I have the worst upstairs neighbors in the world. You will never really understand what flanking noise is until you’ve listened to them tread above your head. They walk heavily; the kids play and jump around the entire apartment; and their television are always set at a volume no human should have to endure.
Sadly, I’m not exactly in a position where I am able to tear down my ceiling in order to soundproof it. I doubt my landlord would be very happy with me. Some, however, aren’t as difficult to deal with and would recommend you do the following to block the noise from above:
- Remove the existing ceiling
- Fill the joint cavities with sound proofing insulation
- Add whisper clips so that you can float your ceiling
- Add new drywall
- Finish over and repaint
Alright – it’s really a bit more complex than that (in work, not theory) but its not unrealistic either. If your upstairs neighbors are really bothersome you should ask your landlord if he’d allow you to make a few modifications. After all it’ll only increase the value of the property for when you’re ready to move on!