Help - neighbours just complained about noisy wooden floors...

[hotcrossbunny]

I am devastated. We recently took up ancient carpets in our new house as I was having bad asthma attacks. We live in a semi-detached victorian house. Our neighbour has just complained that she can hear us rummaging in our understairs cupboard, pulling chairs out etc. What do we do? We had planned on sanding them and having a few rugs down, but my breathing has been heaps better since the carpets went. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I now feel uncomfortable in my own home....

[expatinscotland]

Nothing.

Fuck her.

I'd just sit there and be like, 'Okay, okay' and then carry one living exactly how you are.

She's got no life if that's all she has to complain about.

[dassie]

Are you attached at the stairs? If so, I can't imagine it bothers them that much.

Have you put naterial/rubber things on the bottom of chair legs etc. That can reduce the noise (and protect the floor).

Othjerwise - thats just what happens when you live in a semi.

[nooka]

Our neighbours did this and it made my life hell (I had to move houses) because it was so intrusive. However I lived in a victorian conversion, and it was the flat above mine. It felt like they were in my house, and really bad, expecially when they came home late at night and walked (or did anything else if you get my drift) over the floor above my bedroom. If it's next door then it seems unlikely that it's that bad. I would see if you can go around to her house and hear what sort of sounds are going on - it may be that changing a few things might really make a difference. For example have you put those little felt things under your chairs (good for your floors too). That way you can decie if she is being unreasonable, and if you make a couple of concessions it will help your neighbourly relations. You don't have to do anything at all though.

[LazyLine]

I can hear noises like that from next door, them opening and closing cupboard doors, their TV. It's just life in a semi. I'm sure they can hear us as well.

I would agree that maybe you could put something on the bottom of your chairs, that would be quite easy and might stop you thinking about the noise every time you move one.

[tweetyfish]

We can hear next door, so I guess next door can hear us. I'm not bothered to be honest. I can her footsteps but that's it. She doesn't walk miles, as I'm sure you don't either!

Could it be that it has come as a shock to her (since you had carpets before and she couldn't hear noise) and she will get used to it. To be honest, she will have to get used to it as your health is more important!

Its not as if it's constant

[hotcrossbunny]

Sorry - been sorting out out unsettled dd!....

Thank you for advice! Expat - my first reaction was yours. I struggled to know what to say and just said I'd see what we could do... I'd just popped round to apologise for noise of my dad doing some plumbing for us and didn't expect to walk into that I could barely even say goodbye I was so shellshocked. But we do have to live next to her ....She made me feel like some kind of nightmare neighbour, but we're really not. We even bring her dog back when he escapes!

Will go and buy little felt thingies ASAP. Other than that, we already take off shoes etc. Don't know how we could make ourselves much quieter, after all we do have to live here. I don't want to be constantly on at dd to be quiet - she's not terribly noisy anyway - but obviously can get a bit excitable when friends come.

We wanted to remove carpets upstairs too, but now I'm not so sure. Don't want her to hear everything that goes on in our bedroom

[hotcrossbunny]

Off to bed. Will check tomorrow to see if anyone has further thoughts. thank you everyone. Night night!

[sparklygothkat]

I can hear my neighbours pulling out chairs, opening and closing their kitchen cupboards. It is part of living next door to someone, if she doesn't like it she should move to the country where she has no neighbours

[fingerwoman]

i lived nextdoor to someone who put in laminate and it was awful. really, really noisy.
I think if you're planning on putting rugs down then that will help though, and the little things on chair legs.
also just don't run up and down the stairs in clogs

[HappyMummyOfOne]

I'd still take up the carpets in your bedroom if it would help your health, you can get lovely cushion flooring that looks like laminate so you try that - far less nosy than wood.

[hippipotami]

We live in a Victorian Semi and have wood floorboards throughout - we even sanded and varnished the stairs. Dh and dd both suffer from asthma.

We have a 'no shoes' rule in the house which means any noise on the wooden floors greatly reduced. We also stuck those felt pad type things under the legs of chairs and tables. More to protect the floor, but it also stops any noise.

(Of course all these measures are moot if your ds (like mine) insists on stomping around the house pretinding to be a cyberman)

[Tinkerbel5]

hotcrossbunny you could always take your shoes off as you walk in and change into slippers thats less there straight away, I live in a terraced house and have carpet, but when next door comes home I can hear clonk clonk from her high heels as she walks from one end to another. Dont feel uncomfortable in your own home, just tell your neghbour that you had no idea that laminane was so nosey and that you plan on taking measures to make it better, chin up

[Tinkerbel5]

I meant noisey not nosey, lol

[hotcrossbunny]

Thanks everyone. We do already take shoes off unless we have visitors. Think she is being a bit sensitive really.
I am getting crosser and crosser though when I think how we have bent over backwards to be good neighbours, not contesting her planning permission etc even tho we lose lots of privacy, not complaining when her sons were drilling after midnight when she went on holiday etc etc etc. Think I will have to develop tougher skin and smile sweetly at her, all the time muttering under my breath. Should she complain I don't think she'd have a leg to stand on. Its just such a shame cos I thought we got on OK...

[nooka]

The problem is that she is probably unaware that you feel that you have been specially nice to her, so she doesn't feel beholden to you. She may indeed feel she has been nice to you and that you are not returning the favour. She didn't actually come around and complain did she? If you were apologising for one noise I don't think it surprising that she told you about another related issue. But I don't think it's worth stressing about it. Do the simple things to cut down sound and move on.

[Peachy]

If its health V a bit of noise then health wins every time- does she know about your asthma? bet she's if she did

Honestly try the felt pads but really tis all a part of life

[ruty]

If she lived underneath you she would probably have a case. But as your neighbour next door i can't imagine she does. we put down a wood floor in our ground floor flat when we first bought it [because of my asthma] but we put down the highest sound proofing underlay [had to apply for permission to do it too] and we've had no problems, we don't wear shoes indoors either.

[dale1969]

my floor under my carpet is wood I don't have shoes on my neighbour has boots on he is not walking he is stumping it sounds awfull its every day im lucky to get 4 hours sleep at night from 4am some nights I sleep outside

[AveEldon]

Just ignore her
This is just part of living in a semi

[dale1969]

the noise from my neighbour got that bad I moved my bed into my living room