7 Best Ways How to Reduce Noise From Downstairs Neighbors

How to Reduce Noise From Downstairs Neighbors? It’s hard to picture living in an apartment block where there is no noise at all.

Sometimes, you need more than telling your neighbours to be quieter to get the peace you want. There are, however, ways to keep these noises to a minimum. Some are easy to do, while others require some home improvement work. 

To reduce noise from downstairs neighbours effectively, use:

• Area rugs and carpets.
• Underlayments and padding for carpets.
• Puzzle mats for the floor.
• A machine that makes white noise.
• Protect the floor from sound.
• Look at the windows and doors.
• Invest in Soundproofing Panels or Curtains.

One of the worst things about living in a flat is hearing noises from people below you. Most landlords don’t bother to install suitable soundproofing materials under the floors, which makes the soundproofing worse. 

It is easy to deal with these noises as long as you are careful and know the basics of soundproofing. However, remember that it’s best to use more than one of the above methods; more than just one may be needed. 

Getting rid of all your neighbour’s noise in your flat is usually expensive, and if you rent, it’s only sometimes possible. 

Before you do anything, you need to know what sounds you hear. 

Can you hear noise from downstairs neighbours?

Having trouble with your downstairs neighbour’s noises is normal, but it’s not expected to deal with them. It’s essential to find the exact source of the sounds that bother you before taking any of the steps above. 

If your downstairs neighbours make noise, you may have trouble with impact and airborne sounds. If you need to learn these terms, impact sounds are usually made by footsteps, furniture dragging, and other similar sounds. 

Noises like these hit the surface and make it slightly vibrate, sending sound waves through the structure.

The person living below will have a hard time with these noises, and the person living above will have a hard time with the silence. 

On the other hand, noises carried by air are sent through the air. When you have neighbours downstairs, these sounds usually make things worse.

These sounds include talking, TVs, dogs barking, music, etc. These sounds make it impossible to sleep or concentrate when your neighbour below is having a party. 

When the noise is made, a soundwave travels from the floor below up to the ceiling, shaking it. The noise will eventually make its way into your flat. 

There is also an easy way to ensure you deal with the right sounds. Put your hand on the floor when you hear noise from the people below you. 

Impact sounds are what you’re hearing if you feel a slight shaking. If you don’t feel anything, on the other hand, you’re dealing with sounds in the air. 

To effectively deal with these noises, you must stop them from quickly travelling through your floor. To do this, you must follow the four necessary soundproofing steps: decoupling, damping, absorption, and mass. 

If you rent an apartment, your landlord will likely keep you from making significant changes. If so, you should find easy ways to lower the noise level. 

If your downstairs neighbours are making noises that bother you, you can solve the problem by talking to them about it. It is widespread for people in the building to agree on when they can play music, speak loudly, etc. 

That being said, it’s likely that your neighbours are also having trouble with the noises above them. In this case, it would be best if you and your neighbour downstairs did some simple things to stop the sound from spreading as quickly. 

When you do this, your downstairs neighbour can help keep noise from leaving their flat, which will work well. 

Of course, if you can’t make that deal, you must devise ways to deal with the noise. But you don’t need to worry. We will give you a detailed list of things you can do to significantly or somewhat reduce the noise from the floor below into your flat. 

Also Read

• Low-Frequency Noise From Neighbours: Best Solutions In 2024
• How To Reduce Echo In A Room With High Ceilings?

How to reduce noise from downstairs neighbours

The most important thing to do to block out noise from downstairs neighbours is to soundproof the floor well. Otherwise, sounds could get through to other parts of your flat. 

Soundproofing the floor involves adding suitable soundproofing materials to the existing flooring. Depending on your needs and expectations, you can do this project yourself or hire someone to do it for you. 

It’s always best to hire professionals to soundproof your flat if you want to take this problem seriously. However, to do that, we will need a reasonable budget.

It’s always best to check with the landlord before making any changes to a flat you don’t own to ensure you don’t break any rules. 

There are often strict rules about changing certain parts of apartments in many apartment buildings. If so, you must take simple steps to keep your downstairs neighbours’ noise from getting in the way of your daily life. 

It’s essential to look at specific steps you can take to cut down on the noises your downstairs neighbours are making now that you know what problems you might be having. 

Area rugs and carpets

This step might seem insignificant, but it can significantly lower the noise from the floor below.

Putting down carpets and rugs can work even better if your floor is made of hard materials like tiles, wood, laminate, etc. 

Putting down carpet will effectively lower the impact and airborne noises you hear in your flat. It will also reduce sound reverberation and soak up noises in the air. 

Covering your floor with carpeting will give it the absorption and damping power it needs. In contrast to your standard floor, this will be very helpful because it can do even more. 

Some people think carpeting can cut down on footstep sounds by 25 to 30 decibels, which is excellent for dealing with sounds from below. 

Putting carpet all over the floor would be an even better choice. If you rent, though, you should talk to your landlord first.

If you can’t do that, you can always put traditional rugs all over the apartment. Remember that if you use thicker rugs, it will be harder for sounds to get through to the floor. 

If you have to deal with impact noises often, give your downstairs neighbours a pretty rug as a gift. Doing so will significantly reduce the impact noise from the floor below. Of course, this is true if they even use the rug you gave them. 

With the carpeting work you already did in your flat, it should cut down on the noise. 

As we can see, installing carpet is a great way to reduce your downstairs neighbour’s noise level. But carpeting alone isn’t always enough. If you want the best result, you should take extra steps to insulate against sound. 

This is a well-known way of keeping downstairs neighbors from making noise. The process is simple and inexpensive.

It only takes a little work to cover some essential parts of your apartment with rugs unless you want to protect your whole apartment with carpeting. 

