Elevator noise and other disturbances from the ceiling (live on the top floor)

[markaner]

Do you know which sound classification the residence is built after? According to the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning's regulations, it is 25dBA equivalent sound level and 35dBA maximum sound level from elevators in bedrooms and living rooms. Often, installation noise is required to meet sound class B, so it should be even lower then. It sounds like the higher ceiling might have caused a higher sound level.
Moreover, the elevator provider might need to come and repair the elevator even if it's new. Elevators are used extensively during construction, so they are often worn out when it's time to move in.
/building acoustician, though not an expert on elevators.

I've searched a lot for rules regarding sound levels for elevators in bedrooms and living rooms but can't find anything about it being 24dBA and 35dBA. Do you have a source on that somewhere that I can read and then present if it won't be fixed? It's definitely over 35 maximum. When the elevator operates, the phone (which is supposed to be relatively reliable) shows about 33dBA, and when it stops, it goes up to 41-42 dBA. Over what time frame must the equivalent measure be? If you take 20 seconds, it's over 25; if you take 1 hour, it's not since the elevator doesn't operate constantly.

I found the detailed plan yesterday and it seems the municipality required the building to be built to at least sound class B.

 

[markaner]

If it says Schindler in the basket, the rest is probably Schindler too. The banging in the stop is likely the brake. Contactors usually make a noticeable noise. But not like a hammer against metal. It's usually an adjustment issue how much the brake bangs. The technology shift that @Stenkant is talking about is likely gearless permanently magnetized synchronous motors, which many but not all new elevators have. These can run very quietly. If they don't run quietly, something is wrong. It's likely a setting issue for the frequency control. Rubber feet shouldn't be necessary for the motor foundation to be quiet.

The above might be advanced for TS who just wants it to be quiet. But if there's a problem with the elevator making too much noise, it's more effective to address the issue causing the noise than trying to isolate it.

Advanced it is, but always fun to learn something new! But yes, fixing the elevator would be the most convenient solution. However, as I mentioned, I've been suspicious about the insulation to the apartment since I can hear tools hitting the floor in the basement, etc.

Anyway, after the acoustician's visit on Friday, there was a lot of noise from the neighboring apartment next door. Voices could be heard and every drag of a vacuum cleaner on the floor. So it seems no one has moved in there yet, and they are cleaning it out now before someone moves in. So we'll see how it sounds when someone moves in there... Others in the building are very happy with the insulation, but I heard quite a lot from the neighboring apartment.

The acousticians concluded, anyway, that the bang at the end when the elevator stops is definitely too loud and needs to be fixed. Other than that, they felt the elevator sounded more than it should given the material on the walls and elevator model, etc., but couldn't say if it was TOO much. They would call Schindler here anyway to try to fix it. I took a couple of rides in the other staircases' elevators again, and these sound quieter, I believe, and, above all, don't have a bang when the elevator stops, so that sound will probably be resolved. However, we'll have to see how it sounds when someone moves into the apartment next to mine...

I think you should check directly with the neighbors; if they have the same issue with noise, you'll have more pressure on the question and make it easier to get support for action. An individual co-op owner can be dismissed with talk about limits. If the house has several elevators, you can check with a neighbor in another staircase.

The acoustician also has it easier if they get a complete picture of the whole house.

You should also speak with the board, whether it's a "building board" or elected by the members at a meeting.

Didn't get to do it before the acoustician came early in the morning. But after the elevator provider has been here (hopefully next week), I'll see how it sounds. If it's not good by then, I'll start the detective work on my own, mainly checking if there is any other apartment with high ceilings (I have 3.25) and is next to the elevator.

 

[gos84]

I've searched a lot for regulations regarding noise levels for elevators in bedrooms and living rooms but can't find anything about it being 24dBA and 35dBA. Do you have a source on that somewhere that I can read and then present if it doesn't get fixed? It's definitely over 35 maximum. When the elevator runs, the phone (which should be relatively reliable) shows about 33dBA, rising to 41-42 dBA when it stops. Over what time span must the equivalent measure be? If you take 20 seconds, it’s over 25, but if you take 1 hour, it’s not since the elevator isn’t running constantly...

I found the detailed plan yesterday, and the municipality seems to have required that the building should be built to at least sound class B.

https://www.boverket.se › bbr...PDF
BBR 2018 consolidated version - Boverket

Page 123.

