I've been trying to limit the noise in a twin home I own from the other connected home. It is particularly base in my downstairs living room near the stairs. I went into my basement and noticed that there is about a foot gap between the foundation and the flooring. I started to pull the insulation from the party wall out that was in that gap, and I shined a flashlight up in the gap to the other side. I snapped a picture and realized that here is no real physical barrier between my unit and the unit next door in that gap. The home was built in 1900 and I would assume that this is a common issue. My question is, should I be filling that gap with something more than just insulation? My idea was to cut and fit 2x4's or something of that thickness into the gap and pound it to fit between the joists with a hammer. Would this be a good solution? Here is a picture for reference, you can actually see into their basement. [ATTACH]48683[/ATTACH]

We are installing a new kitchen floor and would like to remove the 4”x4” oak post and railing that separates the kitchen from the family room. I’ve been reading up on load bearing walls to understand how to identify them. Although the wall with the oak post and railing is parallel to the floor joists and perpendicular to the roof ridge, I still think it is load bearing. Since the family room has a different roof from the main house, it’s as if the family room is a different house, therefore making the kitchen wall in question like an “outside” wall. In the basement, directly underneath the wall in question, there are (3) 2”x 10”s, supported by a column, running from the front to the back of the house and resting on the foundation. My questions are: Is this wall load bearing? Or how would I know if it is? If it is load bearing, how do I determine whether or not the oak post is structurally needed? Another way to put it, is the oak post purely decorative? I've attached two pictures of the wall taken from both rooms. ?[ATTACH]49196[/ATTACH][ATTACH]49197[/ATTACH] Thanks for your help, John