How do sociable people beat the noise from upstairs?

What impact can a sociable person have on noise reduction?

The biggest challenge in resolving neighborhood noise issues is communication. Good communication can easily resolve the noise problem, while poor communication can only exacerbate it. The following story illustrates how the protagonist wrongly accused her upstairs neighbor, not only straining their relationship but also leaving the actual noise culprit feeling self-righteous. Because the protagonist is not usually good at socializing, she was attacked by other neighbors when she tried to voice her concerns in the residents' group chat.

The story begins:

The neighbor is very sociable and makes noise at home every day.

I bought this house six months ago. At first, I lived very comfortably before the neighbors on all sides moved in.

Later, as more people moved in, I started hearing barefoot footsteps and children running around. At first, I instinctively thought it was my upstairs neighbors, so I went up and politely asked them to be quiet and put on slippers. After one argument with the upstairs neighbors, they started arguing again, so I went up to reason with them. But then I ran into a family of three coming home. I was completely bewildered. What was going on? She asked, "Are we still making noise for you?" I asked, "Weren't you home just now?" She said they had just gotten back from get off work.

I looked them over; they were dressed neatly and didn't seem to be lying. I thought and thought, what's going on? Here I should mention that the running sound was fast and frequent; I'm sure it was a child, but the child upstairs was just a toddler like me.

Then I thought of the neighbors next door, since our living room wall is shared and not a solid wall. After testing various aspects, I discovered the culprit was our next-door neighbor. So, I again chose to try and resolve the issue through communication. The first time we went over, we were quite polite. The second time, his wife was clearly impatient as soon as she opened the door. At first, she even tried to say we had hearing problems, but my husband still tried to communicate patiently and avoid a confrontation. However, the second visit didn't change anything. Her husband continued to walk barefoot without restraint, and their son happily ran around. Finally, I couldn't hold back and tagged him in our building's group chat, hoping that the pressure from the community would make him change. But then, something disgusting happened. When I spoke to him in the group, the neighbor aunties who usually get along with him ganged up on me, saying that walking barefoot was fine and that it was normal for a child to run around, and some of the more unethical ones even made personal attacks.

Because my husband and I are both young, we basically don't interact with the other neighbors in our building. We just come home from get off work, watch TV, and go to bed. Our neighbor's husband likes to drink with the other male residents, and the women like to form groups of older women who often talk badly about us behind our backs. I initially thought that even if they're friends, they could still distinguish right from wrong, but I underestimated the ugliness of human nature. These people who are friends with him spread rumors without any regard for facts-it's terrifying! I thought, how would I know if they were noisy? It's so awful! Then our neighbor took advantage of the situation, pretending to be more careful, and even said she wasn't home earlier-just trying to get away with it. Fine, then I contacted the property management and the police. Even the police couldn't help. We clearly reached an agreement in front of the police, but as soon as they left, she deliberately invited all those older women from the building with their children to our house. They were running around in and out over fifty times, and she even told me to go buy a villa if I had the guts.

Dad is good at socializing and solved the noise problem from upstairs.

The noise from upstairs neighbors is also frequent and very annoying. But instead of angrily confronting them, my dad bought some things and went upstairs to have a good chat with them, trying to be friends. He asked about their difficulties and troubles and listened attentively. Over time, the relationship between the two families improved.

Ever since my dad talked to the upstairs neighbor, and they've complained to him about all their problems, they've started telling my dad whenever they have something on their mind, and naturally, they've become much more mindful of noise levels. It's all about interpersonal relationships; if you have a good relationship with someone, they're less likely to make noise. I feel like you shouldn't complain to the upstairs neighbor; it's pointless. Nobody wants to be the subject of gossip. You could bring something upstairs to chat, or go for a walk together, or do something else. Build a good relationship, and then casually mention something like, "Our building's soundproofing isn't very good," or something similar. Anyway, I feel that if you don't get along with your neighbors, you won't be comfortable living here. No matter what, maintaining good neighborly relations should be the priority.

*The above real-life examples are from Zhihu.

Relying solely on someone's self-awareness, sense of shame, and public morality to suppress a noise-making person can sometimes backfire. It's better to be patient than confrontational; when faced with neighborhood noise issues, perhaps we can resolve them through good communication, rather than reacting with anger and recklessness as if we're the victims who should feel aggrieved .

The first step to learning to communicate is to see things from another person's perspective. When you encounter noise, try to ask yourself from the perspective of someone upstairs:

1. Does he know that he's affecting me?

2. Did she know that the floor slab had poor sound insulation?

3. Is he having some kind of trouble?

4. Is he unable to care for his own child?

Asking these questions isn't about shirking responsibility for what happened upstairs, but about letting go of the resentment within yourself. When your resentment transforms into doubt and sympathy, at least your expression won't be too unpleasant during communication, preventing a stalemate in basic communication.

Home soundproofing renovation includes:

Solution | Ceiling sound insulation and noise reduction

Active sound insulation and vibration reduction solution for floors

Noise solutions for guesthouses!

Besides the three main measures mentioned above, other factors contributing to indoor noise include water pipes, exhaust fans, air conditioner outdoor units, windows, doors, and home furnishings. These are all potential sources of noise and can be addressed. For more detailed information on soundproofing and self-repair, please add our technical staff on WeChat or contact us by email.