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Noisy Condo Tenants

First, your photo appears to be an exterior wall. For the scope of this discussion we are talking about walls between units. Secondly the fact that there is no insulation shown here is meaningless since it's not finished.
I'm not saying you are wrong on what you've seen, but this picture proves nothing.

I just asked the drywall Foreman on my job and he said he's not aware of any method that does NOT require insulation.
He said it's typical to build two adjacent walls, each with insulation and double drywall. He said the total thickness would be around 10".

Are you sure you were not looking at internal suite walls? They do not require insulation and can be very thin.
 
Wooba said:
First, your photo appears to be an exterior wall. For the scope of this discussion we are talking about walls between units. Secondly the fact that there is no insulation shown here is meaningless since it's not finished.
I'm not saying you are wrong on what you've seen, but this picture proves nothing.

I just asked the drywall Foreman on my job and he said he's not aware of any method that does NOT require insulation.
He said it's typical to build two adjacent walls, each with insulation and double drywall. He said the total thickness would be around 10".

Are you sure you were not looking at internal suite walls? They do not require insulation and can be very thin.
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Yes, the picture is an exterior wall but it was posted to illustrate what the framing looks like. No insulation. I've seen it with my own eyes. I know the difference between exterior and interior walls. I think you're giving developers and workers way too much credit to think everything is done a) to code b) by the book.
 
TheKingEast said:
Yes, the picture is an exterior wall but it was posted to illustrate what the framing looks like. No insulation. I've seen it with my own eyes. I know the difference between exterior and interior walls. I think you're giving developers and workers way too much credit to think everything is done a) to code b) by the book.
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Trust me, I see crappy work all the time. But inspections are usually pretty thorough.
 
Your must be talking lower-end construction. Minimum code. The double drywall is for fire code.
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Fire code is minimum code....not sure what you mean here.

Yes, I have seen the triple stud walls that I am talking about. That is what is being installed in the condo building where I presently work and the contractors assure me this standard for them.
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Maybe you could snap a picture? 95% of the condos going up in this city are not build with triple, 10" thick demising walls.
How would they get the drywall on both sides of each wall anyway?
 
I am talking here about the walls between different bachelor and one bedroom units. The first thing that gets built is a wall made from 4 inch thick steel suds with one piece of drywall on each side. The space is filled with pink insulation.

Then a second 3 inch stud wall is built snug up against the 4 inch wall. This wall (one on each side of the 4 inch wall) will contain your electrics. A second piece of drywall goes over this wall. There you have one four inch wall and two three inch walls separating the units, 10 inches thick. Four pieces of drywall.

The interior walls are only 3 inches thick.
 
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I am talking here about the walls between different bachelor and one bedroom units.
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So am I, they're called demising walls.

The first thing that gets built is a wall made from 4' thick steel suds with one piece of drywall on each side.
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4 foot thick studs would be pretty hefty. They're actually 3 5/8" steel studs, usually 18 gauge ( as I mentioned previously)....not particularly hefty.

A second piece of drywall goes over this wall.
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Also, as previously mentioned there would have to be two layers of 5/8" type X, on each outer face, to meet fire codes.

...a picture is worth a thousand repetitive posts.
 
In addition to the other advice you have received you can contact the condo unit owner and let them know your concerns regarding their tenant. You can also speak directly to the tenant. While you can call the police there is a good chance they may not be able to evidence the noise. Take a look
 
The police aren't even likely to attend. You can't contact the unit owner unless you know them because you have no access to their contact info.
 
Use "Moldex Spark Ear Plugs"!
They are a life saver. Without them i would have to move back to the burbs!
 
I think a lot of it depends on the builder. When I was living in a condo there was only drywall, without insulation, between my unit and the hallway as well as a neighbouring unit. I could hear just about everything from my bedroom - conversations, people doing their dishes down the hall, etc. It was horrible.

The builder was Streetcar Developments, I didn't know much about them but I would avoid them like the plague. The building I was in was in Gladstone, I also see they cut the same corners for Edge lofts which they built as well. You have to wonder what kind of a horrible builder you are if you won't bother putting simple things like double drywall (only costs $20 a sheet) or pink insulation. That costs nothing when you consider the units are selling for $500+ square foot.
 
Zappa said:
I think a lot of it depends on the builder. When I was living in a condo there was only drywall, without insulation, between my unit and the hallway as well as a neighbouring unit. I could hear just about everything from my bedroom - conversations, people doing their dishes down the hall, etc. It was horrible.

The builder was Streetcar Developments, I didn't know much about them but I would avoid them like the plague. The building I was in was in Gladstone, I also see they cut the same corners for Edge lofts which they built as well. You have to wonder what kind of a horrible builder you are if you won't bother putting simple things like double drywall (only costs $20 a sheet) or pink insulation. That costs nothing when you consider the units are selling for $500+ square foot.
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I've heard a lot of terrible things about streetcar soundproofing. That really sucks because I was starting to like some of their newer builds (ie: trinity lofts). They will do what is required. The building code for soundproofing is pathetic so they're just doing the bare minimum. Imagine spending $500K on a condo and finding out it's made out of paper? :mad:
 
The three large Tridel buildings on Viking are across the street from the Kipling subway and bus terminal. They have noise problems until 1:00 am. The also have a railway line running just to the south of the subway line.

Only a problem if you live on the south side.
 
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