Noisy Condo Tenants

[Condo Madness]

I understand how you feel. But it's Christmas! They're just celebrating. Just enjoy the holiday season.

I was not talking about the holiday season. Freight trains and the TTC buses operate every day and night so the noise that these three buildings endure happen 365 days a year.

If you worry about noise in condos be careful of night-time street noises such as food deliveries to restaurants, commercial garbage pickups, street cars and nearby TTC terminals.

Then you have the noise generated inside your building.

 

[cruzin4u]

I think a lot of it depends on the builder. When I was living in a condo there was only drywall, without insulation, between my unit and the hallway as well as a neighbouring unit. I could hear just about everything from my bedroom - conversations, people doing their dishes down the hall, etc. It was horrible.

Same thing happened while I was living in X condo (Great Gulf Developments). There was barely any soundproofing between the window wall and the concrete support beam, and so often times I would hear my neighbours having sex or simple things such as being able to hear your neighbour sneezing while you are laying in your bed. I could only imagine what they heard while me and the wife were having a hanky panky moment .

This shows you what I am talking about. The red arrows show the concrete support structure. Between that structure and the window wall is drywall, but it seems to lack any soundproofing. So say your living area is between those red arrows and just left of one of those red arrows is the neighbours bedroom (kind of how X and X2 are laid out), chances are you will hear everything that is happening in that bedroom.

Photo courtesy of urbandreamer - November 9th.

The time when I heard my neighbours having sex, I was sitting on my sofa watching TV. I started hearing moans, so I "followed" the sound and it took me to that area which I highlighted. It was not a "deal breaker" for me, as I enjoyed the condo - however it was an interesting experience.

 

[PinkLucy]

Did you smile knowingly when passing your neighbours in the hall?

 

[TheKingEast]

Same thing happened while I was living in X condo (Great Gulf Developments). There was barely any soundproofing between the window wall and the concrete support beam, and so often times I would hear my neighbours having sex or simple things such as being able to hear your neighbour sneezing while you are laying in your bed. I could only imagine what they heard while me and the wife were having a hanky panky moment .

This shows you what I am talking about. The red arrows show the concrete support structure. Between that structure and the window wall is drywall, but it seems to lack any soundproofing. So say your living area is between those red arrows and just left of one of those red arrows is the neighbours bedroom (kind of how X and X2 are laid out), chances are you will hear everything that is happening in that bedroom.


The time when I heard my neighbours having sex, I was sitting on my sofa watching TV. I started hearing moans, so I "followed" the sound and it took me to that area which I highlighted. It was not a "deal breaker" for me, as I enjoyed the condo - however it was an interesting experience.

I've heard a lot of things but no sex sounds. I think that would drive me crazy.

 

[Bass gtr]

Look at any condo or conversion built in the past 10 years, you won't find poured concrete between suites.
Off the top of my head:
the printing factory lofts
the garnment factory lofts
edge lofts
the tannery
feather factory
all have single stud drywall partitions between suites.



'Last you seen' must have been 10 years ago.

I lived in a loft conversion in a building that was about 100 years old but the conversion at that time was about 3 years old, and there was no concrete between the units, you could hear everything! One of the tenants even had cigarette smoke travel from a adjoining unit to his!

 

[Bass gtr]

I think the loft conversions may have even worse soundproofing than the new buildings.

 

[TheKingEast]

I think the loft conversions may have even worse soundproofing than the new buildings.

I've heard horror stories about them. They're not cheap either. Pay half a million for a loft and you have to smell cigarette smoke. LOL.

I have a friend that has a loft conversion and that place is a bunker. Very good conversion.

Right at King and Bathurst

Would buy here in a heart beat if it wasn't in such a high traffic area.

 

[Condo Madness]

Any conversion is not covered by Tarion. There have been some horror stories about them, especially a church conversion in the west end. There is a hotel conversion that also has serious problems. Owners get stuck with huge special assessments to repair construction deficiencies.

Don't buy a new conversion, wait until it is five-six years old so the construction issues come to light.

 

[Ex-Montreal Girl]

Any conversion is not covered by Tarion. There have been some horror stories about them, especially a church conversion in the west end. There is a hotel conversion that also has serious problems. Owners get stuck with huge special assessments to repair construction deficiencies.

Don't buy a new conversion, wait until it is five-six years old so the construction issues come to light.

As regulars know, I am in a solid older building. Except for one sound -- mysteriously only about 10 p.m. and only heard from my home office -- nothing comes through the walls or floors. That sound is a man seeing a man about a horse. I have no idea where it comes from as it is obviously through the plumbing. Other sounds only come through the door to the corridor but they have to be pretty loud to be heard -- like when the cleaner vacuums the rugs.

Poured concrete Baby! At least eight inches between suites. Even our interior walls between rooms are almost three inches thick.

 

[KA1]

As regulars know, I am in a solid older building. Except for one sound -- mysteriously only about 10 p.m. and only heard from my home office -- nothing comes through the walls or floors. That sound is a man seeing a man about a horse. I have no idea where it comes from /QUOTE]

Could your apartment be a 'haunted' place?

 

[Ex-Montreal Girl]

Could your apartment be a 'haunted' place?

Phantom of the Outhouse!

 

[Condo Madness]

I have been e-mailed a section from a new-construction sales agreement that warns the original owners that the condo tower is close to a major bus terminal, train tracks and is at the end of the subway.

I'll place it on my website soon.

The sales agreement also says that the residents may not be able to keep their windows open because of the noise and that the condo has central air conditioning. It does not mention that they may not be able to enjoy their balconies.

I was surprised at the number of condo developments that are being built next to train tracks, street car tracks and the expressway.

Resale buyers get no such warnings.

 

[Bayer]

I was among the first occupants in a converted building on Charles St. just east of Church. The soundproofing was non-existent. I could hear my neighbour crying, having sex and tapping her toothbrush against the sink. I couldn't wait to move out of there.

 

[PinkLucy]

was she doing all of that at the same time?

 

[Ex-Montreal Girl]

I was surprised at the number of condo developments that are being built next to train tracks, street car tracks and the expressway.

Resale buyers get no such warnings.

At least resale buyers can SEE and HEAR. If you have your eye on a place, look around. Ask around. I am amazed at how many people buy housing with less care than they get gym memberships. In and out of a staged open house and boom!

As for new places, every time I am on the Gardiner, I can see straight into people's bedrooms and kitchens. I cannot understand breathing exhaust fumes, cleaning the dirt and dust and OMG, the noise.