Extension noise

[Kentlassie]

Our attached neighbours have started their mammoth extension today. Kindly told us last night.

We have 3 under 3 including a 4 month old so spend a lot of time at home. DH works from home 4 days a week.

Any tips for surviving the noise? It’s already unbearable. We go out every morning but come home for lunch/ naps/ afternoon.

Is it reasonable to ask neighbour how long the really noisy work will last for?

Help!

The worst bit is digging the foundation, took a week at my house. Bricklaying isn't noisy and not is joinery or tiling at which point they are inside so shouldn't be disturbing you

I don’t think there’s any great point in asking how long
with the best will in the world the will have a very rough idea but there could be many delays for many reasons
For example its minus 2 near us you can’t pour cement for foundations this weather in for a week so there’s a delay straight off
supply of building materials is a nightmare
the only think you can do is ask they work in reasonable hours
sorry but it’s difficult to build quietly
Builder aren’t keen on spinning out jobs generally there done as quick as possible

Ok thank you, not too long then. I was worrying it would be weeks and weeks. Hopefully not too long…

Concentrate on non essential noise.
I asked my builder for no blaring radios outside.

OP - if you are attached have they not done a party wall agreement or had planning permission so you’d know roughly when they’d be starting?

For an extension I'd say two months. But surprised at the short notice - is that just when they are starting or that they were doing one at all?

We just had one done that took 7 weeks mostly during the summer holidays when the kids were home. The worst part was the conga drilling of the previous concrete in situ and then the digging of the foundations which took around 1.5 weeks in total. The sawing, drilling of wood were ok other than for the dog at times. Toothing in brickwork banging was a little noisy but didn't last long. My builders didn't have the radio on as the last time we had building work done that disturbed the neighbours.

We knew about the extension, we didn’t object to planning permission and we’ve met to talk through the party wall agreement. planning was granted at the start of the year. I ask every time I see them if they have a rough idea about timeframes but they kept saying the contractors were delayed and would let us know…..so starting today was a bit of a surprise.

The worst bit is digging the foundations. We we extended this took only a few days

They may have been caught unawares, I know of two jobs locally that fell through so I assume the contractors are rocking up earlier than anticipated today!.

Hopefully it is a quick enough job.

Two months? Seven weeks?! You were lucky! Ours took more like five months. Asking how long an extension will take is basically asking how long a piece of string is....

I asked OP cause I’m doing a massive extension- have to for disabled DD - so I worry about noise (it’s going to take 4 months 😳). I’m going to hhave to be very very nice to my neighbours

It's going to be too cold to pour concrete or lay bricks for the next couple of months at least, why do people decide to do extensions at this time of year?

No choice @Nat6999 . We’ve been waiting for over two years..Builders bring really busy after the first lockdown, delays on building because of delays in supply post Brexit…

Being not bring

I am nearly finished my extension. There was noise when they broke through the back of the house and when they used diggers for the founds. As other said bricklayers were quiet (but unfortunately shouted and swore a lot!).

a lot of work has been quiet 1 I have worked from home some days and it’s fine. Plastering is quiet.

occasional power tools.

i know I felt bad for the neighbours - but they have been great. As they said they may do an exemption in a few years - and the noise can’t be helped. My builders work 8am to 4pm. Occasional Saturdays

The really bad bit was 2 weeks. Then occasional drilling etc. they didn’t have loud music on.

I didn't find the bricklaying phase of our build particularly quiet. They used a disc cutter for the part bricks, and there were a lot of these, each side of the windows, doors, on the gables, where they were tying into the existing house etc.

The noisiest bit was when I was trying to do a work Teams meeting while a mini digger with a pneumatic breaker removed a concrete floor slab in the next room though. That was a test of the noise reduction capabilities of the headset, I can tell you!

Agree with others. We lived in our house while the big extension was done right up until the last 6 weeks. The digging of foundations etc was the noisiest bit, along with any knocking through/drilling so that bit shouldn't last forever.