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

[markaner]

Hello,
I moved into a brand new apartment a month ago. I'm very pleased with most things, except that I get noise from my ceiling even though I live on the top floor. Otherwise, the apartment is very well-insulated, which only amplifies the noise when it does start. What bothers me the most is the elevator, which I hear every time it starts up, regardless of the floor. It begins with a thud, then the motor rumbles and ends with another thud and a loud clicking sound. As they are still on-site finishing the building, 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 the sound also comes from the ceiling in rooms that are not adjacent to the elevator. An interesting thing is that my apartment got an extra high ceiling (3.25m) due to what seems to be a mistake in the plans that they say allowed for it. I don't know if this could have anything to do with the issue.

They are also drilling in the basement, which sounds very loud in my apartment. The strange thing is that it sounds as if they are drilling above me, even though I live on the top floor, on the 7th floor. The drilling noise from the basement will eventually stop since there are still construction workers working for another month, so that is manageable. However, the elevator noise is incredibly disturbing to me, and it feels like there is something wrong with the insulation when I hear both these noises from my ceiling and not from the front door, for example.

Does anyone have any idea how the sound can enter the apartment so easily and how it could be solved? I'm going crazy hearing it go back and forth all day now that I'm also working from home for another month ahead.

 

[etompau]

Structure-borne noise from a bolted-down elevator machinery. Probably not much you can do about it.

 

[markaner]

Structure-borne noise from a bolted-down elevator machinery. Probably not much you can do about this.

Are you saying they can't dampen the vibrations? How is it usually done? Because I can't imagine this is how it normally sounds when you live at the top when the elevator machinery is in newly built apartments.

It feels completely unreasonable for it to sound like this in a newly built apartment that I've paid a relatively large amount of money for. I've measured the clicking sound to barely 45 decibels (via mobile app, so not very reliable), which, as I understand, is at the high end for single-event noise, and this is repetitive.

Edit: This is a large property, so there are several stairwells and they haven't received complaints from anyone else living at the top. I can't imagine it sounds the same in their apartments then. So they've probably managed it better there if that's the case.

 

[etompau]

The elevator machinery is located near your apartment, and when the motor starts up, it's inevitable that various noises occur. It's unlikely that there is an imbalance or other faults with the machine if the elevator is now open for traffic.

 

[markaner]

The elevator machinery is located near your apartment, and when the motor starts, it is inevitable that some noise occurs. It's unlikely that there is an imbalance or other faults with the machine if the elevator is open for traffic.

Absolutely, an elevator makes noise. But I don't think it's normal for so much noise to come through. They will come and check it and listen tomorrow. If they don't find a solution, they will call in an expert in building acoustics, and we'll see what they have to say.

 

[Fotografen]

It's not like the increased ceiling height in your apartment was originally intended for soundproofing? I'm not a structural engineer, I'm just guessing...?

 

[C.Lundin]

How loud is it really? If you use the Work Environment Authority's noise app, it tends to be surprisingly reliable. If 45 dB is correct, it's not a particularly remarkable sound. For comparison, at work we are allowed to make noise at night so that the noise level is 42 dB in nearby apartments and considerably higher during the day. 40-45 dB is also the level of conversation or really quiet household appliances.

 

[markaner]

Isn't it that the increased ceiling height in your apartment was originally intended for soundproofing? I'm not a structural engineer, I'm just guessing...?

Well, I've asked them about it but they say it is insulated as it should be and that they simply "had space" for it.

 

[markaner]

How loud is it really? If you use the Swedish Work Environment Authority's noise app, it tends to be surprisingly reliable.
If 45 dB is correct, then it's not a particularly remarkable sound.
For comparison, at work we are allowed to make enough noise at night that the noise level is 42 dB in nearby apartments and significantly higher during the day. 40-45 dB is also what conversational level or really quiet appliances are at.

Sounds a bit strange.. Are you sure you're not 10 dB too high now in what you're writing? You can't be making noise so it's a bit loud like a conversation inside other people's apartments at night, can you? The elevator sounds significantly louder than a refrigerator, etc. when it's running anyway. The maximum sound seems to be allowed to be 45 dB from what I've understood in bedrooms and living rooms.

Anyway, the sound can be heard over the TV and music, especially the last clicks. I also think that sound can be higher than 45 dB but that it is so brief that the app doesn't react fully. But no, it's not loud in itself but enough to be extremely disturbing when you're sitting in an otherwise completely silent home.

 

[C.Lundin]

Sounds a bit strange... Are you sure you're not 10 db too high in what you're writing? You can't be making noise that's as loud as a conversation inside others' apartments at night, can you? The elevator sounds significantly louder than the refrigerator, etc., when it's running at least. The maximum noise seems to be allowed at 45 db from what I understand in bedrooms and living rooms.

