From the Board of Directors, The Weekly, June 8, 2025
In 1975, the Ontario Building Code (OBC) set uniform standards and technical requirements. The primary focus at that time was to minimize risk related to structural failures.
There were few requirements provided for insulation and no requirements for sound transmission (STC – sound transmission class as it is known today – was not introduced to the building code until 2020).
Woodsworth was built in 1978, and the first members arrived in 1979. Both the mid-rise and the townhouses were built to standard, at that time.
What we’ve learned about the mid-rise since then:
- The parquet floors were laid directly on the cement with no sound abatement material under them (in fact the only floor to have sound abatement under it is the penthouse which was added when we put in the new floor).
- There is limited insulation and no soundproofing between the units.
What we’ve learned about the townhouses:
- The floors and ceilings are built of wood. The subfloor is laid on the joists, with little insulation and no sound abatement material. This is also true of the walls .
All of this has led to an inherent problem with sound transmission that is not present in buildings built after 2020. The board has investigated sound proofing in the past. Improvements would require removing all drywall and ceilings.
To remediate the issues, each townhouse would cost approximately $100,000. Unfortunately, it isn’t financially feasible for the co-op to undertake this work. Knowing these facts about the infrastructure of our buildings, it’s important that we are understanding and tolerant of each other when it comes to noise as we live our daily lives together in this co operative community.