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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To complain about drilling at 7.30am?

15 replies

krystellie · 21/07/2014 12:41

Due to the nice weather, there is currently a lot of building work taking place along my road. However, most doesn't commence until 9am.

A neighbour two along from us is getting work done on the front of their house. This morning, loud banging and drilling started at 7.30am.

Whilst my husband and I were both awake, we have my mother staying with us whose bedroom is at the front and as the window was open due to the heat, it was extremely noisy for her.

I thought it was illegal for building work to commence before 8am midweek? Should I have a polite word with the neighbours or the builders or just ignore it?

OP posts:
Mrsmorton · 21/07/2014 13:47

There's no law that defines it. 0730 isn't early during the week to be fair. Most people who have children at school or who have a job are up and about by then. I'd be unhappy with it on a weekend though.

Look on the bright side, it will be finished sooner.

Any idea what they were doing? Maybe something urgent?

MyFairyKing · 21/07/2014 13:48

If it starts that early, as a one off, I'd just let it go.

Mrsmorton · 21/07/2014 13:51

Your local council may have some guidance on it but if it's not a professional building firm then I'm sure there's no obligation to comply with the Control of pollution act. If it's a business then they shouldnt start before 0800 but for the sake of 30min is it worth pissing your neighbour off?

juliascurr · 21/07/2014 13:59

swap bedrooms? close window & get fan? pita but hopefully not for long

Vintagejazz · 21/07/2014 14:01

7.30 am is totally inconsiderate. I would be pissed off.

Vintagejazz · 21/07/2014 14:02

But if it wasn't going to go on for long I would probably put up with it for the sake of a peaceful existence with my neighbours. But it's rude of him to do it.

LineRunner · 21/07/2014 14:03

My council guidance is to keep noise down between 7am and 11pm, including DIY.

LineRunner · 21/07/2014 14:04

That was the completely wrong way round. Grin

BomChickaMeowMeow · 21/07/2014 14:09

I'd wait any see if it happens again before saying anything.

A neighbour used to start up his motorbike and leave it running on the drive Angry for fifteen minutes before setting off at about 7.30am, ruining my last fifteen minutes in bed every day with noise and fumes coming in through the window.

LJHH · 21/07/2014 14:16

YANBU

We live above an empty shop. On Sunday we were woken at 8am by so much drilling that everything was falling off my bedside table and we were thinking we were in some kind of earthquake! We obviously weren't, builders had decided that was a good time to start the renovations on said shop.

I am 36 weeks pregnant and somewhat, err... hormonal :) so I threw my DP's hoody over my pjamas, went downstairs and shouted at them like a crazy lady. We wouldn't have minded so much had they been polite enough to let us know instead of just installing the mother of all air conditioning systems with no warning at stupid o clock right under our bedroom.

They sent the boss man builder up to apologise to me as well so I must of scared them!

We googled and we were under the impression that noise like that on a Sunday is illegal and before certain times on weekdays is also illegal.

chockbic · 21/07/2014 14:20

There's rules and regulations and there's a bit of common sense and consideration.

It would annoy me too.

privetandpetunias · 21/07/2014 14:22

Unfortunately the law in the UK is a bit wishy washy on noise and there's not much you can do. Noise should be kept down in residential areas between 10pm and 7pm but other than that only on going persistent excessive noise would get any response from council.

LJHH if you google noise laws UK the first hit that ususually comes up is a piece of Australian legislation which is lovely and clear about what is acceptable and what isn't. It's a real shame it doesn't apply here.

Vintagejazz · 21/07/2014 14:34

I agree with chockbic. It really irritates me when people can't use a bit of cop on and realise for themselves what is and isn't considerate behaviour around their neighbours. Rules will give you the absolute limits beyond which you can't make unreasonable noise. But that doesn't mean that as long as you stick to them you are being considerate.

BackforGood · 21/07/2014 14:51

It's annoying - but at least on a weekday, it's not unreasonable to assume most people will be up and about by then anyway. At the weekend, I'd be furious.
If I said something or not would depend on if it happened again, and maybe if I happened to see the neighbours - a comment about it when chatting is a bit different from storming round to complain.

Original poster
krystellie · 22/07/2014 14:25

Thanks everyone! I'm hoping it was a one-off as I didn't hear it this morning (although I was wearing ear-plugs!) and my mother has now gone home.

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