party wall problems

ju1i3_2

I really don't know what else to do about this - any ideas I'd be most grateful.

Lived in this house 8 years. My terrace seems to be well built and there's been a minimum of noise either side (3 flats on 1 side and 2 flats on the other; my (listed) house is tiny so it was too small to convert into flats). No problem until 1 party wall neighbour built in a wardrobe attached to the party wall (did not give any Party Wall Act notice). I can now hear every use of the wardrobe - pulling out drawers, putting shoes down, shutting doors AND all noise on that side of the flat: shutting doors, putting the toilet seat and lid up and down. These noises sound like a cement block is being dropped on my floor. I can also hear/feel it on the next floor down.

This is just not normal noise.

I am so upset that these houses have been solid for 200 years and neighbour has disturbed that. He's very cavalier about it and says it's "normal". It certainly isn't normal for this terrace. He admits he has no party wall noise from anyone else and he doesn't care that I didn't either until he built this wardrobe.

Why can I hear even his toilet seat now since this wardrobe was built? Is it acting like a big sound board amplifying all the noise? Has it damaged the wall, allowing this noise to be transmitted? Why are these noises such heavy thudding?

Had a completely useless surveyor in (currently trying to get a refund) which neighbour refused to pay for. Can't afford another until I get the refund. Even if I could another local surveyor giving me free advice said it's impossible to tell anything unless a structural engineer "opens up" the wall.

Thanks for any thoughts or ideas,

Julie

ic

The work you've described doesn't look to fall under the act:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/133214.pdf

6. What about things like putting up shelves or wall units, or installing recessed electric sockets, or removing and renewing plaster?

Some works on a party wall may be so minor that service of notice under the Act would be generally regarded as not necessary.

Things like:

• drilling into a party wall to fix plugs and screws for ordinary wall units or shelving
• cutting into a party wall to add or replace recessed electric wiring and sockets
• replastering

may all be too minor to require a notice under the Act.

The key point is whether your planned work might have consequences for the structural strength and support functions of the party wall as a whole, or cause damage to the Adjoining Owner’s side of the wall. If you are in doubt about whether your planned work requires a notice you might wish to seek advice from a qualified building professional.

I can't see how fixing a wardrobe to a wall can suddenly mean you can hear everything in the house. Have they installed new flooring, perhaps going from carpet to bare floorboards?

ju1i3_2

No, they didn't remove the carpet, or not in the bedroom anyway, which is directly on the other side of my living room. I believe they did tile the bathroom floor although that is not on the other side of my living room where I am getting this heavy thudding.

It may not make sense yet this is the result. I had this new noise and movement since this wardrobe was installed. It's attached directly to the wall. This involved deep drilling into the wall, damaging it? My fireplace is on the other side of it (not sure if that affects this situation).

bobthedambuilder

It seems possible that if the wardrobe is attached to the wall you'd get a certain transmission of noise from the wardrobe to the wall and through to you, but that wouldn't explain how you can now hear the toilet seat being put up and down in a different room. The chances of a few mounting screws into a solid wall causing a structural problem are vanishingly small. You say that your fireplace is on your side of the wall opposite the wardrobe - is it possible that he's blocked up a fireplace on his side and put the wardrobe against that, with noise being transmitted via the shared chimney?

The trouble with this sort of situation is that once you perceive there to be a problem, you become almost hypersensitive to noises which wouldn't have bothered you before (hence the toilet seat thing and your allusion to concrete blocks). I know because I've had the same situation myself. How long has this been going on, and how long did you live in peace with your neighbour before the wardrobe was installed?

Could I suggest that you buy a pack of those little self-adhesive felt pads and (nicely) ask your neighbour if he'd mind fitting them to the doors and drawers of his wardrobe to see if that reduces the noises when closing them.

ic

In fact, a cheaper option may be to offer to buy him a soft close toilet seat and some door dampers for the wardrobe? Far cheaper than employing a surveyor and less stressful than going down any legal routes? He's already made it clear he won't pay for anything.

ifti

they didn't remove any chimneys to install the wardrobe..seems maybe because you have a fireplace on the same place ?

ju1i3_2

Thanks for your replies.

The only reason I know it's the toilet and the doors is that he didn't believe me about the noise so he came over one evening while his girlfriend stayed there and did different things (closed the drawers, the doors, did the toilet, etc). It doesn't make any sense that I have heavy thudding from closing a toilet lid. I cannot imagine what work he had done that's caused this. I only know about the wardrobe and some work in his kitchen which isn't on the party wall. Maybe it's not the wardrobe at all but something else he did? It's definitely something new as the previous 5 years or so he's lived there I didn't hear anything from his flat. Absolutely nothing. So it's not just the noise nuisance - I'm worried about what he's done.

He did actually put some pads on the wardrobe but it didn't make much difference. I tried to ignore it but even when I'm downstairs on my pc with headphones on (right next to the fireplace on the floor below) I can hear/feel the noise. He does make an effort to use it quietly now he knows how much I can hear it but I still feel it's a timebomb waiting to explode

jc808

ju1i3 wrote: »

(i can hear a) heavy thudding from closing a toilet lid..... I can hear it but i still feel it's a timebomb waiting to explode

lol........

ju1i3_2

thanks for that, I needed a good laugh today