


I contacted the Developer and they came around and witnessed it themselves. They acknowledged that it was strange. They followed it up with an email saying that they met all NHBC standards so they won't be taking any further action. They carried out acoustic tests and said that they meet all standards that they need to meet. They considered the case closed from their end.


Informally one of the acoustic test engineers mentioned that it would probably pass tests as the absolute sound is not loud. However, they agreed that something doesn't seem right and questioned maybe if the "bridge" is broken allowing impact sound to travel down.


I'm at my wits end about what to do next. The constant thudding is driving me crazy especially when trying to work or read in the evenings.


Is it reasonable to expect to hear somebody WALKING around BAREFOOT in the apartment above in a brand new, insulated new build worth almost 500k?


Should I get an independent Engineer in to have a look at what is happening.


If I have to go down a legal route I will but would like to get the view of others and maybe suggestions about what else I could do?


Many Thanks

I was wondering if you found a solution to this? 

If you look at the profile of the OP, they only ever logged into this site on 29 January 2019, so I wouldn't hold your breath for a response..

elsien

The OP hasn’t logged in since 2019 so won’t be back to update and won’t see if you tag them into a message unfortunately.