I live in a newer build concrete tower in metrotown. Pretty solid and can't hear voices but the dropping of shit all day... lol

Rockwool will give you about +3 STC points but not IIC. In comparison to double-drywall and res channel at 10-15 STC it's very little. I found it only really helped if you have lots of sound leaks through pot lights, subfloor gaps, framing gaps, no underlayment upstairs, etc.

The price difference between rockwool and regular pink bats isn’t very much so the added benefits of the rockwool for smaller spaces is probably worth the cost.

Where costs get crazy is the soundproof drywall etc.

This 100%.

I've seen far too many Karens and Toms that decided to sell their home and downsize into a condo without understanding that living in an condo building is a give and take. Some don't understand that and seem to think that every single sound is an inconvenience to them that needs to be catered to. The world does not revolve around you.

That's simply unrealistic. Some things may bother you when living in a building, and guess what, you may do the same at times to your neighbors as well.

Everything is a give and take, and not a one way street.

I complained earlier about noise in my building, but should clarify that it's incessant tapping/hammering/chopping sounds... I don't even mind like 20 minutes or something, everyone builds Ikea furniture once in awhile blah blah..

I don't even care about parties, someone has a party whatever they can send it up a few times a month that's no big deal at all to me... heck I've even walked over to a few before if they were neighbours and chatted a bit.

But some people just don't have any understanding that there are people around them at all.

Condo life. Shitty parking and dbag neighbours, the two worst enemies lol. Last night, found a cigarette in the parking lot of my building. Swear people have zero common sense what's so ever. It's like their brain is up their ass. Strata issued a memo, no smoking around inside or around the perimeter of the building. Then you have this idiot go light one up in the underground thinking no one will see or know.

There's a younger couple in my building that smokes what must be multiple packs a day... they're out there together rain or shine like every damn hour... kudos to them, they stand on the sidewalk but what they don't realize is they're right next to the vent that takes in fresh air for the hallway circulation system, so it's literally blowing their smoke into the lobby...

I know they don't realize it and they don't mean harm... eventually I had to just casually mention it to them.

A lot of things are annoying but if you just be nice you can address it and they didn't realize things. I always try the nice approach first and more often than not it works out.

I agree, a simple knock on the door and quick chat always is a better option, and usually results in a fair compromise for both parties.

It's the passive aggressive crap of stomping on floors, smashing brooms on the ceiling, or randomly calling police are the actions that create real conflict and dissonance between neighbors.

I remember years back I had a neighbor of mine randomly call the RCMP as a noise complaint at 6PM on a weekday on me because she could hear a podcast I was listening to while I cooked dinner off a Bluetooth speaker. I was in disbelief when my girlfriend opened the door to an officer while I was in the kitchen. He promptly laughed and left right away, as clearly we were not being loud or were having a party.

I ended up knocking on the door the next day, only to find out that the mother living in the unit had no idea that happened, it turns out it was her daughter who decided to call the police because the sounds of the podcast were "disturbing her studying".

Needless to say after many years of living here with them still as my neighbor, that never occurred again :lol

I want to become a cop, just so that I can start handing out max fines to people that chuck their buds out while driving on the street

In other news...
What's up with home prices these days KEKW

My friends building had some owner possibly renter walking their dog at night in the parkade letting it pee and poop in the underground cause it was cold and rainy outside. Meanwhile we're all suckers for braving the weather to walk out dogs like decent owners

Any thoughts on the downtown condo market? Prices have been the same as they were back in 2018 while everything else in the lower mainland has gone up 30%+ it seems

Living downtown is hella inconvenient unless you work there… and so many people are working from home… so I’m not surprised but I do think quietly that it’s not a bad idea if you’re looking for an investment to go that route.

Mmmm nothing like the finest hobos and random attacks propping values up. #1 city in the world.

Downtown is sketchy these day. Unless I worked in downtown, I wouldn't even want to live down there. Always feel the need to be attentive of my surroundings, cuz you never know what mental dude will go show up. Was walking one time minding my own business, a guy just came up to me and started swearing at me. Never even made a single eye contact with the guy a single time, comes up to me and go yo what you looking at LOL. Like I give a fuck about you bro (in my mind). I just booked it incase he tried to pull out a knife or something.

Was he asking to see your ID?

I didn't want to live in DT 5 years ago when I worked there.

Traffic and parking has only gotten worse since. Nevermind that I want to be close to work, but not THAT close.

seems like having more rental units in a building is directly correlated with having more bad neighbors

living in a low rise with mostly owners living here has been great

We have a decent strata that care about maintaining the buildings. There's a max number of rental units in our strata at any given time. If someone wants to rent out their place, they go on a waitlist. Next door, a building built around the same time, didn't have any rental restrictions. It's not hard to tell which has more renters! That other place is subjectively worse off.

Have you been inside one of the buildings on marine gateway? It's all air bnb and rentals

Wait till you see the garbage rooms

I'm not really sure how effective it is in reality, but it probably helps.

If I were to do it again, I would have put a second sub-floor down. Our house only had a 1/2" plywood subfloor, I would have put some sort of acoustic membrane on top of the 1/2" subfloor and then added another plywood subfloor on top, to cushion the steps so to speak.

I'm lucky I have rental income, but it really gives me anxiety how much noise we make, so I always try to tip toe around my own damn house. It's annoying. I really wished I did more for sound proofing when we were renovating.

I really hope i'll be able to make enough to get another house with no tenants.

I think that would be the cheapest way to sound proof, a second layer of subfloor. Especially if you can create an air gap.

However, then you run into all sorts of issues with door jams, etc.

Has anyone done DIY install for screen window and patio door at their apartment? Or you guys just get a professional to do it? I have 2x windows, and patio door looking to get window screens for.