DIY Noise - Where do we stand?

Kimbos2

Hi just wondering if anyone had experience of issues realting to DIY noise complaints.

We've recently bough our first home and have been doing DIY at the weekends from 12pm - 5pm Sat and Sundays. This has included drilling, using a mitre saw and using an electric tile cutter.

We have had endless amounts of aggressive, screaming complaints from our angry downstairs neighbour (we live in ex local block of flats). We have tried to reason with him but to no avail.

Are we entitled to carry out DIY in our on home or am I going to have to leave my kitchen half finished?!

Any advice appreciated.

Norma_Desmond

You are perfectly entitled to carry out DIY within reasonable hours - and these ARE reasonable hours!
If you were drilling away at midnight then it would be a different matter.
Shove a note through your neighbour's door if he isn't civilized enough to talk to you, apologise for the inconvenience, but state that you are within your rights and the noise won't go on for ever.

ormus

as long as youre being reasonable then there should be no problems with the authorities etc...
and from your details i would say you are more than reasonable.
write him a nice letter explaining the work and how long it should take days/weeks etc.. and the approx hours of which day for the work. keep a copy too.

afaik, professional builders come under different rules.

and i wouldnt worry too much about the local council to investigate, the work will be finished before they have even opened case.

irnbru_2

Kimbos2 wrote: »

Any advice appreciated.

Your neighbour may be noise sensitive.

Check your lease.

Contact your council's environmental health department, they should inform you of the legitemate hours when you can carry out work.

PROFESSIONAL_LANDLORD

Maybe part of the problem is that it is 'weekends' and possibly your neighbour works and expects peace & quite then, of course you have every right to carry out the work you are doing, more so between 12pm - 5pm. Not knocking your DIY skills but DIYers are likely to take a bit longer than trades people and the work would normally be carried out during the week, try and not drop your hammer.;)

Kimbos2

Thank you all for the advice - it was just what I needed!

I will contact the envirmonental health dep tomorrow and check out officially what hours we can carry out work and whether our friendly neighbour is noise sensative??

In terms of the hours I did ask him the first few times he came up screaming if there were more suitable times for him but unfortunatley he doesn't work and rarely leaves the house.

I think the advice about writing him a letter detailing the work we have left to do is an excellent idea - as right now I honestly feel intimidated and threatened by his agressive manner.

Door is staying firmly locked today!

paintpot

Buy him a present like a pair of ear defenders for example.:rotfl:

It sound like you're being pretty reasonable to me - you just can't please some people.

xlt_hunter

IIRC I think the law states between the hours of 23:00 07:00 its a no-no - but from there onwards your allowed - I had this problem with my next door (b***h! is a nice way of putting it) I had to do some diy one day due to a leak iirc and that involved a hammer to sort out the wood work.

Can guess what happened next, she came banging on the door f'ing and blinding etc. Day later I had a letter from the council. Taste of her own mecidaton I reported for anti social - did the trick and I was in the right regarding the Diy work. Peeps can be so noise sentivie,

I now have lots of work to do in the coming weeks, and have written a note and shovled it though her door. Let see what happens now

SPANIEL36

the above post is correct regarding the hours. you could have your music blaring right up until 11pm and he couldn't do anything about it until 1 minute past. He ought to be grateful its not all day everyday like alot of DIYers. Your giving him time for a lie in on a weekend for gods sake!!!

really though dont worry and hope your kitchen looks lovely when its finished

cattie

I have always, as a matter of course, put notes in neighbours letter boxes before any work that may be a little bit noisy is to commence in my house or flat. It saves a lot of hassle & people appreciate you being a considerate neighbour.

I like to do this as forwarned is forearmed & it gives people the opportunity to go out & visit friends or family to avoid being disturbed by banging, drilling etc.

paddy's_mum

If the neighbour below you is not out at work during the week, but you are, he has had plenty of opportunity for lies-in and quiet time. The hours you list are not unreasonable, in my opinion, although we try very hard never to use anything noisy on a Sunday simply because we feel that neighbours are entitled to one quiet day a week.

It may be that your neighbour is just a grumpy old devil but equally, the floors of some flats act as a hugely effective 'drum skin' and he may be getting almost as much noise as you are. Would it perhaps help to get hold of some old carpet or a valueless, thick rug and work on that in an attempt to muffle the noise?