Just Moved into a New Condo and Already have WallBangers. What to do? (1 Viewer)

[WillG]

So I move in on Saturday and admittedly I went to set up my bed a little bit late (some time not long after 11:00pm) As I am setting it up, someone on the other side of the wall bangs like we're making too much noise. There may have been some minor clanging of the bedframe and some parts might have lightly hitting the wall, but nothing that I would call a high noise level. So last night, I need to move the bed back a little bit to plug in an alarm clock. When I push the bed back to the wall, gently, I get three bangs again from the other side. Once again, the bed might have lightly hit the wall, but It's not like I rammed it. I think I am going to introduce myself today and talk about the problem. I'm just worried that these people are going to be those types of neighbors that will be obnoxious about any disturbance no matter how small, which I think is unrealistic especially since I moved in with my girlfriend and you know what that means. Any one have any advice on how to deal with this?

 

[Colton]

Boy, that bedframe is gonna get you in a world of trouble. Hopefully, you've positioned it for the last time. If not, maybe cushion it with a towel or something. I'm siding with you though. I think a "light tap" is nothing to get neighbors hammering on the walls. I would imagine that your condo has walls that are not made of particle board?

- Colton

 

[Mort Corey]

New subwoofer

 

[David McGough]

You need to make a vist next door.. Ask them what the banging is about.. Tell them your moving in, setting up and might make some noise. Tell when you girl friend moves in and yall are doing some trick cracking... Tell them don't come knocking when the wall is rocking.

 

[Ted Lee]

yeah buddy!

i would go over there and just ask them what's up? let them know you're moving in and may be moving stuff around for a while, but you'll try to be courteous of the noise, etc.

also, you may try this (i did). give your phone number to your neighbors and let them know if the noise gets out of hand (i have a pretty loud system) that they can call you. that gesture alone earned me a lot of lee-way...but you may not be comfortable giving them your phone number.

the whole bed-rockin' thing may be an issue though. assuming you're gonna get busy, do you think it may be better to move the bed to a different wall? also, if you find out the neighbors are cool, you may just want to point that little tidbit out. don't want them knockin' at inopportune moments.

 

[WillG]

Yeah I brought that up and we might do it to be on the safe side. But there there would be a television near the wall. I'm not entirely sure if they reacted to something acutally hitting the wall or just the general noise. I think I am going to talk to them today.

 

[Bry_DD]

I say just take the bed frame out and just leave the mattress so when you and your girl get busy it won't make any noise.

 

[Phil_L]

I would definitely pay a very friendly visit to them. Introduce yourself and tell them how excited you are to be there. Once you personalize yourself, they may be less likely to just bang on the walls. Also, I went to a craft store and bought some soft foam and glued it to the back of my headboard to prevent sex-induced wall banging.

 

[Philip_G]

Find a stud and drill a lag bolt into it, next time they bang on a wall beat it with a hammer for 5 minutes, give or take

 

[Garrett Lundy]

Next time they bang on the wall shout (at the top of your lungs)

"Shut The F@ck Up A$$hole"

Then immediately call the police and tell them your neighbors are banging on the walls at 11pm at night and waking you up. Offer to donate $100 to the local police fundraiser when they arrive to take your statement. (You're new in town and want to get on the good side of the law).

If an immediate show of police force doesn't cow your neighbors into submission, fill their aprtment door lock with KrazyGlue. Then take a bolt-cutter to their bicycle spokes. Follow them to the laundry room (Be stealthy, pretend your a ninja) and put purple dye in witht their whites. Then put raw fish into their dryer (frozen shrimp work too). Go to the 7-11 and buy cadbury eggs, carefully unwrap them, cut them in half (on the seam), scoop-out the gooey sugar center and fill it with dog crap, then re-wrap the egg and toss it in their open window, they'll find it on the floor, think they dropped it and put it in a cupboard where it will sit till they get a sugar-craving. Get a GALLS magazine and buy one of those ultra-sonic loudspeakers that make people nauseuos, then point it at their wall and blast it when you go to work. Write obscenely racist letters to the newspaper editorial on paper with a Neo-Nazi header and sign your neighbors name. Take out an add for a "100 kegger 4th of July party" at your neighbors in the back of Easyrider. Create fliers saying your neighbor is listed on your state's level-3 sex offender list, put them under the door of every apartment in the building. Send-out applications for your neighbor to every religion/church you can find. Give them a personal add on yahoo (obviously they need to get laid).

If all that fails: Move.

 

[TonyD]

is that all?
.
.
.