Underlayment and padding for carpet

If you want to go one step further and give your carpets even more insulation, keep them in place with carpet paddings. 

If your home only has carpeting, the sound vibrations will be slightly less noticeable, but if you add padding, the performance will be much better. 

These paddings are made from various materials, such as polyurethane foam, sponge rubber crumb, felt, and more. They come in various thicknesses and sizes and are comfortable enough. 

If you have noise problems, you should get thicker carpet padding. It will greatly reduce echoes and give your floor more absorption and damping power. 

You can always add more padding on the carpet in your apartment and then put on another rug. This will work great to keep the sounds from your neighbour’s flat from getting into yours. However, this method could look better, so most people only use it as a last resort. 

If you want to carpet your whole apartment, use soundproof underlayment pads before you put down the carpet. You should follow this great tip to block out noise well. 

These underlays are generally made of rubber, cork, foam, and other materials. Adding them will make the carpet even denser and separate the floor from it. 

Remember that this way will cost a little more, but it will effectively block out noise. You can also use mass-loaded vinyl for this. This substance is famous for being very good at reducing mass. 

Since these paddings aren’t too expensive, don’t be afraid to buy the best one. It will give you better results.

But you might only be able to cover part of your floor with carpeting. Also, more than putting rugs here, there might be a need to block out the noise from the neighbours below. In this case, think about other options. 

Puzzle mats for the floor

One easy way to make your floors quieter is to use puzzle mats. Like padded tiles, they come in different sizes and textures. The pieces can fit together because of how they were made. That’s where the name “puzzle mats” comes from. 

These mats can be found in gyms, classrooms, playgrounds, and other places. They can be used for many things because they last a long time, are comfortable to walk on, and are simple to clean.

But because they are thick and have a unique shape, they can also do a great job keeping noise out of your floor. 

Their design will give your floor more damping and absorption. This is great because they will not only keep noise from coming up but also soak up noise made in your flat. 

Puzzle floor mats can be made from foam to cork, among other materials. Manufacturers even occasionally mix different materials. 

These mats are a great alternative if you need help changing and insulating your flooring. They’re light and simple to use, making them handy and straightforward to store if you need to take them apart. 

These paddings come in various styles, so you can pick the one that works best for you. You can put them up yourself, and they won’t cost much, either. 

As you might expect, these mats won’t completely block out noise in your flat. However, they can be much better when combined with carpet padding and rugs. 

This is why keeping your budget and expectations in check is essential. For a low price, puzzle floor mats are the best way to block out some of the noise your downstairs neighbours make. 

A machine that makes white noise

A white noise machine can easily eliminate background noise. This machine works well. The sound it makes is soothing and stays the same.

These sounds help you concentrate and block out other sounds. Many people use them at night to block out noise from the people below. 

Keep in mind that these machines won’t make your sound work better. If you think your neighbours will be loud, they will only cover them up briefly. 

People do not think white noise machines are good at solving long-term problems. You will get much better results from these machines if you do some soundproofing. 

If you can completely change your floors, that’s the next best thing you can do to stop your downstairs neighbour’s noises. 

Protect the floor from sound.

Adding the proper sound insulation to your floor is something you should only do yourself if you are an expert in the field. 

Of course, this means this method costs much more than the more accessible ones we listed above. 

The insulation methods may also differ depending on the professional you hire. It depends on how much you want to spend on your soundproof flooring. You could use high-quality materials or less expensive ones. 

No matter what, you should never forget that the four soundproofing elements must be there. 

Lifting the floor, adding two pieces of plywood, and glueing them together with Green Glue is the best way to do this project yourself.

This insulation sandwich will give your floor more mass and the ability to absorb sound. After restoring the flooring, it would be best to add carpeting with an acoustic underlayment. 

Also, remember to fill in any holes or cracks between the carpets and the wall. These can ruin the soundproofing you’ve already done.

Even though the method we explained above seems simple, it is always better to get help from a friend or professional. 

So don’t be surprised if the professionals they hire insulate your floor with fiberglass, resilient clips, and other materials. As was already said, it depends on the customer’s budget. 

Look at the windows and doors. 

If you’ve done some of the things above and the noise from your downstairs neighbours is still bothering you, you may need to check your doors and windows. 

Doors and windows may not seem like the leading causes of the problem, but they do make a big difference when dealing with sounds from the downstairs neighbour. 

If your neighbour below you often leaves their windows open while they talk, play music, etc. This will only make it easier for sounds in the air to get from their flat to yours. 

Because of this, you must check your windows for any extra gaps between the window and the window frame. If you find any, you should cover them with weatherstripping. 

Doors are often the parts of your wall that let sound in the least. The sound can quickly get into your flat if the doors below yours are hollow.

You can handle this in several different ways. Your best bet is to remove your open door and replace it with a heavier door. 

Add weatherstripping and a door sweep for extra soundproofing if you are on a tight budget. 

Invest in Soundproofing Panels or Curtains.

You can make a room soundproof by installing soundproof curtains or wall panels. They will block the sound, but you must hammer or drill holes in the walls to hang them.

Wall panels and curtains are cheap and easy, but they must be carefully put up, and depending on your home’s style or taste, you may need more fabric.

Your landlord probably won’t mind if you put up curtains, but they’ll only work when closed, and no one wants to live in a cave.

Also Read

• How To Soundproof A Wall Cheaply: 7 Cheap Soundproofing Methods For Walls
• How To Soundproof A Floor: 11 Floor Soundproofing Ideas To Try

FAQ:

Final Word

Remember that you can never eliminate the sounds that keep bothering you. But if you do some of the things above together, you can make your downstairs neighbour’s noises much less annoying. 

Reference:

• 7 Ways to Soundproof Your Apartment or Condo