Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: marketing Aria Cohousing in Denver to families

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> On Oct 1, 2016, at 6:52 AM, R Philip Dowds <rpdowds [at] comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> Actually, there is a lot of construction technology available for effective 
> noise mitigation.  For instance, in wood frame construction, there is the 
> option of including a subfloor of 1” or 1 1/2” thick “Gyp Crete” or 
> “cementitious underlayment”.  Combine this with a ceiling hung on resilient 
> clips (not nailed direct to the floor structure), and acoustic isolation 
> between units gets pretty good.  “Extra” cost is the main reason why this 
> very routine technology gets squeezed out of the project construction budget.

In addition, when our residents started moving in heavy furniture, the sound 
transmission was much better. Many who moved in either had no furniture or had 
greatly downsized planning to buy new furniture. Over time the complaints 
stopped. I think some wish we had put in more sound dampening between floors 
but it isn’t as bad as it was at first. 

I do fear a child moving in upstairs. Now it is two adults. I have a number of 
children who come to my unit to play. I have to remind them that they are 
running on Debbi’s head and need to walk softly. 

Unless you do it while building, it is very expensive. It’s probably the number 
one thing that makes an apartment feel as solid. Look at plans for prewar 
construction of apartments in Manhattan. I say Manhattan because I think that 
is the place that built the most apartments for wealthy households in the 1930s.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org