ᐅ White noise (flow noise) from rain shower audible to downstairs neighbor
Created on: 18 May 2021 15:30
M
Melanie.Dear House-Building Forum Team, 🙂
I hope you can help us... 😕
Our situation and problems:
Noise from neighbor’s rainfall shower:
We live in a multi-family building on the 2nd floor. The building was completed last year – 2020.
Next to our bedroom is the bathroom with a shower, bathtub, sinks, and toilet.
(see picture)
We have the following problem:
When our neighbors – downstairs – 1st floor – use the “rain shower head,” we hear a strong rushing noise from their rainfall shower all the way up to our apartment on the 2nd floor. This is very noticeable both in our bedroom and bathroom. When they turn the water off, we hear loud banging noises several times afterward. If they flush the toilet at a later time (several hours later), we can also hear the flushing all the way up to us. The next morning, when there is any water usage, we experience a humming/vibration in our bedroom followed by banging noises. The heating system is powered by a heat pump. Does anyone possibly have an idea what the problem could be?
Doors
Is it normal that when you knock on a door frame with your fingers, the sound can be heard up to two floors away? The door frame is hollow.
Currently, when I close the wooden doors normally, it can be heard from the 2nd floor down to the ground floor. The child on the ground floor even wakes up from sleep because of it.
Many thanks for your efforts, help, and kind regards
Melanie.
I hope you can help us... 😕
Our situation and problems:
Noise from neighbor’s rainfall shower:
We live in a multi-family building on the 2nd floor. The building was completed last year – 2020.
Next to our bedroom is the bathroom with a shower, bathtub, sinks, and toilet.
(see picture)
We have the following problem:
When our neighbors – downstairs – 1st floor – use the “rain shower head,” we hear a strong rushing noise from their rainfall shower all the way up to our apartment on the 2nd floor. This is very noticeable both in our bedroom and bathroom. When they turn the water off, we hear loud banging noises several times afterward. If they flush the toilet at a later time (several hours later), we can also hear the flushing all the way up to us. The next morning, when there is any water usage, we experience a humming/vibration in our bedroom followed by banging noises. The heating system is powered by a heat pump. Does anyone possibly have an idea what the problem could be?
Doors
Is it normal that when you knock on a door frame with your fingers, the sound can be heard up to two floors away? The door frame is hollow.
Currently, when I close the wooden doors normally, it can be heard from the 2nd floor down to the ground floor. The child on the ground floor even wakes up from sleep because of it.
Many thanks for your efforts, help, and kind regards
Melanie.
That sounds very noisy. Unfortunately, this is more common than exceptional in modern houses, especially with brick construction. I am familiar with a few issues from our single-family home as well, for example, the one with the shower.
Most likely, the rain shower was installed during the shell construction phase without any decoupling from the bricks. Now the noise transfers through the structure, and you can hear it on every floor and quite loudly in the neighboring rooms.
Are the exterior walls made of hollow bricks? That would normally not be allowed in a multi-family building, but nowadays you see it quite often. These bricks do not provide protection against structure-borne sound. If someone is watching TV on the ground floor, you can hear it upstairs through the exterior wall as well.
It’s very annoying, but this is due to the construction method and not a defect. Hollow bricks act like resonating bodies.
Regarding the door frames, it’s hard to say. There can be many causes. Unfortunately, I can’t help you with that.
Most likely, the rain shower was installed during the shell construction phase without any decoupling from the bricks. Now the noise transfers through the structure, and you can hear it on every floor and quite loudly in the neighboring rooms.
Are the exterior walls made of hollow bricks? That would normally not be allowed in a multi-family building, but nowadays you see it quite often. These bricks do not provide protection against structure-borne sound. If someone is watching TV on the ground floor, you can hear it upstairs through the exterior wall as well.
It’s very annoying, but this is due to the construction method and not a defect. Hollow bricks act like resonating bodies.
Regarding the door frames, it’s hard to say. There can be many causes. Unfortunately, I can’t help you with that.
H
hampshire18 May 2021 16:21That already sounds quite noisy. It’s good that you as neighbors communicate and that it’s not just one person experiencing the problem. This makes mutual consideration more likely. Maybe one of you can reduce the noise from the rain shower, and the other can improve the hollow door frame. It won’t be perfect, but it will be better, and working together makes many things easier. Noise from neighbors you are on good terms with is more tolerable than noise from people you don’t get along with.
Dear Bookstar,
First of all, thank you very much for your reply. Only we hear the rain shower noise... from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor. The 3rd floor, as well as the ground floor apartment, do not hear the water flow sound.
Could the problem also be related to water pressure, where it drops or is too low at the rain shower? 😕 Or could the issue be with the rain shower itself? The rain shower also has a handheld showerhead. When using the handheld shower, we hardly hear anything...
Regarding the TV... Yes, we have the same problem... We can hear someone watching TV throughout the entire house. I don’t know if they mounted the TV directly on the brick wall, and that’s why we all hear the TV through the walls... 😕
The neighbor above us also has a rain shower, but we absolutely do not hear theirs...
😕 Thanks!
First of all, thank you very much for your reply. Only we hear the rain shower noise... from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor. The 3rd floor, as well as the ground floor apartment, do not hear the water flow sound.
Could the problem also be related to water pressure, where it drops or is too low at the rain shower? 😕 Or could the issue be with the rain shower itself? The rain shower also has a handheld showerhead. When using the handheld shower, we hardly hear anything...
Regarding the TV... Yes, we have the same problem... We can hear someone watching TV throughout the entire house. I don’t know if they mounted the TV directly on the brick wall, and that’s why we all hear the TV through the walls... 😕
The neighbor above us also has a rain shower, but we absolutely do not hear theirs...
😕 Thanks!
H
hampshire18 May 2021 16:26Melanie. schrieb:
But I find it rather unusual that the door frames are “hollow”... 😕 and that when the doors in the apartment are closed, the noise can be heard throughout the entire building.I don’t just find that unusual; I find it really annoying—along with the loud shower noise. Who would be responsible for filing a complaint?Similar topics