Dear Annie: I recently moved into a new townhome, and for the most part, I love it here. It’s quiet, cozy and exactly what I wanted for this next chapter of my life. That is, until my new neighbors moved in upstairs.

It’s a couple with a dog. The dog is an angel — never barks, never causes a problem. The issue is the husband. From morning until late at night, it sounds like he’s walking around in boots made of concrete. Heavy, constant thumping across my ceiling, sometimes so loud it startles me out of a nap or drowns out my TV. For a while it even sounded like he was dropping weights, though thankfully that stopped.

Not long after they moved in, I went upstairs to introduce myself. The wife came to the door; the husband did not, even though I could see him standing in the background. I mentioned the noise as politely as I could, saying I understood these buildings aren’t soundproof but that the pounding footsteps were very disruptive. I even told her to please let me know if my TV or music was ever too loud — I wanted to be a considerate neighbor.

Nothing changed. If anything, it’s gotten worse. Now, the wife won’t even make eye contact or say hello when we cross paths. I’m a private, friendly person who keeps to myself and doesn’t like conflict or drama, but this has really been affecting my peace of mind. I don’t want to go to the property manager and start trouble, but I’m tired of living with constant thudding overhead.

How do I handle this without escalating the situation? — Fed Up Below

Dear Fed Up: You’ve handled this with grace so far. You introduced yourself, spoken kindly and even offered to keep your own volume down. That’s good manners in a world that sometimes forgets what neighborly means.

Still, it sounds like your upstairs neighbor has two left feet and a flair for indoor thunder. His wife may feel awkward or defensive since you mentioned it, which could explain the cold shoulder. Try not to take that personally. Some people would rather dodge eye contact than face an uncomfortable truth.

Keep a short log of the noise: times, dates and what you were doing when it happened. If it continues, share it calmly with the property manager. You are not being a tattletale; you are just asking for a livable level of peace and quiet.

In the meantime, you might invest in a white noise machine, a ceiling fan or a pair of noise-canceling headphones. Think of it as buying back your sanity one hum at a time.

You have been kind. You have been patient. Now it is time to protect your peace and maybe your ceiling.

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