Developers will often install cheap underlayments to help silence echoing footsteps but these efforts will fail once owners move in with the weight of their furnishings compacting foam and eliminating any sound control properties.
Once developers have moved on to another project, any sound issues become the management’s issue though they have very little power to solve these types of problems. The solution is to replace underlayments with higher quality rubber ones and unit owners who are irritated by their neighbours’ movements can opt for drop ceilings and sound masking technologies that can provide them with some sense of privacy and isolation they seek.
Boards can recommend these alterations to those who complain but cannot require that any resident tear up their flooring to replace failing underlayments. Boards can, however, specify that unit owners use high quality underlayments when installing new flooring.
Wilkinson recommends specific wording when writing bylaws. “It can’t crush out (like foam), it can’t age harden (like cork) and it can’t wick water (like felt). Because all of those things will eventually fail.”
For more information on noise issues in condominiums, please contact Lina Trunina for the September issue of CondoBusiness at (416) 512-8186 ext. 232.
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