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AIBU?

AIBU to ask my new neighbours to stop drilling at 7.30pm on a Sat night?

88 replies

littlewaltham · 13/08/2011 20:07

I live in a terraced house. A couple purchased the house next door 3 months ago and have been renovating the house ever since. Their families are pitching in and the noisy drilling and banging goes on over the weekend. I have just been in to ask them to stop driling and was met with 4 stony faces as if I had asked them to drill their hands to the floorboards (tempting). The neighbours have chosen not to move in until the renovations are complete!

I have a 4 year old DD who settles for sleep between 7pm and 7.30 :(

OP posts:

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strictlovingmum · 13/08/2011 21:03

I would put up with it for little longer for the sake of future neighbourly relations, you don't know there circumstances, they are probably strapped for money, and they are trying their best under the circumstances.
Not to be too haste and tell them off for the noise, would be probably for the best, the quicker they work the sooner will all be finished, and in turn you will gain good neighbours, priceless.
As for your DD aged 4, I understand if you are particular about bed times, but she is at the age where she can almost "wait it up" little bit later then 7.30, it is summer holidays after all, and it's not good providing total silence(morgue type) in order for her to go to sleep anyway, it's not healthy.
By the way love the name littlewaltham (love the place) three years ago, nearly bought a house there.

malakadoush · 13/08/2011 21:06

YANBU - I would be furious too. Regardless of legality - it's anti social, and if i were moving to a new house, I would want to keep in with my neighbours not alienate them. I think 7pm is the latest for loud renovations.

My kids have a bedtime - 5 year old goes at 7.30pm and would find it difficult to settle if there was loud drilling and banging going on, although she settles fine with normal family noise.

littlewaltham · 13/08/2011 21:17

IzzyWhizzy and Claw3 really useful posts thank you. We fall in the heavy works over 4 hours duration so 7.30 finish is unreasonable on a Sat night and the Sunday works are also unreasonable and 8pm mid week is also unreasonable. The noise can be 8 hours a day.....

Strictlovingmum - the couple are affluent professionals hence no need to live in the house during construction. I agree no noise is not good. The vibrations coupled with the drilling noise is impossible. Not been to LittleWaltham must google :)

Neighbours appear to be a lovely couple. Tonight I asked. They stopped.

My only regret is that I didn't asked a month or two ago. I dont intend to ask them to stick to council guidelines but I will feel ok about asking them to knock it off once in a while.

OP posts:

MagicFingerGoesPop · 13/08/2011 21:20

gname I (worded badly!) meant basically the DIY noise restrictions that claw and izzy posted.

GnomeDePlume · 13/08/2011 21:40

magic in that case I wont wake DH up to ask!

DirtyMartini · 13/08/2011 21:44

YAB a bit U but I would be exactly the same in your position. We lived through extensive renovations on the other side of DS's very thin bedroom wall when he was a baby and it was a total effing nightmare. I do sympathise.

One night they varnished the floors at 9PM and it was like he was being fumigated in his sleep, it was SO strong ... I think it came under the floorboards and up through his IYSWIM (wooden floors) - it was too strong for an adult to stand, let alone a baby. We had to move him to another room. I was but there wasn't much we could do.

MagicFingerGoesPop · 13/08/2011 21:56

gnome probably best not to! (sorry for the misspelling of your name earlier!)

trixymalixy · 13/08/2011 21:58

YABU

rockinhippy · 13/08/2011 22:03

YADNBU - by LAW they have to stop all noisy work by 12 on a Sat, nothing on Sunday & by 6 on weekdays - we had similar problems with our neighbours & I pulled that info off the net & handed it to them & had it confirmed by environmental health -

mind you thats probably quiet to what ours are currently up to - f'ing street party with massive speakers outside our door - police on their way :)

tyler80 · 13/08/2011 22:03

In our area noisy DIY work should be restricted to "normal waking hours", so 7.30pm would still be consideredr a reasonable to be making a noise.

rockinhippy · 13/08/2011 22:09

here

this one is Greenwhich, but same applies everywhere - I suggest you lose the Greenwhich bit & print it off & give it to your nieghbours - it worked for us & if not speak with environmental health on Monday

tyler80 · 13/08/2011 22:10

rockinhippy the same doesn't apply everywhere

tyler80 · 13/08/2011 22:12

The link you posted is also clearly talking about building companies, the same rules don't apply to DIY'ers

worraliberty · 13/08/2011 22:15

This is from my council website.....

