# Hardwood floors and quiet condos..............



## sags (May 15, 2010)

Any apartment condo owners here........??

After we retired, we sold our family home and have been renting for awhile while we make up our mind what our next and last move will be.

We are presently renting a townhouse.

When we moved in, it was kind of odd that there was old fashioned strip hardwood upstairs in the bedroom areas and carpet on the living room and raised dining room floors.

The carpet needed replacement, so we called the landlord and asked him to either replace it or allow us to tear up the carpet to reveal the beautiful hardwood underneath. They said go ahead and remove the carpet..........so we did.

It looks lovely............but boy is it noisy. Creaks and cracks and anytime someone moves around it sounds like a herd of cattle are moving across the rooms. 

Now that we are contemplating a possible move..............I believe we have narrowed it down to purchasing an apartment condo............of which there are only a few in our area, but they tend to be quite nice and relatively inexpensive compared to the GTA or other places. A nice 3 bedroom unit can be bought for less than 180,000.

My question is how "noisy" are apartment condos, as regarding the noise of people walking around?

Are the floors generally concrete and quiet?

I realize that likely we won't hear our own noise.........as the condos are all on one level, but what about the people above us?

Should we consider a top floor unit for more quiet?

I would rather not have to deal with elevators and groceries, and would prefer a lower unit that we could walk up to, but our preferred sites are only 7 story buildings anyways, so a top floor isn't terribly bad.

I know some people don't like the condo idea, equating them to concrete boxes, but some of the ones we have seen are quite large and gorgeous and offer some nice amenities such as indoor pools, health clubs, generous balconies the length of the units, underground parking, and fully landscaped grounds set back from the road.

Our major concern is noise.........but all comments are appreciated.


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## Jay (May 9, 2012)

I live an older lowrise condo that is concrete with hardwoor, and noise, for the most part is not an issue. I know what you mean about an older house with hardwood being noisy - and in my experience, that is not so much from the hardwood, but the subfloor the structure of the house in general. Perhaps carpet absorbs some of it. I think having concrete is important... some of the newer low-rise buildings are being made out of wood. 

Also important are things like the placement of rooms in your unit in relation to the unit next door, the placement of your exterior door in the hall relative to other doors, and generally how noisy your neighbours are. I don't think we ever hear anything from our upstairs neighbours - unless they drop something or are doing renovations. 

Condos can be great to live in - just understand that they are not maintenance free. The biggest maintenance in my experience, is making sure to keep tabs on your board of directors (join it if you can - and read up on the condo law), and your property manager (many love to take advance of naive boards). A review of the condo status certificate is a must, though I feel those usually don't tell the whole story. I'd suggest a thorough inspection of the common areas before purchasing - they are a big indicator of how the condo is being managed. If possible, speak with a unit owner or two who aren't currently selling their units to get a more unbiased opinion of the condo. I've yet to meet a condo owner who was selling say their condo was anything but "Well managed", regardless of the obvious truth.


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

I just moved into a apartment/condo(broadstreet properties built)and i am on the main floor,it has'nt been bad at all(noise from above,5 story building)the odd time i can hear suffling but that is to be expected.(only the plumbing i here on a regular basis)

What i would do is ask the sales rep of the condo(they should disclose,i would think)a spec sheet on the building-most new build are using-eng i-joists,which is good,see what the joists are on center 16 inch,2' ft on center(closer the better for noise from above)what thickness is the sub floor-1/2 inch or 7/8(floor sheating).If you can look @ the spec sheet you will be able to tell(hopefully the specs are upgraded slightly from bare minimum code)

The only floor that is concrete will be the main(even then it might not be,if they have a small crawl space)This advic is only if the building is newer.Other than that maybe approach a patron in the said building your looking @ and ask questions.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Thanks for the tips........I will make a list of things to remember when the time comes......


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## Mall Guy (Sep 14, 2011)

Although it may sound convenient, don't buy next to the elevator ( they whirl, ding, ring, buzz and make other sounds especially at night). On the other hand, being next to the stairwell means you will only have one party wall.


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