Sandbags to help dampen floorboard vibration?

[cdr]

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a couple of questions about sound proofing. Thanks a lot to all responders. Basically, my neighbour's bathroom door closing makes my floorboards shake, and wakes me up. I've asked him to be more quiet, but that hasn't helped.

I bought one kiln dried 25KG sandbag. I had an idea to put many bags under my bed. I bought one bag to begin with, because I like to think about thi ngs, just in case I make a mistake.

I did a test. I dropped a heavy object on the floor, away from the sand ba g, and felt a "tremour sensation" in my feet and legs. I then dropped the same object right next to the bag, and felt nothing.

Based on this positive result, I had the following idea. Could I put many sandbags along the base area of the "noisy wall"? Would this help to someh ow "catch" the vibration tremours as they leave my neighbour's house, befor e they reach my bed/bedroom?

Most of the "noisy wall" happens to be my stairwell. Consequently, I was t hinking of placing one sandbag on each stair. I don't mind about the appea rance or inconvenience, as I'm sure I'll be able to walk up and down the st airs with these bags on them.

However, is weight a concern? Each bag weighs 25KG. Generally speaking, h ow many KGs can you have in an upstairs room, before the ceiling starts to sag?!

Thanks a lot for any further suggestions.

[RobertL]

g. Thanks a lot to all responders. Basically, my neighbour's bathroom doo r closing makes my floorboards shake, and wakes me up. I've asked him to b e more quiet, but that hasn't helped.

er my bed. I bought one bag to begin with, because I like to think about t hings, just in case I make a mistake.

bag, and felt a "tremour sensation" in my feet and legs. I then dropped th e same object right next to the bag, and felt nothing.

y sandbags along the base area of the "noisy wall"? Would this help to som ehow "catch" the vibration tremours as they leave my neighbour's house, bef ore they reach my bed/bedroom?

thinking of placing one sandbag on each stair. I don't mind about the app earance or inconvenience, as I'm sure I'll be able to walk up and down the stairs with these bags on them.

how many KGs can you have in an upstairs room, before the ceiling starts t o sag?!

A person weighs about 3x the weight of one of your sandbags so putting a ba g on every tread will be like putting a person on every third step. This is perhaps OK but perhaps not.

I once had a lot of books stacked up on the floor next to a, interal wall. It was a block wall built on the floor. The plaster cracked from floor to ceiling. So, weight can matter.

Robert

[John Williamson]

If you're putting them on steps, you need to known how the staircase is supported It could be supported by a structural wall, in which case you'd be fine, or it may be effectively free standing, supported only at the top and bottom, in which case you'd need to check on the actual structure.

[Brian Gaff]

I'm not happy with the apparent volume just shutting a door appears to be creating here, and would be mighty suspicious of the materials used in construction at the boundary wall. Either that or the person is a very light sleeper. In that case a white noise generator gradually increased each night can have a masking effect I'm told. Brian

[The Medway Handyman]

This has to be a troll, surely?

[Theo Markettos]

A cheaper way is to leave a desktop PC switched on at night... the fan noise is good at masking other sounds.

Theo

[cdr]

Nope. The neighbour is heavy handed with an ill fitting door. He uses his bathroom during the night. My floorboards seem to be loose. I'm a light sleeper. I'm renting, and can't make structural alterations to the flat. I'm trying to find a solution to this problem that can be "undone" when I v acate the property.

Sandbags might work. They'll weigh down floorboards, and also (hopefully) "soak up" vibration, and can be discarded when I leave. So, shall I go ahe ad and buy some bags of playpit sand? Is this stuff OK/safe to store indoo rs for long periods of time?

Thanks a lot.

[John Williamson]

Err, you've already said there's a warning on the bag that it isn't safe to have indoors if the bag leaks, which it will, sooner or later.

[cdr]

No, that warning appeared on the kiln dried sandbags, not the playpit sand.

[F Murtz]

Offer to fix said door.

[cdr]

ing. Thanks a lot to all responders. Basically, my neighbour's bathroom d oor closing makes my floorboards shake, and wakes me up. I've asked him to be more quiet, but that hasn't helped. [snipped from O.P.]

his bathroom during the night. My floorboards seem to be loose. I'm a li ght sleeper. I'm renting, and can't make structural alterations to the fla t. I'm trying to find a solution to this problem that can be "undone" when I vacate the property.

ly) "soak up" vibration, and can be discarded when I leave. So, shall I go ahead and buy some bags of playpit sand? Is this stuff OK/safe to store i ndoors for long periods of time?

I did! Very unfortunately, my offer/suggestion was simply met with a blank expression.

[meow2222]

g. Thanks a lot to all responders. Basically, my neighbour's bathroom doo r closing makes my floorboards shake, and wakes me up. I've asked him to b e more quiet, but that hasn't helped.

er my bed. I bought one bag to begin with, because I like to think about t hings, just in case I make a mistake.

bag, and felt a "tremour sensation" in my feet and legs. I then dropped th e same object right next to the bag, and felt nothing.

y sandbags along the base area of the "noisy wall"? Would this help to som ehow "catch" the vibration tremours as they leave my neighbour's house, bef ore they reach my bed/bedroom?

thinking of placing one sandbag on each stair. I don't mind about the app earance or inconvenience, as I'm sure I'll be able to walk up and down the stairs with these bags on them.

how many KGs can you have in an upstairs room, before the ceiling starts t o sag?!

Sand beats dead weight at sound absorption. I dont think KD is a health iss ue, its only when you start blasting it about that silica dust becomes an i ssue.

I think you'd get more result per kilo by rebagging it into lots of slim/fl attish bags and laying them around the place. For walls you can fix shelvin g and put slim sandbags on it.

If you can spare more money there are other options eg viscoelastic.

NT