Nosiy neighbours and poor sound insulation
|
Well, following yet another sleepless night, I thought I'd ask the rest of you, am I the only one with annoying, irritating noisy neighbours? The couple upstairs spend most of their time arguing - with liberal use of the 'f word' and the 'c' word, come to that. I can hear everything and am quite tempted to join in at times. Plus, their eating times are totally out of synch with the rest of the UK and lunch is at 8 pm with dinner at 2 in the morning. All the smells of burnt fish and stew drift downstairs and through my window. It wouldn't be so bad if they could actually cook but if it's not burnt, it's fried with rancid oil. |
|
|
The other, really stupid thing is their 'keep fit programme' - jumping up and down at 2 or 3 in the morning. My ceiling feels like it's going to cave in. It sounds like they've got a lot of equipment in there. I think it's keep fit they're doing, anyway!
I realise that the real problem is that buildings aren't properly insulated - you can hear a pin drop - literally. Every little sound is transmitted and reverberates around my flat. I thought there were supposed to be codes about things like that. Does anyone know about building standards? Anyway, I'm off for a walk now in the snow - to get away from the crazy neighbours... I'd like to gripe about poor sound insulation in new houses. Having recently managed to buy a small flat at a reasonable price, I was delighted to be able to move in. The place looks great and is handy for shopping, schools and so on. The only problem is the noise. I can literally hear the highlights of my neighbours life. The next door neighbours, that is. It's not just footsteps (which sound like someone is moving the furniture around) but all the little things like someone having a pee in the bathroom! Well, I think it's in the bathroom. Sounds like it's right next door in the living room. And I don't even want to go into details about 'nighttime activities'. It's really bad. I can even hear the extractor fans going in the bathrooms and kitchens, people sneezing and using pots and pans in the kitchen. The thing is, if I can hear them, then they can hear me as well. Which means that I think twice about having a loud conversation on the phone.
What on earth has happened to building regulations and why is the sound insulation on modern buildings so poor? Do they ever check anything? I'm really fed up with this and I'm starting to think about moving already. |
|
Comments from visitors
Jax ,
I think most councils insist that people in upstairs flats get their permission to install hard flooring in any room except bathroom or kitchen because of the noise. Usually they make the tenant or leaseholder either install proper insulation under the flooring or replace it with carpet.
It is worth your while finding out if this is the case where you live.
I think most councils insist that people in upstairs flats get their permission to install hard flooring in any room except bathroom or kitchen because of the noise. Usually they make the tenant or leaseholder either install proper insulation under the flooring or replace it with carpet.
It is worth your while finding out if this is the case where you live.
-2
Click to rate 
Report
I had party animal neighbors that boom boom boomed for days and nights on end, l was suicidle, the landlord didn't care, and l couldn't afford soundproofing. Now in a council flat l hear the neighbors toddler running around bang bang bang, and them laughing and talking, luckily no arguing, but l'm going nuts with it. Wonderong if l can get the council to fork out for soundproofing. I think not.
-2
Click to rate Report
You sound as if they and you and the new wooden floors down, sorry but its uncorrectable, the best you can hope for is they and you put carpets on top of it.
Sound insulation does not exist - its an modern house problem all over the UK., I should know I'm an sound-engineer, paid to improve sound insulation. Take it from me nothing works other thaN filling the space under the floorboards with dry-sand which is impractical, or lining your floor with 1/4" lead plate, which can be done but who wants the expense of that. Sorry, you'll have to move. if your 45, and fairly attractive I 'm willing to meet up and give other and better advice, 55 maybe, over 65, please post full details of your great wealth and generosity t0 semi-retired sound insulation engineers. .
Sound insulation does not exist - its an modern house problem all over the UK., I should know I'm an sound-engineer, paid to improve sound insulation. Take it from me nothing works other thaN filling the space under the floorboards with dry-sand which is impractical, or lining your floor with 1/4" lead plate, which can be done but who wants the expense of that. Sorry, you'll have to move. if your 45, and fairly attractive I 'm willing to meet up and give other and better advice, 55 maybe, over 65, please post full details of your great wealth and generosity t0 semi-retired sound insulation engineers. .
+2
Click to rate Report
Cheerful Robert - 13-Apr-11 12:25
ive just moved into a flat the first time in my life its a new development in Newcastle its been well talked about how up market it is and how much money has been spent on nothing but the best but I really think they,ve forgot to spend some cash on sound proofing anyway im grateful just to have a roof over my head so although there is definatly things I dont wish to hear from my nieghbours like nighttime activities (just because im jelouse lol) there does have to be some give and take you cant excpect complete silence living in a flat.Id rather have noisy nieghbours than living on the streets.
