Walls and Ceilings - Reducing common wall noise

Can anyone tell me me how to lessen the pipe sound coming from a common wall when my neighbors are running bath water?

Thanks

Short of insulating the wall, which may not be practical, you can hang a large heavy drape over the wall to help deaden sound. Just part of live in most multifamily dwellings.

What is involved in insulating the walls? Can it be done on top of an existing wall? Thanks

yes but you will have to add steel stud framing to the surface of the existing wall at least 4 inches. This means you will have to bring forward any electrical fixtures: plugs, switches lighting. If there is a door within 4 inches on an adjacent wall try option 2. The cavity between the framing should be filled with the densest fiberglass insul you can find. I dont usually recommend the 'sound' insulation found at local suppliers as I haven't found it to be very effective. Cover the wall with 2 layers of 5/8 drywall.

2:) screw 2 layers of 5/8 drywall ontop of existing wall surface will help quite a bit.

Thanks!!

There are soundproofing panels that can be installed over existing walls, might try doing a google search for them. I've seen some in a comercial job at a radio station, but the G/C was taking care of that portion of the job after I finished the drywall work.

I just moved my School and distribution center nest door to a daycare center.... (we split the space) Will buy building first of year. In the mean time, I put R 30 all the way to the rafters and overlapped on to the drop ceiling. I did this the entire lenth of building. Most of the sound was coming from top, above ceiling tile. You would not belive the differance it has made. Not that there is anything wrong with the sounds of kids playing, but X 30 was a bit much for me.
Doyle