Soundproofing Floors - OTP Apartment

Evening.

Please, no comments about running far away from OTP apartments. I'm just seeking advice.

Looking at an OTP apartment. However, there is some concerns over the potential noise / vibration. It's on level 3 of a 4 floor apartment block. However:

• Mixed property: Ground floor is all retail space (i.e.cafes/bars), first floor is a gym.
• Retail Delivery: The building delivery point (retail) is essentially below our apartment on the ground floor. Retail waste collection is also collected from this point (3 days week).
• Pro: One floor of apartments separating us and the apartment will have double glazed windows. Bedrooms have carpet and flush plasterboard ceiling.
• Con: Living Room contrains timber flooring and exposed concrete ceiling (more likely to translate noise/vibration?).

I've raised concerns with the agent where he's advised that able to install flush plasterboard ceiling and triple lined curtains. He's also mentioned im able to specify the floor specifications for soundproofing.

From the digging I could find from the approved council plans: "the project will aim to achieve internal noise levels in the dwellings that are no more than 5 dB(A) above the satisfactory sound levels provided in AS2107, and the partition between the spaces to be constructed to achieve a weighted sound reduction index (Rw) of at least 45." But that's the only thing I could find in the contract and approved council plans/reports.

So I'm not sure exactly what my next steps/options are.

1. Firstly, do I request the apartment sound proofing specification (or the Acoustic Report for the permit) that the apartment was designed to, and what the flooring material specification? He mentioned that it's 15mm timber flooring with 5mm rubber underlay (will request these details in the follow-up email)
2. Secondly, what floor soundproofing options are available? Do I request higher quality underlay (assuming it's an option) ?

Any advice/guidance would be very much appreciated.

 

Just some thoughts,
there should be an acoustics report which is required for the certification, you probably won't be able to get it and even if you do, it only provides recommendations you don't really know which way the builder has gone.

5mm rubber underlay with hard flooring sounds good, but you also need to know how thick the slab is, how are the services being run underneath, and you mentioned no drop ceiling?

more than 5 dB(A) above the satisfactory sound levels provided in AS2107, is saying 5db more noise then the recommended standards, that can't be a good thing.

 

The 5 dbA above recommended doesnt sound great does it. And if it aims to be at least 45 dbA, that exceeds the max sleeping area maximum of 40 dba (found a link):

• Living areas: 35 (Recomended) 45 (Max)
  
• Sleeping areas: 30 (Recomended) 40 (Max)

The Slab is 260mm thick (I'll need to confirm this as well), exposed concrete ceiling for levels 2 and 3 (living/dining room and kitchen) however the bedrooms have dropped ceilings. Not sure about the sevices that would be run underneath.

On your other point, I stumbled across the acousting planning report (pg 113) where it mentions that the prelimaary advice would need to be refined for detailed design. Am I delving too deep requesting the apartment detailed design ?

 

Thanks for trying =P

I find it funny when I catch them out on their contradicting comments. Smoke and mirrors with those guys.

The dunny is what im concerned about, lol. That's why im doing due dilligence. If I proceed, I'd be willing spend a few $K to ensure that it is sound proofed well... but will see what they come back with.

I might just start with the apartment detailed design, speciifcally the flooring / window specifications. I just cant think of any further details I could request.

Ps. you seem very active on this website!!

 

'Will aim to achieve'
And if they don't?
What then???????
I hope this helps

 

Their job is to sell and that's what they do

 

Acoustic matters dont mean noise free. There are building code requirements and the builder will install necessary insulation and products to achieve certification which the acoustic consultant will confirm prior to a Occ Cert being given.

You certainly cannot install replacement flooring and cannot add or change ceilings etc without strata approval to ensure YOU dont alter the acoustic outcomes and impact your neighbours. You will likely find the ceilings house pipework that is lagged and insulation used between floors and the flooring is correctly dampended and isolated from the slab. Adding a isolated ceiling to the exposed slab could also fail the minimum height requirement for a habitable room and a further reason why strata would need to approve any changes to the structure. You may be offered a limited choice of finishes etc. For example if you request tiles on all flooring it may be refused as this has potential to create impact noises underneath. This also means your neighbour above cant do this to you.

 

It is as per your oracle thoughts (5% change in floor plan, materials subject to vbariation, etc). I don't believe I have control of the floor plan sizing, but being able to specify the specific floor soundproofing materials (and fixtures and fittings) in the contract provides some comfort.

 

Nature of the beast (i.e. sales). So I'm trying to wade through all the ****!

ps. not so different to Consulting....

 

Given that it's timber floorboards in all of the apartments with an exposed ceiling, I imagine specifying better soundproof flooring material and a plasterboard ceiling (currently 2.8m for the living room) would greatly benefit my neighnours.