Can I use styrofoam as reduce noice?

Question

I have a drop ceiling and I can hear everything from my upstairs neighbors? Will putting styrofoam panels up there reduce the noise?

Answer 1

In the case of drop ceilings, installing foam tiles will reduce different noises in different amounts. Most notable, are higher pitched sounds, like a child's voice, or brisk, soft footsteps. Deeper pitched sounds, such as a booming man's voice, won't be affected nearly as well. Make sure that you get noise dampening materials that suit your needs. If your neighbors are cackling women, a 2 pound density foam ceiling tile like that kind offered from foambymail.com will be more than suitable. If your neighbors are running around, all day, with heavy feet, you'll need something with a density of 5-6 pounds per square foot in order to dampen everything to suitable levels.

  Hanging decorative tapestries or indigenous styled rugs, from the ceilings, in a baffling configuration, can also reduce noise. These heavier materials are able to completely kill both low pitched and high pitched noises. This trick has been known about since medieval times. It was used to reduce drafts, as well as improve the acoustics of stone castles.

   My uncle is a collector of Native American rugs. If you go into the room where he displays them, you have to yell, just so the person next to you can hear you. It's amazing.

  An indoor water fountain is also a great way to disguise undesirable noises, not to mention, beautiful. Expect to pay $400-1500 for a properly sized fountain for a 200-300 square foot space, if buying pre-made. Make your own for 200-400 in materials, 1/3rd-half the cost is the pump. One can be made for less if you don't care about looks.

Answer 2

Yes it will, but it may be cheaper to put in insulation.

Answer 3

you could,but your efforts wouldn't pay off...the amount of noise you would get rid of would barely be noticed....(plus,some insurance agencies would go balistic if you did that---better check first)....Use all the regular insulation you can afford up there, thats about all you can safely do...the only other major way of dampening it would be for your upstairs noisemakers to install a floated floor(like in recording studios)......DONT HOLD YOUR BREATH THOUGH!!!....One more thing--check with all your local building supply stores,some of them  sell specialized sound dampening ceiling tile--if so,with some $$ you can replace your ceiling...thats about it.