You should carry out any noisy DIY or building work (including using builders and other trades people) during the following hours:
Monday to Friday (8am - 6pm)
Saturday (8am - 1pm)
Builders must not work on Sundays or bank holidays.

It is not an offence to carry out work outside these times, but one of our officers can serve a notice on you to make it an offence

WibblyBibble · 13/08/2011 22:16

YANBU. The people on here with little real idea about noise regulations are a bit : noise regulations don't only apply after 11pm! They just (generally, depends on local authority) become stricter then. You're entitled to time to rest in evenings and weekends- they can arrange for work to be done during the day like everyone else has to. People really need to be much more considerate about noise, given the known link between sleep disruption and stress/mental health issues. It's a serious health risk to be exposed to constant noise.

gillybean2 · 13/08/2011 22:16

Look on your local council website for advice. I just checked the good neighbour guide on mine and it says...

DIY - Do not carry out noisy DIY before 9am or after 7pm.
Warn neighbours if you think work will be particularly noisy.

Your council may well have something similar that you can share with your neighbours.

rockinhippy · 13/08/2011 22:39

Worraliberty sorry,but you are wrong - according to our Environmental Health Officer - It DOES apply to DIY & I know it did in London & elswhere too - the timing may very slightly,but the rules are there to protect people from the sort of stress mentioned by gillybean

do check your own local council OP as gillybean says there will be something to print off there

littlewaltham · 13/08/2011 22:52

The building work is not just DIY its a mixture of professionals and DIY. Hey hoe the relationship with the new neighbours is not off to the best start. DH can hold a concrete face for months and is not bothered in the slightest.

Main thing is the neighbours have responded and stopped the drilling. I will wait to see what tomorrow brings.....

OP posts:

DumSpiroSpero · 13/08/2011 22:56

Just out of interest, if your DD went to sleep, would she wake up if it started again. I know mine needs it reasonably quiet to go off (because she's a nosy little moo and leaps up wanting to know what every tiny noise it ), but once she's asleep she won't wake up unless there's a really monumental noise.

Was just wondering if it would work if you suggested they took a tea break at that time rather than knock it off entirely, although given the duration of the work/noise overall I can see why you're at the end of your rope.

GnomeDePlume · 13/08/2011 23:00

littlewaltham I'm afraid the main thing is that you have used up goodwill with your neighbours. Not a good result. Your 4 year old will get older and louder. Your neighbours may return like with like and will be demanding that you shut her up at 7.30!

Claw3 · 13/08/2011 23:02

Regardless of the law, building regs, guidelines etc, etc. I think it would be really hostile to hand them a print out of guidlines or start quoting this at them.

You asked, they stopped, job done. Although you might want to try to agree something with them, if they intend to carry on working on the house for another 3 months!

rockinhippy · 13/08/2011 23:04

littlewaltham I'm afraid the main thing is that you have used up goodwill with your neighbours. Not a good result. Your 4 year old will get older and louder. Your neighbours may return like with like and will be demanding that you shut her up at 7.30

What a load of Bollocks!! - more like the other way around

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littlewaltham · 13/08/2011 23:04

DumSpiroSpero - she usually goes to sleep with noise and doesn't wake up. I think it was combo of noise and vibrations.

I will catch up with them tomorrow and ask how much more to go (if they are around if not the professionals may be back in).

OP posts:

rockinhippy · 13/08/2011 23:07

& glad to see your neighbours where reasonable & listened littlewaltham - hopefully it will carry on as such & will work out ok - I'm sure if it were the other way around they wouldn't like it either - reasonable people tend to think that way & agree in those circumstances no need for the notification, sadly not all neighbour are that reasonable - good luck

acsec · 13/08/2011 23:08

DP and I often wonder if our upstairs neighbours are rebuilding their whole flat. It's very rare that an evening/ weekend goes by without them sawing/ hammering/ drilling often until 2am!!! So I sympathise with OP - it's crap to have to endure that kind of noise, especially when you just want some peace and quiet.

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