For the equivalent noise level for elevators, you measure 3 cycles if I remember correctly. (Been on parental leave for quite a while). One cycle is the elevator starting at the bottom, going up, stopping at each floor, and then all the way down again. So no time when the elevator isn't running (except when waiting for the door).
I assume the acoustician ran the elevator like that while measuring in the relevant rooms.
Sound class B is in standard SS 25267:2015. I don't have it right now, but it should be 4dB stricter if I remember correctly (21 and 31), your mobile surely doesn't measure that well at those low levels. However, sound class B is often a goal rather than a strict requirement, meeting sound class C (BBR) is acceptable if it isn't easily fixed. Then there are some environmental requirements with sound class B if the building is classified according to such, with different interpretations. If you have a furnished room and measure in it, you can often deduct 3dB from the measured as the requirements are for furnished rooms with 0.5s reverberation time.
Sound class B in detailed plans often only refers to traffic noise and not installation noise.
Have they measured?
Good luck!

 

[gos84]

I've searched extensively for regulations regarding noise levels for elevators in bedrooms and living rooms, but I can't find anything indicating that it should be 24dBA and 35dBA. Do you have a source for that somewhere that I can read and then present if it's not fixed? It's definitely over 35 at the maximum. When the elevator is running, the phone (which should be relatively reliable) shows about 33dBA, and at the stop it goes up to 41-42 dBA. Over what time frame must the equivalent measurement be? If you take 20 seconds, it is indeed over 25, but if you take 1 hour it is not, since the elevator is not running continuously...

I found the detailed plan yesterday, and it seems that the municipality has required that the building be constructed after at least Sound Class B.

There was a mistake with the link:
https://www.boverket.se/sv/lag--ratt/forfattningssamling/gallande/bbr---bfs-20116/
Page 126 in this

 

[markaner]

[link] › bbr...PDF
BBR 2018 consolidated version - Boverket

Page 123.

For equivalent sound level for an elevator, you measure 3 cycles if I remember correctly. (Been on parental leave for quite a while). One cycle is that the elevator starts at the bottom, goes up, stops on every floor, and then goes all the way down again. So, no time when the elevator is not running (except when waiting for the door).
I assume the acoustician ran the elevator like that while measuring in the relevant rooms.
Sound class b is stated in standard SS 25267:2015. I don't have it right now, but it should be 4dB stricter if I'm not mistaken (21 and 31), your phone definitely doesn't measure that well at the low levels. However, sound class b is often a goal rather than a strict requirement, if it meets sound class c (bbr), it will be approved if it isn't easily rectified. Then there are some environmental requirements for sound class b if the building is rated according to some such, then there are different interpretations. If you have furnished rooms and measure there, you can often deduct 3dB from the measured result as the requirements are for furnished rooms with 0.5s reverberation time.
Sound class b in detailed plans is often also only traffic noise and not installation noise.
Have they measured?
Good luck!

Thank you very much! I didn't quite understand the part about furnished room and deduction? Do the limit values assume a furnished room with 0.5s reverberation time? I have furniture, but I don't know what the reverberation time is. However, I would assume it's higher than average with my high ceilings and concrete walls.

The detailed plan states the following. It doesn't seem to only apply to traffic noise it sounds like. Then I don't know how binding it is anyway. But it seems to be the municipality's requirement.

"The Environmental and Monitoring Unit believes that all bedrooms should face a sound-proofed side, with few exceptions. This is especially important in parts of the block expected to receive 61-65 dBA equivalent sound level at the facade facing the street. The courtyard side should be made as quiet as possible, lower than 50 dBA equivalent sound level for most apartments.
The summation method described in "Traffic Noise and Planning II" may be applied.

At least sound class B should be applied for the indoor environment. The building should be designed in such a way that large noise does not occur, and the sound insulation should be adapted to minimize the risk of disturbance from activities. The Environmental and Health Protection Board also has comments concerning stormwater, air quality, vibrations, and the project should aim for sustainable construction."

Yes, they have. I asked what they thought and how many dB it was. They understood that it was disturbing, mostly because the apartment is so quiet otherwise. The bang at the end was too loud, they thought. Otherwise, not particularly high, they thought. However, he said he was so busy listening that he didn't check how many dB it was. Pretty strange, I think. They were going to take the recordings and apply filters and so on to know what needs to be fixed. I didn't get such a professional impression of them though. They came in and set up a microphone in the room where I thought it was the loudest. Ran the elevator a bit and then they were done.

