Replies

1. 
   Buglehead | Jul 19, 2003 07:53am | #1

   First, are the stairs yours, or the property of the condo association?

   Second, if they are yours, how often are they used while you need quiet?  Stair noise (in moderation) can be a useful herald of approaching guests.

   So, if they are yours to monkey with, go first for the low-hanging fruit.  Glue some outdoor carpet onto the treads to soften impact noise.  If the stringer system is resonating, that is harder to mitigate.  My first instinct when posting was to write one single word: concrete.  But it may or may not help.  By this I was meaning to shift the resonant frequency to a less annoying one with a faster decay rate by encasing some of the steel in concrete, which would be a lot of work done properly.  You are going to need to play around with this thing to find a way to damp it out.  5-gallon pail of silly putty?  Good luck.

2. 
   Piffin | Jul 19, 2003 09:02pm | #2

   The easiest solutions like foam and carpet woiuld need to be fireproof to meet codes

   .

   Excellence is its own reward!