Laminate Flooring - Noise Nuisance

sal_III

You have no control over who occupies the flat upstairs and poor sound proofing + laminate flooring is a recipe for noise even from "normal use". Even if you somehow miraculously manage to change the occupier upstairs, chances are there will still be noise. So you have 2 options:

A) Stay and cope with the help of some sound proofing on your end or noise cancelling headphones etc.
Move out

TBagpuss

As you mention that the flat is privatelty owned but the occupants are tenants, would it be worth you contacting the landlord and raising it with them?
They probably won't do anything immediately but may be willing to take it into account when they next redecorate.

Mean while, i would sugest looking into good quality earplugs and/or using white noise (there are lots of free apps available so you don't have to pay anything up front) to see if those help.

Menawhile, can you apply for an exchange or move to a top floor flat or a differnt location? (I think you said you were a council tenant)
If you rent priavately then probably moving is going to be the easiest and most permanent solution.

Alex123456

I am afraid moving is definitely not an option, unfortunately.

I don't think i am over exaggerating the noise.I live on a busy road and alarms, dogs barking, heavy traffic, people talking - all of which you can hear from where I live, does not affect me at all, only noise overhead.

I have earplugs and a white noise machine on at night and can still hear the thumping/walking upstairs. I don't mind if it is on and off but on some nights they are walking throughout the night.

I get woken up at 3am, 4am etc when they get up for whatever reason. I really only want them to put carpet down in the bedrooms. But they won't do this. I will try to purchase the better quality earplugs though - thanks for this.

TripleH

Not quite the same but I once got told off for doing DIY on a Saturday late afternoon/ early evening when I had a groundfloor flat and it was 5:30 in the afternoon (no they weren't shiftworkers). Plus lived in a noisy residential street. This was my first offence and being young would have been upset if my father hadn't been helping me do the work.

Yes I may have been a bit "cheeky" in saying their concerns were noted but i was accomodating of their late night rowdy arguements.

Pursue the council, send a physical letter giving a reasonable deadline as!ng for the information. Because of Christmas I'd say end of first week of January and handdeliver to council offices if you can.

Norman_Castle

Alex123456 wrote: »

I have earplugs and a white noise machine on at night and can still hear the thumping/walking upstairs. I don't mind if it is on and off but on some nights they are walking throughout the night.

I've found earplugs and radio 4 works well. With decent earplugs even when quite loud you can't follow the conversation but it distracts from other noise as its often not clear where the noise is from. I suspect taking control of what you can hear also helps.
If the loud radio annoys them explain you have to drown out their noise to sleep. Your noise will stop when theirs does.

Norman_Castle

gomer wrote: »

It was proven with recording equipment that nothing other than normal everyday household sounds was being made

but the man below me described normal household movement and sounds in a similar way to yourself -

Noise teams always dismiss walking on the floor and doors closing as normal noise as they are unavoidable activities but there can be a massive difference in the volume and frequency of these activities. Dismissing excessive noise from normal activities doesn't make it bearable or living with it a normal way to live.

carrotland

Unfortunately, even normal, considerate living noises are going to annoy someone below.
It must be awful for them feeling they can't even move in their own house, without someone below being annoyed too.
It is rather unfortunate that humans are having to live on top of each other like this.
I have lived in many apartment buildings ad I never got a good nights sleep between music, tvs, fighting and all the rest!
The best thing i ever did was move to the country on 4 acres when we can play the piano at 2am if we want to and no one is bothered!