 

[gos84]

Thank you very much! I didn't really understand the part about a furnished room and deductions? Do the threshold values assume a furnished room with reverberation time of 0.5s? I have it furnished, but I don't know what the reverberation time is. However, I would assume it is higher than average due to my high ceiling and concrete walls.

In the zoning plan, it states the following. It doesn't seem to only apply to traffic noise, as it sounds. However, I don't know how binding it really is. But it seems to be the municipality's requirement.

"The environmental and monitoring unit believes that all bedrooms should face a sound-dampened side, with a few exceptions. This is particularly important in the parts of the block expected to have 61-65 dBA equivalent sound level at the facade facing the street. The courtyard side should be made as quiet as possible, lower than 50 dBA equivalent sound level for most residences. The summation method described in "Traffic Noise and Planning II" can preferably be applied.

At least sound class B should be applied for the indoor environment. The building should be constructed in such a way that no heavy noise occurs, and the sound insulation should be adjusted to minimize disturbance risk from operations. The Environmental and Public Health Committee also has comments related to stormwater, air quality, vibrations, and that the project should aim for sustainable construction."

Yes, they have. I asked what they thought and how many dB it was. They understood that it was disturbing, mainly because the apartment is so quiet otherwise. They thought the bang at the end was too loud. Otherwise, they didn't think it was particularly loud. However, he mentioned that he was so focused on listening that he didn't check how many dB it was. I find that really strange. They were going to take the recordings and apply filters, etc., to determine what needs to be addressed. However, I didn't get a very professional impression of them. They came in and set up a microphone in the room where I thought it sounded the most. Ran the elevator a bit and then they were done.

It's not so strange that they didn't tell the exact measurement result, for elevator noise, you have to go home to the computer and listen through and possibly filter out unwanted sounds that are not related to the elevator. Correct to 0.5s reverberation time, etc. There will always be disturbances in the measurement at start, stop, a passing truck, or opening the door before stopping the measurement, etc., so the value on the display is wrong 9 out of 10 times. It is always risky to inform the concerned about a preliminary measurement result if you are not absolutely sure or if it is clearly over/under. If you get a hold of the measurement report, I can look at it if you want. PM me if so. Schindler's elevator is a common one and it usually gets better after they come and fix it. Everything close to the threshold values, unfortunately, sounds quite apparent if everything else is very good. Rarely elevator issues in homes that already have traffic noise at the guideline values.

 

[nomoD2]

[link] › bbr...PDF
BBR 2018 consolidated version - Boverket

Page 123.

For equivalent sound level for an elevator, you measure 3 cycles if I remember correctly. (Have been on paternity leave for quite a while). One cycle is the elevator starting at the bottom, going up and stopping on each floor, and then all the way down again. So no time when the elevator isn't moving (except while waiting for the door).
I assume the acoustician ran the elevator like this while measuring in the relevant rooms.
Sound class b is stated in standard SS 25267:2015. Don't have it right now but it should be 4dB stricter if I remember correctly (21 and 31), your mobile definitely doesn't measure so well at those low levels. However, sound class b is often an aspiration and not a strict requirement. If it meets sound class c (bbr), it will be approved unless it's easily remedied. Then there are some environmental requirements with sound class b if the building is classified according to something like that, and there are different interpretations. If you have a furnished room and measure in it, you can often deduct 3dB from the measurement as the requirements are for furnished rooms with 0.5s reverberation time.
Sound class b in detailed plans is often also only traffic noise and not installation noise.
Have they measured?
Good luck!

[link] › bbr...PDF
BBR 2018 consolidated version - Boverket

Page 123.

For equivalent sound level for an elevator, you measure 3 cycles if I remember correctly. (Have been on paternity leave for quite a while). One cycle is the elevator starting at the bottom, going up and stopping on each floor, and then all the way down again. So no time when the elevator isn't moving (except while waiting for the door).
I assume the acoustician ran the elevator like this while measuring in the relevant rooms.
Sound class b is stated in standard SS 25267:2015. Don't have it right now but it should be 4dB stricter if I remember correctly (21 and 31), your mobile definitely doesn't measure so well at those low levels. However, sound class b is often an aspiration and not a strict requirement. If it meets sound class c (bbr), it will be approved unless it's easily remedied. Then there are some environmental requirements with sound class b if the building is classified according to something like that, and there are different interpretations. If you have a furnished room and measure in it, you can often deduct 3dB from the measurement as the requirements are for furnished rooms with 0.5s reverberation time.
Sound class b in detailed plans is often also only traffic noise and not installation noise.
Have they measured?
Good luck!

