Home Guru: Explaining the Symphony of Sound That Our Houses Make
By Bill Primavera – “I’ve got one last question to ask,” the very pleasant woman said after an almost two-hour showing of my lovely colonial home. “Does this house make any kind of strange noises that can’t be explained? Noises that are going to upset me?”
“That’s funny,” I responded. “I’ve actually researched and written about houses that go bump in the night – and in the day – both paranormal and otherwise. But this house, I can assure you, being over 280 years old, does emit sounds, but they’re all quite normal and friendly, and most can be explained.”
Whether old or new, the houses we live in adjust to conditions and surroundings with many different noises.
Beyond the natural settling of a house, especially during its first years after being built on top of a foundation that may or may not have been constructed well, most noises in our homes are caused by temperature change and the resulting expansion and contraction of wood and other materials used in construction.
Add to that the singing of the utilities, equipment and appliances in the house and we have an entire chorus of possibility.
Weather conditions are another factor. An extremely rainy season can change the condition of the soil and cause a house to creakily adjust to another position.
My daughter was three years old when she first made me aware of house noises. When we moved into our new house, actually a very old house built in 1734, she announced that she didn’t like the place because the floors squeaked.
When I talked to a carpenter about alleviating those squeaks, he shrugged and said that in such an old house, with some of the rooms featuring a hardwood floor on top of the original wide-board planks supported on hand-hewn logs, I might as well just pull up all the floors and start fresh.
From my awareness of those noises emitted underfoot, an entire orchestra of discordant sounds has since joined the fray.
At those times when I have been able to pinpoint the cause of a distracting noise and do something about it, it has been hugely satisfying, like the burping sound my bathroom sink made when I turned off the spigot. But other sounds were just a matter of acceptance, with no hope of eliminating them. These include the chime from the pipe to my oil tank when it is being filled, the swishing sound from the waste pipe, the occasional banging from a fireplace wall and the whistle from the release valve of my steam radiators.
Usually the shortcut to solving the problem of knocks within a wall is a good plumber who like a pipe whisperer can recognize the problem and know its solution just by listening to the noise.
The home’s utilities can make the most interesting sounds, normally within the boiler or hot water heater. When I moved into my house, I had a boiler that was described by the inspector as “older than old.” I was told it could break down the next day – or last forever. The latter was the case, but until it was replaced to achieve greater efficiency, that boiler rumbled whenever the pilot light lit the burner. It was like riding the rails every time the heat came on.
Let us not forget the added element of little critters who might enjoy our homes as much as we do, especially in winter. The fluffy tail of a squirrel squeezing through narrow spaces behind walls can announce the discomfort of not being alone. And because animals bring their food supply with them, it can sound like a soccer game being played with nuts above your head. In such cases, quickly search the yellow pages for an animal control expert, or just wait until spring when the furry guests will choose to relocate to the great outdoors.
With those pesky floor squeaks, there are different techniques to silence them, depending on whether you have access from below. If so, another person would be asked to walk across the floor and tap on the area where the squeak emanates. Then, a thin wood shim coated with carpenter’s glue can be gently tapped into the space between the joist and subfloor, being careful not to drive it in too far or it will raise the flooring.
My young daughter eventually grew accustomed to our home’s floor squeaks. When she blossomed into an adult, married and found her own home, she too fell in love with a vintage one. When I visited her for the first time, I smiled to myself when I found that the flooring in her home spoke to me. I would presume that she’s grown accustomed to that sound, and may even have fond memories when she hears it.
Bill Primavera is a Realtor® associated with William Raveis Real Estate and Founder of Primavera Public Relations, Inc. (www.PrimaveraPR.com). His real estate site is www.PrimaveraRealEstate.com, and his blog iswww.TheHomeGuru.com. To engage the services of The Home Guru to market your home for sale, call 914-522-2076.
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