very angry!

lukemed1

that's even better than my original one!!

you must be a genious!!! i'm going to use your one!!


Luke

nelly_2

Just keep the noise down

nearlyrich

It must be a nightmare living so close to other people that you can hear their tv or light pull. My mum lives in a semi attached to some really noisy people, they communicate by shouting at each other, fortunately she is a little deaf so turning off her hearing aid solves the problem.

meanmachine_2

This is an interesting thread.

I wonder if people could post their experiences of the types of building where you hear your neighbours' every movement, and those where you can't hear a thing, no matter how loud and ASBO-riffic they are.

I lived in a conversation of a victorian terrace - one person above me, one person below and, bizarrely, didn't hear anything. Although that was before the days of hard flooring.

The same with a 1920s mansion block - no noise from anyone, save for doors banging.

Anyone got some bad experiences? Age/type of building etc?

I always assume that, the older the building, the better the sound insulation. Am I wrong?

Bun

Wall to wall carpeting is a fairly modern invention, hard flooring with rugs was the norm for years and years, so you can't really say ' in the days before hard flooring.' There was probably less hard flooring on show though.

Hard flooring can be noisy, but whilst you are aware that people below you can hear it, you don't necessarily expect upstairs in a victorian conversion to hear it.

Many leases for upstairs flats have clauses that you are not allowed laminate/wood floors upstairs anyway.

Carpet is less hygenic, particularly when you have children, and asthmatics are advised not to have wall to wall carpeting, so it isn't a style choice for everybody.

What I would say is that a lot of the problem with flats is conversion without soundproofing, if you had a house you wouldn't expect to hear nothing from members of your family if they were upstairs, but it is a completely different matter when it is other people that you are expected to live under.

Also there are many more noise making gadgets (and we have more of them, tv in the lounge and bedroom etc) than when these houses were built which doesn't help.

Incidently the dodgy neighbours we've had storming up and down stairs and screaming at all hours could be herd through carpet too, as I know my two year old having a tantrum is. My upstairs neighbours dont' complain about that, I don't complain when they come in at three in the morning. All swings and roundabouts. Our levels of tolerance have changed too.

Sorry, forgot to mention that I've always lived in victorian conversion flats, and the only time I have known anybody not hear any noise from above or below were friends that lived in some new flats that had concrete floors.

nearlyrich

I have never lived in a flat so I can't really comment meanmachine, my mum lives in a 1940's brick semi and normal living noises can't be heard ( I lived there too from age 6 to 21). My only experience of annoying noise is in hotels where some people think it's fine to have a loud drunken conversations and slam doors at 3 am. We live in a detached house but we are considerate about not playing loud music with windows open, running the washer etc late at night.

Doozergirl

Ilived in a Victorian Conversion where you could hear virtually everything. When we changed the carpet, you could actually see the flat downstairs through the floorboards. It was rented out and we were quite lucky until just before we moved out when they had new tenants. It was quite evident, apart from the deafening music, that the 'gentleman' used to like to hit his lady friend.

Another Victorian Conversion and we heard absolutely nothing from upstairs or next door in two years.

We're currently in a Victorian EOTerrace where we hear little except next doors TV at night.

Also selling a semi-detached new build where the sound proofing to next door is awful and you can apparently even hear them talking. And fighting; they're getting divorced, so I can imagine.

Moving to a detached house next! :T

jazzyjustlaw

I suffer from noise from a neighbour for over 2 years. It is depressing. I study and have a full time job, she does not work. She is ill she has mental health issues. So thats okay then I will just suffer the misery.

The day she moved in she started drilling at 12 midnight - we went to see her and she said "**** off" and slammed the door in our face. This behaviour has continued, we had mediation she walked out after 5 minutes. They fitted laminate flooring two floors above us she is I might add and the neighbour above is now seriously ill mentally. She has laminate flooring due to athsma which I also have the illness.

I keep diary sheets and only really note noise betwen 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. but when the noise is constant for 24 hours we note the lot. I have had noise equipment installed. We have been to court and they have an order that no one is allowed in thier home after 9p.m. and they must not cause a nuisance - if they breach it - they are out.

I cannot sympathise enough with victims of noise. Yes some of it is down to the building but i have been here ten years and been ok. DIY at night is not acceptable to me and for someone to say that it is aceptable living noise - which has been suggested to me is outrageous.

Noise nuisance is complicated, I would go to a Solicitor for advice.

sarah_elton

Ian_W wrote:

Personally luke I'd leave out the last para. Might make you feel better but IMO detracts what is otherwise a non-sour grapes, very measured and totally reasonable response.

Agree completely. Also, the irritation should be directed to the neighbour, not the m'ment company. They will respond to a complaint if they get one. By moaning to them that your neighbour didn't come to you direct, you're doing exactly the same thing.

Bun

I agree, there is no excuse for being inconsiderate with diy noise at night. Bad attitude as you have with your neighbour raises the whole issue to extremely high stress levels. I hope you get it sorted out.