I'm in a duplex as well, I think there is a 1' empty space between our walls as well, and then 2x6's for outside walls. Basically, it was explained to us as if they built two compeltely separate houses and they are joined only superficially on the outside of the house.
There is only one situation where we hear our neighbors and that is when their son who must weigh well over 300 lbs goes tearing up and down the stairs. Other than that, you'd never know - no smells, other sounds, etc.
Slightly off-topic, but my neighbour and I are looking to finally get our garage built this spring. We live in an attached infill and of course will build a shared wall garage.
It sounds as though I'm going to want a wider garage than the neighbour, is it possible/ allowed to have different dimensions on either side of a shared wall garage?
Anyone have any experience with building a shared wall garage? I assume it's fairly straight forward and not that different than building a standard double.
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Slightly off-topic, but my neighbour and I are looking to finally get our garage built this spring. We live in an attached infill and of course will build a shared wall garage.
It sounds as though I'm going to want a wider garage than the neighbour, is it possible/ allowed to have different dimensions on either side of a shared wall garage?
Anyone have any experience with building a shared wall garage? I assume it's fairly straight forward and not that different than building a standard double.
you can have a larger garage on your side, as long as you fit under the 45% lot coverage. a lot of the time, the house is designed with a standard 20'x21' garage in mind when the lot coverage is being calculated.
example:
3000 sq ft lot (25'x120') = 1350 sq ft (45%)
1350 sq ft - garage (20'x21'= 420 sq ft) = 930 sq ft for house.
Looking for help on this. We're looking at duplexes and the one we're considering doesn't have the ICF party wall. Seems to be the 2x6 walls on either side and then insulation and a plate in the middle (I might have misheard).
My question is, how much better is an ICF party wall versus say just separate walls with air/insulation. If it's not significant it might not be an issue but if it's a massive difference it might be a deal breaker.
Also, experiences living in duplex would be much appreciated.
I lived in a Morrison Homes duplex in West Springs, built in 2000 IIRC. A number of neighbours moved in / out over the 5 years I was there and never had any problems with noise or smell with any of them.
Infill site - The redevelopment of land that has adjacent buildings, for example along a row of terraced houses where one has been demolished or where a gap always existed.
Triviality but it's actually classified as a semi-detached. Duplex is units one above another.
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Looking for help on this. We're looking at duplexes and the one we're considering doesn't have the ICF party wall. Seems to be the 2x6 walls on either side and then insulation and a plate in the middle (I might have misheard).
My question is, how much better is an ICF party wall versus say just separate walls with air/insulation. If it's not significant it might not be an issue but if it's a massive difference it might be a deal breaker.
Also, experiences living in duplex would be much appreciated.
most semi-detached homes don't have an icf party wall. typical construction (cheapest for builder) is the 2x6 party wall. there is nothing wrong with a 2x6 party wall, but some are better than others. i design homes for a living, so if i had to live in a 2x6 party wall house, i would want to make sure that there are resilient channels on both sides, to ensure less vibration gets passed thru the wall. also, make sure there is 2 ply type 'x' drywall on either side of the wall. if it's a relatively new construction, ask to see the building plans and look over the party wall detail for specs.
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Seems as though most of the houses we've been looking at in the Hillhurst, Altadore, Richmond Park area have the ICF wall but that could also be a function of the price of those homes.
It is a relatively new constructions, we have two small dogs and obviously will be looking at having kids in the future so I just don't want to piss my neighbours on a consistent basis and vice versa.
I saw an old episode of Holmes on Homes where they RE-soundproofed a regular party wall. They replaced the drywall with some special new drywall that has a rubber membrane embedded in it, and then they put special rubber gaskets and soundproofer on all the electrical outlets. He did a couple other things too. Apparently it really did the trick....so there is always the option of fixing it if after you move in.
“Such suburban models are being rationalized as ‘what people want,’ when in fact they are simply what is most expedient to produce. The truth is that what people want is a decent place to live, not just a suburban version of a decent place to live.”
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Thank you for everything CP. Good memories and thankful for everything that has been done to help me out. I will no longer take part on these boards. Take care, Go Flames Go.
Ya thats it, thanks Addik.
That drywall is pretty cool. Not rubber embedded, but actually 'viscoelastic polymer' embedded around a thin metal sheet and accoustically equivalent to 8 sheets of standard board. Around $100 a sheet, whereas regular type x is $10 a sheet.