 

[James T]

Sounds like you're talking from experience

 

[Garrett Lundy]

Thats just the stuff that can be done without having to plan very far ahead or buy any special supplies

 

[Joe Szott]

Note to self:

Never move to Carthage NY and live next to anyone named Garrett.

 

[DaveBB]

Some people (your neighbors, not you) should not live in condos or apartments. If you live in an attached condo or apartment you should realize there's going to be noise at times.

I live on the second floor of a three story building that is more than 80+ years old with hardwood floors. So noise really travels down from the upstairs.

When I first moved in I had a gal who lived above me and liked to "entertain" her male friends a lot along with loudly vocalizing her approval of what they were doing. I just kinda lived with it even though it crossed the line from amusing to anoying. But I realized that I lived in an apartment and dealt with it.

During that time I had three different neighbors live below me, never receiving a single complaint. Then I had a couple move in below me and the trouble started. From day one they would complain about any single noise I made. They had no problem banging on their ceiling, calling on the phone or coming to my door to b*tch me out. I would always be nice and apologize.

They would complain about:

• wearing shoes in the apartment. It didn't matter if it was hard or soft soles. They said I should take my shoes off in the hall before I entered the apartment.
• my cat chasing her ball around.
• Vacuuming the floor. They said I should only sweep.
• Running the dishwasher.

One Sunday night I started the dishwasher and sat down to watch the ESPN Sunday night football game on low volume. (So you know its only 7:30 at night) Fortunately the gal upstairs was bumping, grinding and yelling at her most furious when the chick from downstairs came up to complain about the dishwasher. I told her to step into my apartment and listen to the racket upstairs. I told her listen to what I deal with and to shut up.

For the next month I never heard a complaint. They moved out not much later. I hope they moved into a house far out in the country with no neighbors around.

 

[Henry Carmona]

Will, I feel for you man. But your gonna have to get used to that sorta stuff.

Complaints and other noise is the reason i moved out and got a house. You can imagine the pain someone who loves Home Theater must endure living in a Condo.

The last year i lived there, the new neighbors were great, but i was already moving out.

Im renting it out to someone now, hope they have good luck

 

[WillG]

The problem is, I live in a very expensive area of the country and right now, a condo is really the only option other than moving far away, which I really don't want to do. The other day, I paid the neighbors a visit. The woman seemed ok and said she appreciated me coming over to talk about it. She mentioned that the last guy who lived in my place was kind of a pain in the ass with the noise. Unfortunately, it does seem in this building, noise is an issue, I have not set up my HT system yet, so I have been unable to test the thresholds of volume. Anyone have any noise reduction or soundproofing tips?

 

[Philip_G]

it's expensive will, it's VERY expensive. I looked into it for a townhouse I own but it was chepaer to buy a house.

There are products kind of like a drywall board the are supposed to help, but short of building a second new wall or putting up some sort of masonry, I couldn't find a good solution.

 

[DonnyD]

Several years ago, I lived in an upstairs apartment. I had several different downstairs neighbors and most were great..... except for one couple.
Being an older single guy at the time, I had complete control over noise that I would make so I usually had no problem out of anyone. This particular couple who spent several months below me, decided that they had the right to disturb anyone, anytime....... had loud parties, played loud music late, and simply was obnoxious to all in the building....
I tolerated it all with never a word until one night late, while I was just sitting in my LR watching tv, and they were having several friends over and being very loud..... someone below decided to beat the crap out of the ceiling...... why, I never knew......I decided to just walk downstairs and say something to them...... I knocked, the door opened and there stood the guy (a young BIG guy) of the house, obviously drunk, who immediately took a swing at me.
Now, as I mentioned, I'm an older guy and much smaller than this young guy who came out swinging. After easily dodging the several punches he started out with, I lit into him and totally got the best of him. He actually called the cops to me........who did nothing as even his quests said he started it.
The next week, someone at work was telling that he was at a party where an upstairs neighbor had showed up at the door and beat the crap outta the guy who was having the party. The story was that the downstairs guy was a college wrestler and supposed to be pretty tough but some little old guy beat the crap out of him, while he never got a punch in.......I just chuckled at the story and never admitted it was ME.....

Anyway, my advice is to talk with your neighbors as it seems they may not have any tolerance for ANY neighbor noise. Don't let it get out of hand.....and make sure the guy of the house isn't a body builder first!!!!......

 

[James T]

I just heard on the radio this morning that there's a CD available that has every possible annoying sound (with the exception of screaming children) that is to be used in cases like this. They didn't give the full listing, but some of them include; high heels on wood tiles, a bowling alley, orgasm, someone running, etc.

It was pretty funny considering this thread just came up a few days ago.