If measuring in a furnished room, according to the standard, it is not allowed to correct with -3 dB. This is only done if measuring in an unfurnished room and wanting to correct to what would have been the case if the room had been normally furnished, with a reverberation time of 0.5 s.

 

[nomoD2]

Hello,
I moved into a completely newly built apartment a month ago. I am very satisfied with most of it except that I get noise from my ceiling even though I live at the top. Otherwise, the apartment is very well insulated, which only amplifies it further when it starts to make noise. The most disturbing thing is the elevator which I hear every time it starts, regardless of the floor. This begins with a thud, then the motor rumbles and ends with another thud and a loud clicking sound. As they are still on site completing the property, I have talked to them and they have checked that the insulation is as it should be. The building and my ceiling are made of concrete. I live next to the elevator, but it also sounds from the ceiling in rooms not adjacent to the elevator. An interesting thing is that my apartment got extra high ceiling height (3.25m) due to what seems to be an error in the drawings which according to them allowed it. Whether this has anything to do with it, I do not know.

They are also drilling down in the basement which sounds very loud inside my apartment. Strangely, it sounds as if they are drilling above me even though I live on the top floor of level 7. The drilling noise from the basement will pass understandingly because there are still construction workers working now for a month to come so it is manageable. But the elevator noise is incredibly disturbing in my opinion and it certainly feels like there is something wrong with the insulation when I hear both of these noises from my ceiling and not from the front door, for example.

Does anyone have a thought on how the sound can enter so easily into the apartment and how it can be resolved? Going crazy hearing it go back and forth all day now when I also work from home for a month ahead.

Hello,

Judging from what you wrote, I assume you live in a concrete building.

Vibrations are transmitted effectively and unfortunately relatively far in buildings with a concrete structure.

If you knock on the wall in your apartment that is closest to the elevator, you can easily determine if it is made of concrete or if the inner part of the wall is a lightweight wall consisting of plasterboard and steel studs. Elevator shafts are normally made of concrete. To reduce the risk of sound transmission through the elevator shaft wall, a standalone additional insulation of the elevator shaft wall is often prescribed during the design stage. Typically 2x13 mm plasterboard on a 45 mm steel stud and 45 mm mineral wool with about a 10-15 mm air gap between the steel stud and the concrete wall. If the wall towards the elevator feels like it's made of concrete, this additional insulation is likely missing.

If the structural sound insulation of the elevator machine and guides is poorly executed, unfortunately, vibrations from the machine and guides will be transmitted to the concrete structure and then radiate as so-called structure-borne sound in adjacent spaces. Sometimes the guides, the tracks that the elevator runs along when in operation, are not perfectly aligned, raising the risk of the elevator cab moving sideways. This movement, in turn, can result in sounds that appear grating in adjacent spaces. By adjusting the alignment of the guides, this issue can be resolved.

It is suggested that you contact the board of the building association you live in. The board will then contact the company that built the building and request measurement reports from the control measurements usually taken to obtain the final certificate for a new building. If you manage to access this measurement report, check that the person doing the measurement actually measured the sound levels from the elevators. Usually, spot checks are done in a selection of apartments.

Minimum requirements according to the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning's building regulations (BBR, from BBR 20) are that the equivalent sound level (in spaces for sleeping, resting, and daily living) must not be higher than 25 dBA and that the maximum sound level must not be higher than 35 dBA. These requirements apply all day and night. If the building is designed to meet, for example, sound class B, which is a sound class with stricter requirements than BBR, the requirement for equivalent and maximum sound level is tightened by 4 dB.

https://www.boverket.se/sv/lag--ratt/forfattningssamling/gallande/bbr---bfs-20116/

Hope you manage to resolve the sound issues you describe.

Good luck!!

 

[gos84]

If you measure in a furnished room, it is not allowed according to the standard to adjust by -3 dB. This is only done if you measure in an unfurnished room and want to adjust to what would have been the case if the room were normally furnished, with a reverberation time of 0.5 s.

Exactly, I missed an "o".

 

[markaner]

Hello,

Judging by what you write, I assume you live in a concrete house.

