• Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
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      11 months ago

      eh provided the building isn’t absolute dogshit (american buildings seem to be made of cardboard and styrofoam) even apartments can let you make quite a lot of noise without it being audible even the next room over.

      I live in a bog-standard swedish million-programme apartment, which is basically just concrete, and i can play music louder than is healthy for my hearing and if i go one room over it’s like half as loud without even closing the door. It takes the upstairs neighbours dropping quite heavy things on the floor for me to remember that they exist and if i ever hear someone talking it’s because the sound travels out from their balcony and in through mine lol.

      • dan@upvote.au
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        11 months ago

        which is basically just concrete

        This is why.

        A lot of European countries have thick concrete or brick walls, especially in older houses. American (and Australian, New Zealand, etc) houses are generally a wood frame with drywall for the walls (also referred to Gyprock, gypsum board, plasterboard, or other names). It’s relatively thin, doesn’t block a lot of sound, and you could punch a hole in the wall given enough effort. Interior brick walls, when we do have them, are generally pretty thin.