Researcher suggests soundmark for buildings: 'I would look into it'

Researcher suggests sound marker for apartments: 'I would definitely look for it'

Consumers should know more about how well their apartment insulates against noise, according to a researcher.

Søren Damgaard lives in Aalborg, and he would like to have a sound marker to navigate by, the next time he is looking for an apartment. (Photo: © Heidi Trillingsgaard, DR) 32 minutes ago

Loud music, arguing, vacuuming, and cars on the road.

Noise is a part of daily life for many apartment dwellers. And it is difficult to know in advance how noisy an apartment will be when moving in.

This is a problem, according to senior researcher Birgit Rasmussen from the Institute for Building, City, and Environment at Aalborg University, who researches noise and soundproofing of multi-story buildings.

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> After I have experienced noise in various places where I have lived,

> I would definitely look for a marking system

> Søren Damgaard, Aalborg

Noise can become so annoying that it can cause sleep problems, stress, or conflicts, she explains.

- Some are shocked by how much they can hear in their apartment. And some say that if only they had known it before moving in, they would never have chosen that apartment, she says.

Therefore, she believes that there is a need for a marking system. Similar to an energy label that tells how well a building uses energy, a sound label should provide more information about an apartment's soundproofing.

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Focus is rarely on the building

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You may have heard about your noisy neighbor. But in fact, there is a need for less focus on the neighbor – and more focus on how the building is constructed, according to Birgit Rasmussen.

- When noise becomes a problem, people often say that it is the complainant who is too sensitive, or the neighbors who are too loud. It is rare that we give the building any responsibility, she says.

A sound label should, according to her, tell how much sound insulation there is in walls, floor-ceiling insulation, and facade.

Søren Damgaard, who lives in Aalborg, thinks that the sound label is a good idea. He is currently hearing a lot of construction noise outside his window.

- After I have experienced noise in various places where I have lived, I would definitely look for a marking system, he says.

Claus Kold also lives in Aalborg, and he sometimes has trouble falling asleep due to noise.

But he does not believe that a poor rating on a sound label would deter him from moving into an apartment.

- I can easily tolerate living centrally, and often it is in old buildings where you can hear the neighbors, he says.

For Claus Kold, location is more important than noise. (Photo: © Heidi Trillingsgaard, DR)

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Housing association: 'Sound marker does not solve everything'

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At Himmerlands Housing Association, director Ole Nielsen calls the idea of a sound marker sympathetic, but he does not believe it will work as intended.

For example, the sound marker does not show how noisy the neighbors are.

In addition, it is impossible to completely eliminate noise in apartment complexes.

- When we renovate older buildings, they will meet today's standards for soundproofing. But that does not mean that you will never be able to hear your neighbor, says Ole Nielsen.

But Emilie Vestgaard thinks that the sound marker will have value for her.

Emilie Vestgaard commutes daily to study in Aalborg, among other things, the city's noise deters her from moving there to rent an apartment. (Photo: © Heidi Trillingsgaard, DR)

She lives in the village of Tylstrup and has considered moving to Aalborg, where she studies, but so far, the noise has prevented her from doing so.

- I need a little more quiet than most, so it's really nice to know how noisy it is before I rent something, she says.

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