I mentioned in my intro that I had a detached garage to turn into a workshop. I'd been progressing satisfactorily until I had a little dust-up with our next-door neighbors. Seems they've taken a dislike to us for reasons unknown. I had one pleasant conversation with the Mr the day we moved in in March, but since then they've ignored us, even to the extent of looking away when we wave to them from our driveway, which is about 25 feet from theirs. Almost immediately after moving in they started playing very loud music in their garage, which faces us, with the door halfway open every time we were outside making a little noise, like mowing the lawn, and leaving it on for hours. When I went over last week to ask them to turn it down I saw that there were two large speakers set up in the garage door with no one around. When he finally came outside after I knocked repeatedly on their doors, and then the missus came out looking totally enraged, we had one of the more bizarre conversations of my life. Basically, it was their opinion that if I make noise, like mowing, they can make noise to "counteract" it. They were "enjoying it from the inside of their house." I asked why they needed to put the loudspeakers in the garage with the door open, and they said our garage door was open too and we make noise so they can make noise. It got stranger after that. After he mentioned that I was on his property a couple times and don't knock on his door anymore I decided it was time to walk away, which I did. Somehow, I don't think noise is really the issue but can't identify anything we've done or said that might have offended them, which was easy since we have never spoken to them except the one time!)
Anyhow, with all that I am now paranoid about making any sound at all if we are going to get blasted by them, but I will have to make some serious noise from time-to-time and don't need a hassle with neighbors/HOA/police. So, what do you recommend for soundproofing? I'd already planned on putting in a double stud wall with various soundproofing techniques I've picked up on the internet, but I don't have a good solution for the garage door. Suggestions have been: 1. a new insulated door; 2. insulate the old door myself; 3. build a stud wall inside the door; 4. apply soundproofing material inside the door (but what about the weight?); 5. various combinations of the above. Have any of you dealt with the noise issue from a neighbor's point of view? Thanks for any advice you might give (and for sticking with this long post).
Tom Witzig
Anyhow, with all that I am now paranoid about making any sound at all if we are going to get blasted by them, but I will have to make some serious noise from time-to-time and don't need a hassle with neighbors/HOA/police. So, what do you recommend for soundproofing? I'd already planned on putting in a double stud wall with various soundproofing techniques I've picked up on the internet, but I don't have a good solution for the garage door. Suggestions have been: 1. a new insulated door; 2. insulate the old door myself; 3. build a stud wall inside the door; 4. apply soundproofing material inside the door (but what about the weight?); 5. various combinations of the above. Have any of you dealt with the noise issue from a neighbor's point of view? Thanks for any advice you might give (and for sticking with this long post).
Tom Witzig