Haha, elephants upstairs...been there. Decoupling is definitely the gold standard, but I've also seen some decent results with cork underlayment beneath hardwood floors. Not perfect, but it softened the stomping enough that I stopped plotting revenge at 2am...mostly.
I've tried cork underlayment too, and while it did help a bit, I found dense wool rugs actually made a bigger difference in my old place. Hardwood floors in historic homes can be tricky...sometimes simpler solutions surprise you.
"sometimes simpler solutions surprise you."
Haha, totally agree with this! When I first moved into my creaky old house, I nearly dropped serious cash on fancy insulation. But then I stumbled onto a budget-friendly hack: thick curtains and second-hand rugs. Step one: hit up thrift stores for heavy curtains (bonus points if they're ugly enough to scare away noise). Step two: layer rugs strategically—turns out grandma's shaggy carpet from the '70s works wonders. My wallet thanked me, and my ears did too...mostly.
I get the appeal of curtains and rugs, but honestly, proper insulation does make a noticeable difference. I remodeled an older place last year and went with sound-blocking insulation in shared walls. It wasn't cheap, but the results were impressive—especially for low-frequency noises like footsteps or bass from music. Rugs and curtains help with echoes and higher-pitched sounds, sure...but if you're dealing with serious noise issues, insulation is worth considering. Just my two cents from experience.
I totally get what you're saying about insulation being a game changer. When I renovated my place, I went with eco-friendly insulation made from recycled denim (yeah, old jeans—pretty cool, right?). Honestly, I was skeptical at first because it sounded a bit gimmicky, but the results surprised me. It didn't just help with temperature control and energy efficiency; it noticeably reduced noise transfer too.
Now, I'm not saying it's as hardcore as specialized sound-blocking insulation designed specifically for acoustics, but it definitely made a difference. Before the remodel, I could hear my neighbor's TV through the shared wall pretty clearly—especially when they watched action movies or something bass-heavy. After installing the denim insulation, it's more like a muffled hum. Not perfect silence, but way better than before.
I agree rugs and curtains are great for softening echoes and making rooms feel cozy (plus they're easy to swap out if you want to change your decor vibe). But if you're dealing with serious noise issues—like loud neighbors or street traffic—investing in proper insulation is worth it in the long run. Plus, choosing sustainable materials can make you feel good about your decision environmentally too.
Just thought I'd share my experience since it seems relevant here...
