Nextdoor footsteps

newbuild2020

Hello

We hear loads of footsteps from next door (we are in a semi-detached house with stairs adjoining). They tend to run and stomp everywhere. Is there any way to reduce this noise on our side? A DIY job/ professional one or just one that can’t be fixed? 

Thanks in advance! 

Rosa_Damascena

You could mention it to your neighbour? The chances are they can hear the same from your side.

Woolsery

People seem to exist nowadays who view any kind of stair covering as unnecessary, so if your neighbour is one of those the noise will be worse. Many children and some adults also tend to run up and down stairs; a habit hard to break. Looking back, I suspect we may have been like that.

Suppressing noise transmitted through walls is difficult, expensive and not usually a DIY job. Dealing with the source is cheaper but equally difficult, because the human psyche is involved. In the end most people resign themselves to toleration of such noises and save for a detached property.

Asking your neighbour if they can hear you is certainly worth trying as a way into discussing the matter tactfully.

TELLIT01

The neighbour of my sister-in-law used to complain about staircase noise despite the stairs being carpeted.  Kids will run up and down the stairs.  I'm not saying it won't be annoying but it's probably something which will have to be accepted.  It's not like constant loud music.

newbuild2020

Woolsery said:

People seem to exist nowadays who view any kind of stair covering as unnecessary, so if your neighbour is one of those the noise will be worse. Many children and some adults also tend to run up and down stairs; a habit hard to break. Looking back, I suspect we may have been like that.

Suppressing noise transmitted through walls is difficult, expensive and not usually a DIY job. Dealing with the source is cheaper but equally difficult, because the human psyche is involved. In the end most people resign themselves to toleration of such noises and save for a detached property.

Asking your neighbour if they can hear you is certainly worth trying as a way into discussing the matter tactfully.

Thank you for getting back to me. I think they have carpet (or at least they did 2 years ago when we went round but then you never know if they’ve changed that in this time). You’re right, some people just run and it’s very hard to stop that. I was hoping maybe I could insulate our upstairs floorboards or put some resilient bars in to stop it but I have no idea how effective that would be. 

I think we’re a few years off affording a detached where we live so I might just have to suck it up and hope they tire of running soon! 

ic

The DIY fix would be to move into a detached house.  When you're attached, you will hear noise.  I grew up in a semi, and then owned a semi - and in both I could hear the neighbour at times, and I'm sure they could hear me (especially when I bought a seperates hifi from Richer Sounds in my late teens/early twenties!).  I now live in a detached house that borders the country side, and its blissfully quiet - I'm also able to crank up the surround sound at any time, day or night without a second thought.

FaceHead

Agree that this is a fact of life, and the most effective solution is to simply not be bothered by it. Easier said than done. 

A 2" frame with acoustic insulation, with acoustic plasterboards top and skimmed over is the usual party wall solution. You might have nothing other than a solid brick and bit of plaster between your stairs and theirs!

It will cause a lot of disruption, and have limited benefit as the sound will still transmit through the joists/stairs themselves. It'll also make your stairs 2 1/2" narrower. 

spoovy

A big factor is whether the RSJ(s) run right through the building (so its the same beam in your neighbour's house as yours) or whether they terminate at the party wall. They transmit vibrations and therefore sound a lot. You can convert the former to the latter but its expensive and very unlikely to be worth it imo. 

DRP

from a design pov, i am quite surprised that your stairs are adjoining. My experience of semi detached are that stairs are built on the oiutside walls - is your setup common? The downside of of the other arrangement of course is you get living noises, TV, kids/adults shouting etc, so swings and roundabouts

Woolsery

DRP said:

from a design pov, i am quite surprised that your stairs are adjoining. My experience of semi detached are that stairs are built on the outside walls - is your setup common?

Common enough for the term 'halls adjoining' to have developed, though I've not heard it for a while.

jonnydeppiwish!

Woolsery said:

DRP said:

from a design pov, i am quite surprised that your stairs are adjoining. My experience of semi detached are that stairs are built on the outside walls - is your setup common?

Common enough for the term 'halls adjoining' to have developed, though I've not heard it for a while.

Definitely the preferred way in a semi - usually means the living rooms/main bedrooms aren’t next to each other.