Have what sounds like bass and vibration coming through my bedroom wall (facing outdoors) but no viable source

Question

The bannister on the staircase near same wall also vibrates, but I cannot hear any type of similar noise when I go outside. Could other traffic noises be masking the source? It goes on all night long and cannot be heard in other parts of the house. I do not have on any electronics near that wall and cannot figure out why it is doing it.

The sound I am hearing is not reedy... it is a bass thumping... like when someone has their car radio up too loud.

Answer 1

It may be wind or a low frequency sound that your ears can't perceive, but that the large area of your bedroom wall will pick up and amplify. But to rule out an electrical/electronic source in your home, throw the main circuit breaker on your breaker panel when this is happening, to see if the vibration stops. Most likely the vibration will continue, but at least you will have ruled out a source in your own home.

You might talk to your neighbors on that side of your house to see if they are experiencing the same vibration, or if perhaps they are the cause.

Another thing you could try is leaving the bedroom window open a crack. Differentials in air pressure between the inside and the outside could cause this rumbling. Leaving the window open will equalize the air pressure.

Answer 2

The white noise, egg crate, and thick draperies would probably be the most effective solution. How long do you plan on staying there though? With egg crate and sound boards on the windows, they might stick over time, and if you're going to get a new place soon, you'll have sound boards and egg crates you don't know what to do with. I would also suggest the following ideas, some of which may not work well with others... Stick your dresser, book case, or some other large and thick piece of furniture up against the window. If you're really not going to be using it, you'll be surprised how well a cieling-to-floor, wall-to-wall book case full of books can absorb sound. Set up some accordion-folding japanese style room partition panels in front of the window, for another layer inside. Get a better lock on the door. Cheap ones can let the panes rattle more, which makes more noise. Besides, you won't use it, so you may never look at it to see if it's still properly closed. The lock on the handle is usually pretty cheap. Make sure there's one on the top corner between the two panes. You can also stick something in the track... but I suppose the egg crate stuff would already be doing that. Decorate the patio. Sun shades, screening, bushes, and even potted plants can break up the sound waves before they get to the door. The bushes would be most effective, if you can get them, their leaf patterns are almost as effective as egg crates, although they will take a while to grow up enough for this purpose. Wind chimes can break things up a little too, as well as producing a sort of "white" noise of their own... although the sound of wind chimes can become a problem for some people.

Answer 3

Check the fill valve on your toilets. They sometimes start to leak (or are refilling the tank if the flapper is leaking) and since they are only opening slightly, it causes a noise like a reed instrument.

Answer 4

Do you think it could be the glass in a window vibrating?