So I have moved into an eight story apartment building built in the 60ish time era. I have lived here a month and every single day I hear a screeching, nails on a chalkboard sound, like a kid twisting on a rusty swing ALL the time. I said something to the leasing office and they said it sounds like the piping. I have talked to numerous other residents and NONE of them have experienced this problem. Only myself. I hear the noise mainly in the bathroom, especially late at night. The woman upstairs seems to run her water a lot. I have gone to her apartment three times but she refuses to open the door. I really need to know what is going on. My ears are starting to ring and I am going to lose my mind. If anyone has any ideas what this could be it would help a lot. I live in Raleigh NC. So its neither too hot or too cold here. The average temp for the month I have lived here has been about 50. Please help:(

As hot water is used the pipes heat up and expand. After hot water is turned off the pipes cool and contract. As the pipe expands or contracts it can rub against the structural members of the buildings and the straps securing it. It is most often described as a popping or cracking sound, sometimes it is thought to be water dripping. Never heard it describe as a screeching sound but has to be pipe movement.

I think Harold nailed it. Knocking, popping, creaking and noisy pipes are a common complaint, especially in colder weather. When a draw is made on a hot water line the line expands against a pipe strap next to a stud and when you drain hot water from your tub or shower it goes into a chase that is a little cooler then room temperature. The heat expands the pipe causing it to rub against the stud to which it is pipe strapped. This is the sound you hear. As it cools it contracts and the noise is heard again. To repair it you must tear open the walls and locate the pipe strap that's causing the problem and shim it tight. If it's onerhead water pipes then they are your pipes if it's drainage pipes then it's you upstairs neighbors pipes. You're going to have to track the noise down yourself. Where is it the loudest? Good luck, Tom

Hey,
So here is something else weird about the situation. There are about 300 apartments in my building and apparently I am the only one who has ever heard this sound. I went downstairs to the guy that lives directly below me and he says he has never heard the sound. I keep going up to the Asian lady that lives above me and I knock and knock and I know she is home but she won't come to the door. The strangest part is, I have been knocking on her door every day for three days and I would say the consistency of the sound has dropped 40 percent. The sound gets really bad late at night. So last night I took the end of the broom and hit the ceiling in the bathroom, and I may be crazy but it seemed to stop if I hit the ceiling but then started squealing again. It is DEFINITELY not the sound of water dripping, it is definitely not a popping sound. It does not sound like cracking. It is super high pitched squealing. Almost like a dog whistle kind of. Or a regular whistle. Its very intense. I am so stressed out, I don't know what to do. I find it so strange that the lady will not answer the door. I also think its strange that no one else out of 300 residents has ever complained of the sound. The noise is definitely coming from above. My apartment is 689 square feet and built in the 1960s. The landlords said there are concrete slabs separating each apartment. Again the weather is still in the 50s but as I live on the 5th floor it stays pretty warm due to my neighbors blanketing me. Have you ever pushed a kid on a rusty swing and when he returns, that sound it makes. That is what I am hearing and it is mainly mid day and late night. PLEASE let me know if this gives you anymore ideas. Your help is greatly appreciated.