-1
Click to rate Report
Miss Grimreaper - 28-Mar-11 23:20
how can I be a noise nuisance, when my walls are like paper want me gone for just living I should live like you right because your so perfect who the fudge are you to judge you sad acts get a life you think that your gonna live forever lifes not fair diddums poor you, you want peace and quiet life get a house in the country with no neighbours what do you expect from a terraced house or a flat are you dumb
-4
Click to rate Report
man on a mission - 28-Mar-11 20:58
I can hear my neighbours too every friday night they kick up a drinking party with their friends and talk to the highest level they can muster up. wish there was something I could do and don't even mention the bathroom extraction what's worse is that we live in a house and it's the house that connects to the back of ours!! And I have a 5 month old
0
Click to rate Report
Sam (if you read this) - I also live in a Taylor Wimpey Flat and I have had the same problem with the flat above mine. I was also told by the Company that the sound proofing passed the required regulatory test. However the materials they have used seem to create an echo when anyone steps too heavily on the flooring above . I am also convinced that there are holes between my flat and the flat above that transfers noise. Thicker boarding or lowering the ceiling and a little more care would have probably made a vast difference.
-1
Click to rate Report
Older house have somtimes have vent bricks fitted during remodernisation. When I first moved to where I live now I used to hear a tapping on the wall, so I tapped back, It could only have been one of the young children who live next door, I never tried or wanted to find out who. but there is a vent brick sometimes they are used to ventilate between the joists & floor boards to prevent rot.
-4
Click to rate Report
I live in 1928 terrace house and while solidly built with brick cavity I can on occasions still hear my neighbours phone, talking on the phone and a cat miaowing. The only thing I can think is that the noise has increased due to them having new laminate flooring with no carpets and skimed walls without wall paper.
-2
Click to rate Report
I've had exacty the same problems as many have stated here. I live in a ground floor maisonette with a neighbour one side and one above. The neighbours to the side own their property so have been there the whole 3 years I have lived here. The ones above unfortunately have changed 3 times and every one was worse than the last. All of the couples (with varying ages of children from new born to 6 years) were unemployed so were able to stay up till all hours and then sleep during the day when I was crawling into work due to no sleep. They all used to fight and use every swear word under the sun. I would listen to them stomping about and the kids crying and would often end up crying myself. When I tried to speak to the first lot about the noise I got a load of abuse (they were drunk) and the noise increased). The second time he tried to phsically assault me and the police were called. I suffer from bipolar and borderline personality disorder and at times I have been suicidal due to the noise. I have had police to my flat numerous times, the council noise abatement, the upstairs landlord numerous times and have tried everything to keep the peace. All to no avail. I have been on the council waiting list for a year because, although I earn well, the prices of properties in my area are so high I can't afford them and due to my poor credit history I can't enter a home share scheme.
0
Click to rate Report
NoNeedForName - 1-Dec-10 13:20
Sorry, bug in the URL parser, it's case insensitive. For now just copy and paste the link and that will work fine.
-3
Click to rate Report
The link in my last post didn't work, this one does if not just search planning portal approved document e........
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADE_2003.pdf
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADE_2003.pdf
+1
Click to rate Report
although the landlord cannot be held liable for the lack of insultion between properties,there is an industry standard that has to be met that applies to all dwellings since 2003(converted dwellings) 2004(new builds). The document is called APPROVED DOCUMENT E. Resistance to the passage of sound. from what I gather this is a building regulations doc. it states the levels for both airborn and impact noise that rooms meet before they're released for occupancy.
So my thinking is if you have a room that is suspect to not meeting these levels then surly the builders are liable.
address for doc download.
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADE_2003.pdf
So my thinking is if you have a room that is suspect to not meeting these levels then surly the builders are liable.
address for doc download.
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADE_2003.pdf
-2
Click to rate Report
I live in a new build flat (2006) build by the wonderful Taylor Wimpy and the sound insulation (or lack of) is appaling...i can pretty much make out exactly what the person upstairs is doing at any point in time, making it impossible to get away from the noise. It's not even as if he is even being overally noisy, just going about his everyday business. According to Taylor Wimpy my property complies with new regulations for sound proofing. If this is true then it highlights quite clearly that these regulations need to be improved drastically!
+4
Click to rate Report
I am having the same problem.There must be some rule when building houses and flats.Why should we have to put up with people having a wee or worse.
-3
Click to rate Report
HI,
I can sympathise with you and understand where you are coming from. I live in a flat which is in a communal building, I am surrounded by neighbours; below, above, right and left of my flat. The noise is absolutely unbelievable, and I am suffering mental health issues through it! The worst is a bay crying and screaming constantly - this drives me insane to the point have to go out! Also the neighbours below me are a youhg couple with a baby and are the ones who make the most noise, from arguing to blasting rave music and slamming of doors and their baby screaming and crying...the list goes on --These people are just idiots in general.
