Apartment or condo living can be quite noisy at times but nothing compares to the constant noise you’re disturbed by if you’re lucky enough to be located right near the elevator! Luckily there are a few easy things you can do to help block out that noisy contraption.
Before you can figure out what’s going to be your best method of blocking out the noise, you have to first determine exactly what it is about the elevator that’s causing the noise. It could be coming from the motor attached to the elevator itself, the cable system or even just the fact that you’re located right near the engine room, usually located on the top floor of a building. Once you’ve determined if you’re trying to block out the actual operating noise or the sound that the elevator is making as it reaches your floor, you’re ready to get to work on a solution.
If the sound is coming from the elevator shaft itself, a simple solution is to install a layer of mass loaded vinyl over the wall where you hear the noise. It should be at least ¼” thick and weigh about 2 lbs for every square foot of wall you need to cover. To reach optimal effectiveness, you should glue it to the wall with some Green Glue. Alternatively you can also staple it to the wall, use the Green Glue damping compound in between the butted seams and then tape over them. Then all you need to do is apply a second layer of drywall and plaster. Once it’s dry you can paint it to match your décor (or use this as an opportunity to do a little redecorating!)
If you find that the elevator noise is coming from the actual impact of the elevator or the switch used to activate the elevator, you might need to use whisper clips and some other stronger soundproofing products to float the wall. You can find a lot of websites and instruction guides with do-it-yourself instructions on how to make this work for you.
If you’re renting and unsure if you should be doing these soundproofing techniques on your own, it’s a good idea to check with your landlord. If it’s going to solve this issue for future tenants to come, they might consider letting you go ahead with your soundproofing endeavor.
It might seem like an inconvenience to have to take some extra steps like these to soundproof your apartment or condo but in the end you will be grateful you did because you will no longer be notified of the comings and goings of every other tenant in your building.