Vibrations are effectively transmitted and unfortunately relatively far in buildings with a concrete frame.

If you knock on the wall in your apartment closest to the elevator, you can easily determine if it's made of concrete or if the inner part of the wall is a lightweight wall consisting of gypsum boards and steel studs. Elevator shafts are normally made of concrete. To reduce the risk of sound transmission through the elevator shaft wall, a freestanding additional insulation of the elevator shaft wall is often prescribed in the design phase. Typically, 2x13 mm gypsum on a 45 mm steel stud and 45 mm mineral wool with about 10-15 mm air gap between the steel stud and the concrete wall. If the wall against the elevator is perceived to be made of concrete, this additional insulation is likely missing.

If the structure-borne sound insulation of the elevator machinery and guide rails is poorly executed, vibrations from the machinery and guide rails will unfortunately be transferred to the concrete frame and then radiate as so-called structure-borne noise in adjacent spaces. Sometimes if the guide rails, the tracks along which the elevator runs, are not perfectly aligned, there's a risk that the elevator car will move sideways. This movement can in turn cause scraping noises to be heard in adjacent spaces. By adjusting the alignment of the guide rails, one can remedy this problem.

You might consider contacting the board of the housing association you reside in. The board can then contact the company that built the house and request measurement protocols from the inspection usually performed to obtain the final certification for a new building. If you manage to gain access to this measurement protocol, check whether the noise levels from the elevators were indeed measured as part of the inspection. Usually, random checks are performed in a selection of apartments.

The minimum requirements according to the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning's building regulations (BBR, from BBR 20) are that the equivalent sound level (in spaces for sleep, rest, and daily living) must not be higher than 25 dBA and the maximum sound level must not be higher than 35 dBA. These requirements apply around the clock. If the building is designed to meet, for example, sound class B, which is a stricter requirement than BBR, the requirement regarding equivalent and maximum sound level is tightened by 4 dB.

[link]

Hope you succeed in resolving the sound issues you describe.

Good luck!!

Hello!

Thank you for a very detailed response! I have been handling this process with the developer, who is still on-site completing other parts of the building, for 2.5 months now. I had an acoustician here who measured the sound and noted that it was clearly above the limit (closer to 45 dB maximum, I believe). They have now fixed this by replacing the elevator brake. However, the elevator continues to make noise otherwise as it goes up and down, only that the final impact noise has disappeared by about 90%.

Now I have had an acoustician here again who thought this was good enough (maybe even class B, they said), but that they will analyze the data further. This is, however, a fairly nice newly built residence, so I believe it should be designed for sound class B, though I don't know if it is. In any case, I hope now that it still sounds too much and that they will be forced to fix it. Otherwise, the elevator is probably clearly above 35 dB approximately every 30th time now, but this is probably some incorrect setting that still wouldn't resolve the most disturbing noise that occurs every time the elevator moves.

You are right that the wall is made of concrete. There is also no form of insulation, which the developer says they could fix (maybe provided it still sounds too much, not really sure), but the wall would then project about 12 cm further, which I obviously want to avoid as much as possible. Or could this be something I have the right to receive compensation for since the wall is about 5 meters long and thus becomes quite a bit of area that I feel I have paid for? Additionally, I took the opportunity to peek into the shaft when they changed the brake and saw that all the machinery was attached to my wall. This was something I questioned, and they claimed that this is not usually done specifically because it can increase structural noise. So, the combination of no insulation and the machinery being attached to my wall seems likely to be two strong contributing factors to why it's noisy in my apartment.

However, it feels like the sound also travels through the floor as I hear the elevator sound even more clearly if I put my ear to the floor, which makes me think the elevator itself is poorly installed. If I remember correctly, the elevator repairman also said the elevator is rated for sound class A, which, if that's the case, makes it even more puzzling why it sounds as it does in my apartment.

I'm really getting tired of the situation now. It feels like people here on the forum are much more competent than the acousticians and the developer, who mostly seem to be rambling.

 

[nomoD2]

Hello,

I work as an acoustician and have designed multiple apartment buildings during the 12 years I've been doing this. We always prescribe that the elevator motor and the guide rails should be vibration-isolated against a heavy building part (against the elevator shaft which usually consists of about 200mm concrete) and that the concrete wall should additionally be isolated independently on the residential side. 2x13 mm gypsum is screwed onto a 70 mm steel stud and 70 mm mineral wool, and the steel studs are placed about 10-15 mm from the concrete wall. The c/-distance between the studs is usually 450 mm to match the width of the gypsum boards (900 mm). As long as part of the problem is due to structure-borne noise, the noise issue won't be fully resolved by an independent additional insulation of the concrete wall to which the elevator is mounted.

