(please don't) Shake the Shack

August 15, 2007 12:04 PM

I wanna dance but I am driving the neighbors crazy. Can I stop the shaking?

I have a dance/workout tape that I adore and I used to do it my old apartment. I purchased an apartment about a year ago and haven't done the tape since because the floor is super squeaky and bendy. I am sure the entire apartment building can hear me (and feel me) jumping about. Is there anything that I can do, like build a platform to sit on top of the carpet? Can I just lay down a piece of plywood?

posted by Foam Pants to sports, hobbies, & recreation (4 comments total)

Unless people complain, dance away. How long could you possibly do it for? An hour or two? Tolerable amounts of time to put up with noise from neighbors, in my opinion.
posted by agregoli at 12:24 PM on August 15, 2007

I like to play Dance Dance Revolution and my neighbors complained so I tried like plywood on top of foam and even that didn't stop the low frequency vibrations. I think your best bet is to dance during the times of day when nobody's home or nobody minds.

Talk to your neighbors and let them what you're up to and ask them what times are better.
posted by aubilenon at 12:31 PM on August 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

I'm with aubilenon on this one -- you are a good person for thinking of your neighbors. You shouldn't force them to complain. Talk to them and see if there's some time when it'd be better for them. Say you do some dance workouting, but you want to minimize the bother for them, rather than asking them if it's OK.
posted by YoungAmerican at 1:06 PM on August 15, 2007

Loose floorboards can usually be made less squeaky. Start by brushing baby powder into the cracks between boards. Get as much as possible jammed in there. This alone can make quite a difference.

For any that are still loose, a few long finish nails should do the trick. As long as you tap 'em in flush with the wood (or drill a countersink hole so they can be slightly recessed), those tiny heads become practically invisible.

This of course is assuming you have wood floors.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 3:15 PM on August 15, 2007