Anyway, the sound is audible over the TV and music, especially the final click. I also think that sound can be more than 45 db, but it's so brief that the app doesn't react completely. But no, it's not loud in itself but enough to be extremely disturbing when sitting in an otherwise completely quiet home.

Absolutely sure. On the other hand, I probably got fixated on the number you wrote; it could just as easily have been measured totally incorrectly.
Hard to know if it is actually normal or not. I've never lived in an apartment with an elevator in the building, but I've often visited friends, and from what I can recall, the elevator has always been audible if the apartment is somewhat close to the shaft.

 

[markaner]

Absolutely sure. But on the other hand, I probably got fixated on the number you wrote, it might just as well have been measured completely wrong.
Hard to know if it's actually normal or not. I've personally never lived in an apartment with an elevator in the building, but I've often visited people, and as far as I can recall, the elevator has always been heard if the apartment is reasonably close to the shaft.

Okay! As I said, I think it sounds louder than I've measured, but above all, there's a very distinct tone that you can hear no matter what you're doing unless you're banging on pots, basically. Anyway, I haven't heard elevators this clearly in other apartments and would be surprised if this is what one should expect. The biggest reason for me to live on the top floor was to avoid getting noise from the person above, but now I've got an elevator that sounds significantly worse. We'll see what the project manager says tomorrow morning when they come here! Fingers crossed that they also think it sounds too much.

 

[Avemo]

Does it make noise all the time or is it just the contactors clattering during start and stop? New elevators are usually quite quiet except for the contactors at start and stop. But they can also make some noise if the frequency converter is not properly adjusted.

 

[markaner]

Does it make noise all the time or is it just the clattering contactors when starting and stopping? New elevators usually tend to be quite quiet except for the contactors at start and stop. But they can also make some noise if the frequency converter isn't set up properly.

It makes noise all the time, but especially at start and stop.

Anyway, it's become a lot of elevator focus. There is sound from my ceiling when the workers put tools down on the ground in the basement 8 floors below me. So, I'm not entirely convinced that it's the elevator itself that's making too much noise, but it might very well be that all the sound resonates into my apartment through my ceiling for some strange reason?

 

[Magnus E K]

I don't know what the regulations about maximum noise, etc. say, but to me, that sounds completely unacceptable, and I wouldn't give up until it's resolved (or alternatively, move). I've lived in two apartments with elevators (not on the top floor but with the shaft next to it), one built in 1974 and one built in 2006, and rarely or never heard anything from the elevator, even when it was completely quiet otherwise (however, not infrequently noise from neighbors' apartments and from outside). In the newer one (newly built rental), there was initially a sound that I thought came from the elevator but turned out to come from a staircase inside the split-level apartment opposite, and disappeared completely when they tightened some bolts that were apparently not fastened properly.

 

[clabbe]

Hello,
I moved into a brand new apartment a month ago. I'm very pleased with most things except that I hear noise from my ceiling even though I live on the top floor. Otherwise, the apartment is very well insulated, which only amplifies it further when it does start to sound. What bothers me the most is the elevator, which I hear every time it starts up, regardless of the floor. It begins more like a thud, then rumbles from the motor, ending with another thud and a loud clicking sound. Since they are still on-site and completing the property, I have talked to them, and they have checked that the insulation is as it should be. The house and my ceiling are made of concrete. I live next to the elevator, but it also sounds from the ceiling in rooms that are not adjacent to the elevator. An interesting thing is that my apartment got an extra high ceiling (3.25m) due to what seems to be a mistake in the drawings that, according to them, made it possible. If this can have anything to do with the matter, I don't know.

They are also drilling down in the basement, which sounds very loud inside my apartment. The strange thing is that it sounds like they are drilling above me even though I live on the top floor on the 7th floor. The drilling noise from the basement will go away since it is still construction workers working now for another month, so that is bearable. But the elevator noise is incredibly disturbing, in my opinion, and it feels like there is something wrong with the insulation when I hear both these noises from my ceiling and not from the front door, for example.

Does anyone have any thoughts on how the noise can come in so easily in the apartment and how it can be resolved? I'm going crazy hearing it go back and forth all day now that I'm also working from home for a month ahead.

The noise you hear during start and stop from the elevator is the brakes. Depending on the make of the elevator, in some cases, it is possible to adjust the stroke length of the brakes; less stroke = less noise.
Today's elevators no longer have a machine room "in the attic," but the machine and all electronics are located in the shaft on the top floor.
If it is not properly executed with rubber mountings etc., it very easily becomes structure-borne noise.
If there are more staircases built the same way, I suggest you check if you can go into a neighbor's place to listen.

Then we humans perceive sound very differently; something that someone finds incredibly disturbing may not be noticed at all by another. /Regards Claes