Frequent questions & replies help in diagnosing & curing building noises.

Questions about building noise control, tracking down wierd building sounds, soundproofing, or just diagnosing what the heck is making that sound?

This article series includes catalogs of types of building noises & sounds, common sources for each of these noises, & methods of sound or noise control in buildings during construction or as a building retrofit.

FAQs: Find the Source of Snoring Snorting Noises & Sounds in Buildings

These discussions of finding and curing the source of noises at, in, or around buildings were posted originally at NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE - topic home. Be sure to see the suggestions found there for diagnosing and stopping aggravating building noises.

Question: snoring noise coming from Victorian House

About the beginning of the summer our Victorian house started making a snoring noise (a guess is below 45 db) intermittently day and night. The sound is most noticeable from the dormer bedroom in the attic but can also be heard from the living room underneath the dormer room.

At first we thought it was a motor of some sort but we've ruled out my mother-in-law sewing in the room below the living room and the solar-powered attic exhaust fan motor (roofer said it only operates during the day).

Because of the lack of street noise, the sound seems much louder at night and is quite a nuisance. What is causing this noise? - Karen 9/22/12

Reply:

Karen,

With virtually no information about your entire home, offering an explicit answer to "What is causing this noise" would be silly.

Some effort to track down the sound to source is what's needed. Some solar devices include a rechargeable battery, so from your note, I'd start by disconnecting the fan entirely to be sure you can rule out that sound source.

Check out our sound diagnostic approach described

at HOW TO USE a SOUND EVENT LOG of which I summarize some ideas just below

Two general approaches to tracking down the source of noises in buildings include:

1. Where is noise loudest?
   
   Using people with acute hearing and/or supplementing with noise amplification equipment (some very inexpensive devices are available and can help, such as from Radio Shack), explore the building inside and out to get closest to the sound source.
   
   Add use of a mechanic's stethoscope.
2. What conditions seem to correlate with noise production:
   
   Keep a log of factors that can help identify noise source such as
   
   - Time of day
   
   - Weather conditions: temperature swings, rain, wind, wind direction, wind force
   
   - External conditions: equipment operating in the neighborhood or at neighbors
   
   - Internal building conditions: equipment turning on or off (try leaving suspect equipment turned off)

Snoring sounds in buildings, if not traced to a person like my uncle Sig Frucht, are often traced to something that is vibrating;

See also

• HOWLING NOISES in BUILDINGS
• HUMMING NOISES in BUILDINGS
• HVAC NOISE-5 SCREAM SING TRUMPET WHINE WUWU - scream, sing, squeal, trumpet, wawa, wowo, water gurge, whine, whistle, wuwu

 

Question: mysterious scraping sound like dragging heavy furniture across a hardwood floor

Our mystery noise sounds like someone dragging heavy furniture across a hardwood floor. It lasts two or three seconds, ten to thirty times a day. For a long time I thought it came from the basement, until I was down there when it happened.

Now I think it may be coming from the front of the house, where the water main enters the basement. Is that crazy? The noise does not seem to be related to water usage. Just bizarre. And it has gotten markedly worse over the last several months. I wish I knew who to call!

We also may have a chipmunk problem under our walkway which is in the general area of the noise. I can't think of a way they could be making it, though! Going crazy. - Amy 10/24/2012

Reply:

Amy,

First we can probably rule out a chipmunk as someone dragging heavy furniture across a floor, though I've indeed encountered some surprising cases of odd sounds traced to animals - a rolling rattling sound in an attic was traced to a raccoon who was enjoying batting christmas tree ornaments around on the attic floor.

Part of the difficulty in tracking down sounds in buildings is that they are often transmitted through the building from the actual source of the sound to some other location where they are heard - through solid walls, piping, ducts, framing members.

Nevertheless, for a mysterious sound such as the dragging scraping you describe, since I don't have an obvious explanation to offer, you might:

• Try to relate the occurrence of the sound to surrounding conditions: weather, temperature, time of day, equipment on or off, water running, toilets flushing, etc.
• Try to track the sound to its loudest point - you've already begun this by ruling out basement as an obvious sound source for this problem.
• Try using a SOUND EVENT LOG to match sound occurrence to other building or site conditions

Question: humming noise comes from my neighbor's backyard wall - maybe pool pump noise

An unbearable humming noise has been emitting from our backyard neighbor's wall for several weeks now. They have a pool and a spa so I suspect the noise is a pump of some kind. It is constant, never stops, and, though it isn't unbearable outside, the noise filters into our attic and becomes amplified.

It makes our entire house "hum." We are thinking of breaking our lease and moving, it's become so unbearable. We can't sleep and we're starting to feel physical effects from the continuous noise.

We've enlisted the help of our HOA but so far, nothing has changed. And we have been unable to speak directly with our neighbors. Is there anything I can do to mitigate the sound on my end? We've tried a white noise machine, music, earplugs. NOTHING helps. - Sophie D 1/8/2012

Reply:

Sophie D,
some noise abatement possibilities - all the reasonable ones - begin with the question of whether or not your neighbor will respond without offense to a request to look into your noise complaint.

- the humming noise, if it's coming from neighbor's pool equipment, and if it has changed recently, can be a sign that a motor has a failing bearing and needs repair or replacement soon. Better sooner than later as an overheated motor might be unsafe too.

- if the pool equipment is enclosed, sound insulation in the enclosure can significantly reduce the noise transmission out

- I would not close off your attic vents - that's likely to cause other building problems.

Reader follow up:

We finally got together with the neighbors to try and troubleshoot this noise, which they've also been hearing. It's not the pool pump, although it is clearly on its last legs and was adding to the noise. They've turned it off until it can be repaired.

The power company came out and changed a noisy transformer in the neighbor's yard but that wasn't the source. We can't locate the noise. It sounds like the motor of a large truck idling right out front.

Only it is constant, day and night. I'm at a loss for a solution. Who would be an expert in this kind of thing? A home inspector or an electrician or some other tradesman? Thanks again!

Reply:

Sophie,

You might want to try buying a low-cost directional sound amplifier and ear-buds from Radio Shack or a similar supplier, along with a mechanic's stethoscope.

The sound amplifier can help you be more clear about the direction from which an outdoor noise is emanating, and the mechanic's stethoscope can confirm sound or noise from or at a specific piece of equipment. Some home inspectors and some hygienists have sound measuring equipment (see the EXPERTS DIRECTORY at page top)

Also look around the neighborhood for generator motors, garages, places where a motor or generator or even a wind generator is running.

I have tracked noises to sewer lines in the street, transmitted from several blocks away using this method.

See our complete guide to sources of humming sounds at

• HUMMING NOISES in BUILDINGS - home, complete list

Let us know what you find - it will help others.

Question: humming noise seems wind related

We live in a 3rd floor maisonette with a flat roof and the home is at the top of a steep hill. In the last few years the landlord extended and fitted out the offices beneath us into residential flats.

Shortly afterwards we started hearing a hum which starts off quietly and then gradually intensifies in volume until it stops.

This noise starts in even a slight breeze but depends on the wind coming from either an east or westerly direction. I can describe it as "mmm" "mmm" "mmm" and is loud enough to cover daytime conversation, and keep you awake at night. Have you any suggestions as to what it could be? - DP 5/26/12

Reply:

DP if the hum is correlated with wind I'd start looking at all building surfaces, roof, walls, for a possible source of wind noise. Also it may be diagnostic to make yourself a list of all changes to the building - topics to investigate.

...

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Or see NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSTIC FAQs-5 - more recent questions & answers about finding and curing the source of building or house noises

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE - home
• SOUND CONTROL in BUILDINGS - home

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