In asking the neighbour to stop drilling?

[QueenofDreams]

We live in a victorian terrace. For a while now (over three months) the neighbour seems to have been doing a lot of DIY. He seems to drill holes in the wall an awful lot. The first time this happened it terrified the life out of DS and we had days of him clinging to me in panic and even trampling his newborn sister to get on my lap when the noise started. The noise really is ear splitting as he's drilling on the other side of our wall.

This has gone on for some weeks but we haven't spoken to them, although we have wondered why he needs so many bloody holes in the wall. Anyway last night he started drilling again at about 8.30 pm. it carried on (on and off) until 10pm when DP knocked on their door and asked politely for him to stop as we have a 5 month old who had only just managed to go to sleep. Neighbour's response was 'ok I'll be 20 minutes more'. DP not impressed but came back. Neighbour also claimed that this is the first time he's drilled (bollocks, it's been going on for months).

Later the neighbour's partner knocked to say he'd finished, and also told us that our baby sometimes wakes up at 5am (as if this is somehow comparable to drilling holes in the wall) DP politely pointed out that we can't control what time a baby wakes up.

were we being unreasonable to ask him to stop?
would we be unreasonable to contact the council if he does it again?

It really HAS been going on for months now. I don't know how they expect us to believe we just imagined the ear shattering noise we've been subjected to for months now. It's not a problem in the day obviously but I do think that 10pm is ridiculous and rude!

What sets one persons teeth on edge will be perfectly acceptable to another.
Do you have enough of a relationship to discuss, rationally, what acceptable times are.
For me any time after 7 would be fine, as long as the noise ended at 21.00.
I do get up early though.

It's not really about the noise setting teeth on edge, it's the volume that's the problem. It is so loud! When he's drilling directly 'opposite' the room we're in we can't talk because the noise drowns it out. And last night was directly opposite our bedroom so keeping DD awake.

Although I don't enjoy the noise during the day, I accept that it's his right to do that and won't complain. I just think that subjecitng us to that at 10pm was out of order.

I would have a word with one of the noise team at your Council's environmental health department. They make a distinction between reasonable noise (baby crying) and unreasonable noise (drilling at night).

Interesting barking dogs [many other threads!] fall somewhere in the middle and the team would have to assess the duration and time(s) of day.

My local team will send an advice letter to a noisy neighbour, which often does the trick without upping the ante. (I know one of them, is how I know this!)