Are townhouses/condos in LA any more soundproof that apartments?

Question

Title says it all. I've had so many bad experiences with shared walls/floors/ceilings that I'm trying to limit myself to small back houses, but there aren't that many around in the areas I'm considering. This leaves apartment buildings, townhouses and condos. In general, is there any reason to believe that one of these should have more soundproofing than any other?

Thanks.

Thanks.

myrjam · Answer

The best soundproofing I have found in LA is in the older, mid-century concrete buildings, especially around the Miracle Mile and parts of West Hollywood. These were built with poured concrete floors and solid block walls, so you don't hear much of anything from your neighbors. The downside is the layouts can be a bit weird and the plumbing is old, but for quiet they are hard to beat. A lot of the newer "luxury" condos use lightweight materials to keep costs down and you end up paying more for the same noise issues.

sylvelinmandel · Answer

fwiw, a lot of the newer condo towers in downtown or century city have concrete slabs between floors which is way better than the wood frame stuff in most apartment buildings. but the tradeoff is you can still hear stuff through the shared walls if they're not double-layered drywall with insulation, which some builders cheap out on. i'd look for condos built after 2015 in ktown or along wilshire where they had to meet stricter code, those usually have the best soundproofing for the price. also, top floor units in any building are worth the extra cost, eliminates the upstairs neighbor problem entirely

hannahbruckner · Answer

honestly it depends way more on when the building was built than whether its a condo or apartment. anything constructed after like 2010 in LA is required to have better soundproofing between units, but older buildings from the 70s and 80s are basically cardboard boxes regardless of ownership structure. if you're looking at condos, check if the HOA did any soundproofing upgrades, some of the newer ones in ktown or along wilshire have concrete between floors which makes a huge difference. your best bet is still a back house or a top floor unit in a newer building tho, shared walls are always a gamble no matter what they call it

marli · Answer

tbh the biggest difference i notice is in the floor/ceiling assembly more than the walls. condos built with concrete plank or post-tension slabs are night and day vs wood truss apartments where you hear every footstep. but the catch is some of those newer concrete condos have really thin walls between units because they rely on the slab for sound control. so you might not hear your upstairs neighbor but you'll hear your next door neighbor's tv clear as day. if you're in a specific area like the westside or the valley, look for buildings that advertise "hush"

michaela · Answer

yeah the type of construction matters more than the label honestly. condos built in the last 10 years with concrete and steel are prob your best bet, but older conversions from the 80s where they just slapped drywall over wood framing are just as bad as apartments. if you can find a place with staggered studs or double drywall with green glue in between that's the gold standard, but most ppl don't know to ask about that. top floor corner units in a newer concrete building are your safest move, eliminates two out of three shared surfaces

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