Soundproofing exterior wooden stairsteps

[HandsOn]

Hi,

I just thought I'd tap into the creativity and knowledge of this group to help me with a noisy problem.

I own a triplex, with the main unit spanning the rectangular footprint of the building on the lower floor, and two upper identical units each of which take halves of the upper floor. There is a straight staircase going up the middle that the two upper apartments share. The entire staircase is under the roof of the building, and the treads and risers are made of plywood, so going up and down the stairs makes one heck of a racket, both conducted through the walls and echoed through the hall.

I am looking for economical ways to reduce the noise level to all tenants. Can someone recommend some sort of padding or something that will help with the noise? A plus would be for it to also provide traction and be weather resistant.

There are 13 steps with a tread of 11.5", and the steps are hollow, but covered over with a sheet of plywood on the underside.

Thanks!

[David Martel]

Hands,

Carpet remnants from a carpet store should be cheap and worth a try.

Dave M.

[JustCallMe Norman]

Take a look at Sports Mats ; saw them in Menards . They are waterproof and are high density rubber 2' by 2' in size. I think they ran $12 for a package of 6. You would glue them on. Easy to cut to size. Many uses....im going to soundproof the underside of my RV with them.

[B]

You didn't say whether the problem is the sound of shoes on the treads, which could be resolved by carpet/whatever, or whether the treads creak, which can be fixed by lots of wedges, glue, and and deck screws, or whether the whole kit and kaboodle creaks and bounces, which could require additional support underneath. ???

-B

[HandsOn]

Sorry, I was out of commission this past week with a new baby on board.

To answer "B"'s question, the sound is caused by shoes on the treads. thanks.