# Houses made with Cement block foundations



## Xilbus (May 21, 2008)

Greetings everyone, 

I just bought a semi detached house. The foundation "basement walls" are cement blocks or concrete blocks. Are houses built with cement blocks or concrete blocks concidered more cheaply made  then a house with a poured concete foundation?

I can hear lots of foot steps from my neighbour on the second floor 

Thanks


----------



## JulieC (May 21, 2008)

I don't think so.  It shouldn't have anything at all to do with hearing your upstairs neighbor, that would be lack of insulation/sound deadening between the first and second floor.


----------



## kayokayo (May 22, 2008)

I've lived in a block house (entire structure) for four years as a renter and just purchased one of my own.  I don't think that they are cheaply made--they are great in the summer because the walls are actually cool to the touch.  I can be outside in the heat and walk inside my house without the air conditioner on and the house feels 10-15 degrees cooler.  A bit cooler in the winter but I've yet to have a winter in the new house, so it could be different.  

Aesthetically, they're not the best, but we had the interior walls covered with stucco and it livened things up a bit.


----------



## glennjanie (May 22, 2008)

Welcome Xilbus:
A concrete block foundation is more economical to build than a poured concrete one but I would not say that makes a lower quality house, unless that poured foundation is also a basement. I would not want any basement without poured walls; ours is currently concrete blocks and you can see daylight through the cracks and water comes in the part that is underground. It is well drained and poses as a 'dry' basement but is not.
Glenn


----------



## Xilbus (May 23, 2008)

Thank you all for your replys.  I was asking because before i was in a row house with the front and back walls were poured concrete and the side walls were cement blocks and I could hear my neighbours cellphone and sometimes sneezing it was really bad and now in my semi  I can hear less noise but lots of vibration. To someone like me who doesnt know much I was thinking that the seperation walls were made cheap. 

Is there something that I can add to the drywall lets say in my bedroom that will cut down on noise and is not ultra expensive?


----------



## glennjanie (May 23, 2008)

Hey Xulbus:
In radio studios, where the sound is a problem, we use carpet on the walls or, in some cases egg crate shaped foam.
Glenn


----------



## inspectorD (May 26, 2008)

Just please cover any material which is flammable that you add to your walls. In RI an entire night club burned to the ground in 10 minutes and over 100 people lost their lives. The reason was foam applied to the walls for the bands to play. 
Foam burns fast, ever seen a couch burn...it's gone in 1 minute.

Just playin the fire marshall on this one.

You could add blue board insulation and sheetrock over it. 
Or install some ear plugs into the the ol' ears. 

Good luck.


----------



## gerrit duits (Jul 6, 2008)

inspector d you could give a proper advise,only advise about smoke detectors ok
 use for high R rating for sound and termal insulation as this helps a lot.


----------



## inspectorD (Jul 6, 2008)

What info was ..not good in your opinion?


----------