The flats were built about 10 year ago. Places for People are the landlord. I often wonder what construction materials were used in the construction, because it seems there is no sound insulation at all!? I've been on the transfer list for too long almost 2 years! I can't put up with the noise any longer and now I am at the stage of just moving out! I've lived in many flats from communal to terraced ones and the one I live in now is just a joke when it comes to noise. To drown the noise out I either turn my TV volume up, or the radio so I can't hear any noise, conversations, babies crying and the noise coming from the neighbours below me "I can literally hear the highlights of my neighbours life. The next door neighbours, that is." - Mine is the same, I can hear neighbours having conversations about their private life. The neighbour to the left of me had laminated flooring installed, which was not allowed, yet they still had it installed..and I fought to have them remove it as the transmission of the noise coming into my flat was unbearable! Surely there is something that can be done about this regarding the construction practises of the Flats and lack of sound proofing, if any was used at all??
I for one do not want to give up my home for the sake of the flats being to noisy! This is not right!
I can sympathise with you and understand where you are coming from. I live in a flat which is in a communal building, I am surrounded by neighbours; below, above, right and left of my flat. The noise is absolutely unbelievable, and I am suffering mental health issues through it! The worst is a bay crying and screaming constantly - this drives me insane to the point have to go out! Also the neighbours below me are a youhg couple with a baby and are the ones who make the most noise, from arguing to blasting rave music and slamming of doors and their baby screaming and crying...the list goes on --These people are just idiots in general.
The flats were built about 10 year ago. Places for People are the landlord. I often wonder what construction materials were used in the construction, because it seems there is no sound insulation at all!? I've been on the transfer list for too long almost 2 years! I can't put up with the noise any longer and now I am at the stage of just moving out! I've lived in many flats from communal to terraced ones and the one I live in now is just a joke when it comes to noise. To drown the noise out I either turn my TV volume up, or the radio so I can't hear any noise, conversations, babies crying and the noise coming from the neighbours below me "I can literally hear the highlights of my neighbours life. The next door neighbours, that is." - Mine is the same, I can hear neighbours having conversations about their private life. The neighbour to the left of me had laminated flooring installed, which was not allowed, yet they still had it installed..and I fought to have them remove it as the transmission of the noise coming into my flat was unbearable! Surely there is something that can be done about this regarding the construction practises of the Flats and lack of sound proofing, if any was used at all??
I for one do not want to give up my home for the sake of the flats being to noisy! This is not right!
-5
Click to rate Report
There are more idiotic morons in the UK than ever! Neighbour problems are at an all time high.
Cooped up in small flats/homes (most of them are housed by the local council), they shout, scream and couldn't care less about anything.
The sad thing is when these neighbours step outside, they sometimes behave friendly towards each other as if no one had heard them!
They rant, shout at their offsprings, swear and are totally useless to society. They do not want to learn or be educated at all and tabloid newspaper is as far as they get to reading anything. They expect society to look after them and blame everyone else
The circle of life for these people is a dead end life.
Cooped up in small flats/homes (most of them are housed by the local council), they shout, scream and couldn't care less about anything.
The sad thing is when these neighbours step outside, they sometimes behave friendly towards each other as if no one had heard them!
They rant, shout at their offsprings, swear and are totally useless to society. They do not want to learn or be educated at all and tabloid newspaper is as far as they get to reading anything. They expect society to look after them and blame everyone else
The circle of life for these people is a dead end life.
-4
Click to rate Report
But there are regulations nowadays for newbuilds ones that state under regulation E that say you should not hear footfall noise or low level tv noise so newbuild flats should not be overly noisy..
0
Click to rate Report
hi everyone we are having tha same problems trampoline noise etc etc etc etc etc and the parents mouthy, swearing etc as far as not wanting to upset the neighbours we are far down that road with this we had no choice despite trying to talk to them many many times about it they wouldnt listen as we had 9 years of it with our old neigbours and had got to a point where we had managed to quietend them down at last and most of their kids had grown up and moved away and our housing ass has now allowed a worse family despite protest from us having known of the new ones before hand to do a swap with our old neighbours despite complaints and trying to get justice and be able to sleep at night for 9 years off and on , no other neighbours want to get involved either they are scared or its because they are not as close as we are to them as there's only our two houses together so we are now starting all again from scratch with these new ones all the organisations dont seem to want to know and dragg there feet and as good as take the side of the perpatrater and not the victim despite having diary sheets tape recordings etc its absolute madnes I could write a very very thick book on what me and my family have been through over the years you might say why dont you move but its not that easy the housing situation today ,not owning our own property etc but we must fight on to not let these chavs/ moorons win. the ironic thing is that where our old neighbours are they are as quiet as a mouse not a peep and not using the garden all night as they used to ironic eh.despite these peopl breaking their tenancy agreement many many times the housing association still reluctant to do any thing about it and keep coming up with mediation every time you dont change these type of people by getting them in a room and having a little chatting to them.
0
Click to rate Report
tell me aout it!! the block were I live is poulated by morons that stamp up & down the stairs, slam their doors, rattle their windows, & exercise their dogs right outside , & these dogs just bark,bark, bark all the time. I currently waiting for my housing association to give me another place. Iv`e been waiting over 2 years now.
+1
Click to rate Report
