Will Carpet Tiles block sound for downstairs neighbor?

Question

The lady downstairs has been knocking on her ceiling when we're talking quietly in bed. We may have to insulate with carpeting if she complains.

Answer 1

Sincerly i don't know but i would like to advice you to read this carpet tips. May be you will find your answer. http://www.carpetcleaningadvisor.com/car...

Good luck!

Answer 2

You don't say what you have at the moment. Check she hasn't got any recessed spotlights in her ceiling.

If there are lots of gaps in your floorboards you should sort those out. You could lift the boards and stuff lots of insulation in the gaps if it is timber, then overlay with the boards or chpboard (or both). Then a good rubbery of felted underlay- with sheet carpet to finish. If rented you may only be able to do the carper/underlay bit.

As it is for her benefit you might ask her to contribute to this.

Answer 3

She is a bully

you know what to do to a bully

talking should not bother her

I would get a camera with sound and recreate the scene and whan she knocks on the ceiling you can document and the complain about her

Answer 4

I'm on the receiving end of loads of noise from upstairs.  I don't bang on the ceiling though.   And talking isn't what bugs me;  its the kids up there dropping stuff.  In these cheap construction places a tissue hitting the floor sounds like an anvil.

You sound like nice folks.  If you're willing to go for carpeting then I say do it.  Wall to wall with good padding will be better than carpet tiles.

When you say you "may have to insulate if she complains" I'm assuming that your lease has a rule.  In my old building it was 80% of the floor had to be carpeted with area rugs.  They rarely enforced it (much to my chagrin) unless you complained and even then they really didn't enforce it very much.

Answer 5

It would help some, but it sounds like she is just a grumpy old woman & nothing will help.  If you are just talking normally, I would think that there must be no insulation between your appartments.  If you are renting, it is not your responsibility.  

There may be no insulation in the walls and sound is traveling that way or that there are air vents shared by both apartments that the sound is traveling through.  Unless there are cracks in the floor, and you can see into her apartment, I don't think that is where the problem would be.