sound-proofing an apartment/fat

[GhettoGospel]

Hi I live in a flimsy ass old flat, probably dated from the 50's.... i can hear everything downstairs, conversations, doors moving. I guess its worse for the lady downnstairs. I have just started using a 400w light in the bedroom and it looks like the buzzing woke the lady up as she is right mow taking a bath at 6:00 in the morning; which i can tell you hasn't happened in the last 2 months i have been here.

I havn't even put a fan up yet!!!

I want to use x4 1000w lights in the living room and i hear 1000w's is louder than a 400w

I'm happy from what i have read that i can reduce the fan noise enough, if i put the lights in a cool tube which means i can user a slower quieter fan

has anyone grown in a place like this? its turning into constant worry for me because i'm not giving up

Any advice?

I have thought about insulating the walls myself but wouldn't know how to go about it without spending 500-1000pounds which i don't have...

edit: i have another question i need to quieten the bulb/bulb socket... is there a brand that is quiter..........? hmmm

 

[bonsai]

Move house.
Seriously, sound proofing requires mechanical decoupling of an air tight environment. You have zero chance of achieving this in a rented apartment without a huge budget. I say this after 15 yrs experience building low budget audio recording facilities and practice spaces.
Change your address or change your plans. Anyone who would run a 4k op in an apartment where a 400w ballast wakes up their neighbours is mad.

 

[hippydan]

Yeah dude your only option is to move. AND you're on a budget? LOL.

My 250w digital ballast makes 0 noise, for what its worth. The fans and airpumps/waterpumps make up for it if you play on going hydro, so you're better off going soil.

 

[David762]

Can you swap out your 400 W HPS for a couple of 4 tube banks of T5 fluorescent lamps?
You probably wouldn't need fans or auxiliary air conditioning with such a setup, but it would definitely affect your level of production.

Otherwise, I would recommend moving your grow operation to some other more private location.

 

[Señor Chang]

I think the desire to grow or to make $ is blinding you to the reality of that locations weaknesses.
Best of luck staying out of trouble.

 

[stonedar]

fix your ballast (replace capacitor) or buy a digital ballast

magnetic ballasts don't have to make noise (well a noticeable noise anyway)

 

[Finepointcanon]

You sir, are not going to be able to run 4k watts in an old flat lol. Also, you're from the U.K. so this grow would be 100% illegal, this will not work.

 

[thesloppy]

Anyone who would run a 4k op in an apartment where a 400w ballast wakes up their neighbours is mad.

That pretty much says it all.

Use whatever money you were going to spend on lights and grow equipment to find a better place, and start your grow 6 months later in peace, somewhere you can sleep every night without constant worry of your neighbors and/or pending incarceration.

 

[geopolitical]

Seconded. Once you get the new place look into lead sheeting. It's cheap and amazing. Plus you'll be safe from superman.

 

[Yah`mon]

Have to agree with everyone here...
with that 4k setup you might as well go to the police station and turn yourself in ahead of time.. save you the headache and some money.

I'm not familiar with a flat... is that a rented space? Can you buy the old lady out and have the whole place to youself?

Yah`mon

 

[thedarkknight]

bad idea all around

4k when 400w makes too much noise?... and in the uk?... and on a budget?...

dude if you're worrying now.... how are you going to live in peace when you have 4k in cool tubes and other equipment/smell problems?

put your plans off for a few monthes while you investigate other options.... or you're lack of options will have you investigated.

 

[Iron_Lion]

To quiet things down you could try...

1. Insulated fan box, with egg shell foam
2. Duct muffler
3. Digital ballasts are 100% silent.

 

[supermanlives]

Seconded. Once you get the new place look into lead sheeting. It's cheap and amazing. Plus you'll be safe from superman.

nobody is safe from superman. your crazy to even think about 4 k in that situation

 

[the_baked_chef]

nobody is safe from superman. your crazy to even think about 4 k in that situation

Well you obviously could get some kryptonite (i would try ebay or craigslist for some used one), grind it to dust, mix it with the paint ant then simply paint your room with it. That should take care of your superman problem.

The sound problem will not be fixed so easy.
Just move. Its not worth the risk. Be glad that you learned of this weakness of your grow location that early and take it into consideration when you look for a new one...

 

[RetroGrow]

Seems like smell is going to be bigger problem than noise. It will permeate the entire building. As others have stated, just not a good idea all the way around.

 

[Iron_Lion]

your apartment might not have enough juice to run 4k worth of lighting, fans, a/c's etc..

I would say 4k is crazy but I bet you could run atleast 1000-1200watts in a bed room, if you sealed it up good and noise proofed. I'd be more worried about getting all the supplies in without the neighbors seeing if I was you.

 

[odium33]

well I will not beat the dead horse anymore, although yes you should not grow there, move immediately.


now assuming you are going to do it anyway, buy magnetic ballasts, dont put them directly on the floor, and dont have any mounted fans/air pumps directly on the walls, those things vibrate a shit ton, I can hear the air pump vibrating outside my garage, and its through the door, and another insulated wall that its mounted on

 

[odium33]

hahaha oh man brings back memories. one of my first grows was a 3k bedroom (rented the empty bedroom in my buddies 2bd apt) it was right in the middle of a college town, people everywhere, stones throw from the towns walmart. we used to repack everything that we couldnt cover up with a fitted sheet, and rush stuff in at 3am with a few of our friends, oh the good ole days

 

[GhettoGospel]

ok ok OK i'll start 1k see what smoke i can get out of it, then if its not enough for my needs i shall increase it. If i didn't mention this is a friends house, he says the nieghbours are ok they don't mind what is going on aslong as its quiet.

 

[b00m]

Look into getting digital ballasts like Iron Lion said as well as sound proofing materials for your room, I use egg shell cartons to sound proof my veg cab in my bedroom and Do Not Skimp On A Carbon Filter, you'll want ZERO smell living in flats, believe me on that one.
Take as many precautions as possible for your safety or like other peeps have said in this thread and move, safety is #1