Soundproofing a party wall from footfall
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Soundproofing a party wall from footfall
I live in a 4-floor townhouse that sits at the end of the row. The party wall separating me from my neighbors is hollow block construction. Joists are in pocketed cutouts in the block wall that seem to be sealed with cement. All flooring is 3/4" oak. No foam underlayment or insulation in floors. Walls and ceilings are 1/2" drywall. Drywall attached to 1" strips screwed into the block wall. Walls are uninsulated. For 20 years and multiple different neighbors, noise was never an issue. Recently a new family moved in and my serenity went to hell. My biggest issue is impact noise - mostly from the toddler running around the rooms. Sounds seems to come from the entire party wall. It's omnidirectional in the 200Hz range and always sounds about the same. It's so loud that my dogs stare at the wall and wimper. Turning the TV up doesn't help. If I try to sleep in, it wakes me up. I work from home and have trouble concentrating. My g/f, who barely notices anything, is even complaining. I've spoken to the neighbors several times to no avail. What can be done to the walls, ceilings or the block wall itself? Or should I just move now? Thanks for your help!