Do you have a vaulted ceiling or a flat ceiling in your apartment? If you have a vaulted ceiling and the elevator stops have a protruding part on the outer roof, the partition wall against the elevator shaft probably has a concrete wall all the way to the ridge. If the elevator shaft fits within the attic, there is some risk that the upper part of your wall against the attic is a lightweight wall. By knocking on the upper part of the wall, you can listen to whether the upper part of the wall is concrete or gypsum. A gypsum wall sounds more hollow.

The compensation question is probably a question you should address to your housing association, who can take the matter further with the construction company that built the house.

 

[Marcusskold]

One thing to mention if it is a condominium. Considering that the apartment does not meet the requirements, you need to add an insulating wall against the elevator wall. This means a reduced living area. If 1 square meter is lost in total, it's a lot of money overall. Say the property averaged 25000 SEK/sqm, then you lose quite a bit of money... calculate 105mm x the length of the room. Is this something you can complain to the seller about?

 

[markaner]

Hello,

I work as an acoustician and have designed several residential buildings during the 12 years I have been working in this field. We always specify that the elevator motor and guide rails should be vibration isolated against a heavy structural component (usually the elevator shaft consisting of approx. 200mm concrete) and that the concrete wall should be additionally insulated independently on the residential side. 2x13 mm gypsum board is screwed to a 70 mm steel frame and 70 mm mineral wool, with the steel frames positioned about 10-15 mm from the concrete wall. The c/c distance between the frames is usually 450 mm to match the width of the gypsum boards (900 mm). As long as part of the problem stems from structural noise, the noise issue will not be completely resolved with the help of an independent additional insulation of the concrete wall to which the elevator is mounted.

Do you have a vaulted ceiling or a flat ceiling in your apartment? If you have a vaulted ceiling and the elevator top has a protruding part on the exterior roof, the partition wall against the elevator shaft is likely a concrete wall all the way to the ridge. If the elevator shaft fits within the attic, there's a risk that the upper part of your wall against the attic is a light wall. By tapping the upper part of the wall, you can listen to whether the upper part is concrete or gypsum. A gypsum wall sounds more hollow.

The compensation question should probably be asked to your housing association, which can then take the matter further with the construction company that built the house.

Hello again,

I have a flat ceiling in the apartment. Additionally, the ceiling height is 3.25 m, which increases the echo and noise level of the racket even further. The entire wall is concrete from floor to ceiling. I have absolutely no idea if they have vibration isolated the guide rails and elevator motor. Is this something that can be done afterwards?

How do I know if the sound is stemming from structural noise or not? I suppose it partly is structural noise since I hear it more clearly when I place my ear against the floor? It feels very disappointing if they would put a wall and still not eliminate the noise properly!

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, this is a new build, so I am currently in direct contact with the construction company.

 

[markaner]

One thing to mention if it's a condominium. Considering that the apartment does not meet the requirements, you need to add an insulating wall against the elevator wall. This means reduced usable floor area. If you lose 1 sqm in total, it is a lot of money in the end. Say that the apartment averaged 25,000 SEK/sqm, you lose quite a bit of money... calculate 105mm x the length of the room. Is this something you can complain about to the seller?

As I mentioned above, I am in direct contact with the construction company through which I bought the condominium, as they are still on site and working on other parts of the property. The wall is about 5m long and as I understood it, the wall would be nearly 120mm thick. The price per square meter is about 70,000 SEK, so in that sense, it's a lot of money, which feels completely wrong when I've bought a brand-new apartment which is expected to meet legislated sound requirements. Whether I can demand money for this or not, I don't know much about, but I would absolutely try.

 

[J-stedt]

In an older house – the one I live in was built in the early 60s – structure-borne noise travels incredibly far. In "my" house, the concrete seems to be extra hard (a drill is not enough, a hammer drill is required) and it's impossible to determine where the banging and machinery noise is coming from when you're surrounded by it. (Psychologically, you often attribute noises to above, no matter where they are actually coming from.)

The elevator certainly bothers me as well.
Reasonably, the entire machinery should be able to be mounted on insulating blocks. There are secure ones for industrial machines.