How to Block Out Noise From Upstairs Neighbors – The 6 Best Ways

One of the biggest problems people face when moving into a new apartment is loud neighbors living upstairs. You may be able to hear their footsteps, as well as music and shouting, and this could disturb your sleep.

At one point, the noise from my neighbors upstairs was so unbearable, I couldn’t take it anymore, especially since my wife had a baby on the way and I’d recently started working from home.

I absolutely love DIY projects, so learning to soundproof my space wasn’t a problem for me. However, it wasn’t always easy, and it required the investment of some time and money.

In order to share what I’ve learned and help you accomplish the same thing, I’ll fill you in on some of the easiest and cheapest ways to block out noise from your own upstairs neighbors.

How to Block out Noise From Upstairs Neighbors

1. Find the Source of the Noise

The first thing you’ll need to do, before wasting any money on materials you don’t need, is to find out where the majority of the noise is coming from. If the noise is coming from a specific area of your apartment, as opposed to the whole ceiling, you’ll only need to soundproof that area on its own.

Often, the apartment building itself is the culprit in regard to the circulation of noise. If this is the case, you’ll need to soundproof your entire ceiling, in order to stop unwanted noise from traveling through it.

2. Determine What Type of Noise Bothers You

Once you’ve found the source of your neighbors’ noise, it’ll be time to decide what type of noise bothers you.

Normally, noisy neighbors have a wide array of disturbing techniques in their arsenal.  For example, they might loudly play music, stomp around the house and slam doors, instead of just doing one of these things.

You should also keep in mind that you may be dealing with both of the main types of residential noise. If the sound is carried through the structure of the building, then you’re dealing with structure-borne noise, and the most common type of structure-borne noise is impact noise.

In short, when an impact is generated in a rigid structure, it vibrates and radiates the energy that’s not absorbed. It transmits this energy to the building structure, to the connected constructive elements and even to adjoining particles, generating a low, attenuated airborne sound.

For example, impact noise is the noise you hear as your upstairs neighbors are moving pieces of furniture or dropping items on the floor. Even heavy footsteps can create impact noise.

You can easily solve this problem by using soundproofing or sound-absorbing materials to reduce echo and impact noise. You can also contact your neighbors and ask them if they would mind carpeting their floor. This will help reduce the amount of noise they produce by 50% percent, and you’ll have a much better sleep when you’re no longer hearing footsteps above you.

3. Increase the Density of the Ceiling

If your ceiling’s thin, it doesn’t matter what it’s made of—you’ll surely hear some noise coming from upstairs.

However, there are several materials you used to solve this problem, and the most common material used for soundproofing a ceiling is drywall. It’s a thick material that can effectively block out noise and reduce the amount you hear by at least 70 percent.

For the best results possible, add two or three drywall sheets (instead of just one) to your ceiling. In order to attach the drywall securely, you should use a noiseproof sealant such as Green Glue, and you must remember to cover the entire ceiling of the room you’re trying to soundproof.

The best part about this technique is that you won’t need help from your neighbors (or anyone else) to get the job done, since everything can be completed within your own apartment.

On the negative side, drywall isn’t the most attractive-looking material, but there are ways to make it look better. For instance, you can easily coat it with soundproofing paint or cover it with some soundproof foam panels.

4. Insulate the Underside of the Ceiling

With this particular technique, you’ll need to remove the ceiling and insulate the bottom by using some resilient channels, which are metal constructions that create small air pockets in a structure.

Although this method takes a lot of work, it’s a fairly affordable soundproofing solution to make use of.

5. Construct a Drop Ceiling

Another effective way to block noise from your upstairs neighbors is to construct a drop ceiling. Once it’s been created, this additional ceiling will be hanging underneath your actual ceiling.

The space between a regular ceiling and a drop ceiling is actually known as the plenum area. This area is where all of the impact noise passing through your primary ceiling will completely disappear—no more footsteps, vibrations or items dropping will be heard!

If you’re planning on using this method then you should be prepared to put in a lot of time and money, but it’s worth the investment in the end.

6. Politely Speak With Your Neighbors

When addressing your neighbors, you can politely ask them to be a bit quieter, although you should use this method in conjunction with at least one of the other methods above.

Conclusion

Three young men partying in an apartment

As you can see, there are several effective ways of dealing with noise that’s coming from your upstairs neighbors, and although they take some time and effort to employ, they’re all fairly inexpensive. With these fixes available, it’s a shame that so many people spend their lives being bothered by this sort of noise.

If you’re interested in soundproofing more areas of your home—or even the whole thing—you may be interested in our guide to soundproofing a laundry room door.

image: Pixabay; image 2: Kevin Malik

Leave a Comment