Hey guys and gals, I have my next short term rental property under contract. It is an up/down duplex, where we will be renting out the top and bottom unit through Airbnb/VRBO. My question is, does anyone have good info on how to minimize noise transfer between the two units. There is hardwood floors upstairs, which I am keeping (so no carpet comments). All of the work to suppress noise will be done through the basement by removing sheetrock and then doing whatever is necessary to eliminate noise. Any help or links to good info is appreciated!

@Travis Boughton

Keep the hardwood floors and put carpets over them. Jk 

Remove the ceilings downstairs. Make sure everything is insulated really well. Install sound board before installing the new Sheetrock. It comes in sheets and helps dampen sound transfer. You then install Sheetrock over it with longer screws to make sure they’re still going into the joists and not just sound board. We use this for shared walls on side by side units. I doubt it will completely kill the sound of high heels on hardwood but it should help.

Originally posted by @Dustin Allen :

@Travis Boughton

Keep the hardwood floors and put carpets over them. Jk 

Remove the ceilings downstairs. Make sure everything is insulated really well. Install sound board before installing the new Sheetrock. It comes in sheets and helps dampen sound transfer. You then install Sheetrock over it with longer screws to make sure they’re still going into the joists and not just sound board. We use this for shared walls on side by side units. I doubt it will completely kill the sound of high heels on hardwood but it should help.

Thanks Dustin for the suggestion. Any link to a specific sound board that you have used? 

@Travis Boughton

The ones I have used were a wood fiber acoustic panel. They have many different options so I would check out the different types and make sure there isn’t one that is specifically better for ceilings. I’ve only used it on walls before.

Hey @Travis Boughton , you can follow this guide https://www.theaterseatstore.c...

It is centered around home theater sound proofing but will give you a good idea of what it takes.

Decoupling the drywall on the ceiling, double sheets of drywall and Green Glue between the sheets will eliminate most of the sound transfer.

@Travis Boughton

Here is a good article.

https://soundproofcentral.com/soundproof-ceiling/

Cheaper way,  install higher end rugs that will match decor  and color schemes.

It will help, not only on the floor noise but overall noise .

As a contractor, if you do the sound board in ceiling below then just install it over the sheet rock and install a new layer of sheet rock.  One more layer and save the demo and mess of same!

Lose 1/2 inch and need to buy longer screws and extend light fixture screws.

Simple!

Good luck, I agree large throw rugs may be the answer....

Friends of our moved into the basement apartment of their kids homes for both financial & grandkid duty to 4 under 6yrs old. The 2100 sq ft basement apartment was built for that reason & they stacked the 12inch ceiling beam cavities with a special sound barrier insulation & 2 layers of fire retardant drywall etc etc. 

The upper floors are all hardwood & this is the picture our friends sent us when we asked about the noise issue.

Keep your rents high, way to land a deal in that expensive city!

Lower deposit=Higher Rent !

Remove old drywall. Pack the joist bays with rockwool or similar. Install new 5/8 drywall. Fir out the ceiling with 2x2s. Another layer of drywall.

This will give you the most sound deadening without a huge cost.....