Noises from next door

dnme

I recently moved into a semi-detached in a small town. My neighbours seem like good people, they are a young couple with a baby and in general noise levels are low.

But upstairs, when people open and close doors, cupboards, wardrobes etc, you can hear this. I'm a very light sleeper and this tends to wake me. Last night there was high winds, and I think that their room that mine backs onto had a window left open. The result was a wardrobe door bumping all night. Drove me crazy and today, I am like a zombie in work.

I'm new to urban living having been rural all my life so I could use some advice on this one. Firstly I am new to the house so I havn't actually met these neighbours yet. I dont want to annoy anyone either.

How would you approach this? Would you ask them to ??? I dunno, what? (can I really ask people to close their wardrobe doors quietly? that seems annoying)

Are there any practical things I can do in my place to reduce noise. All I need is a good nights sleep, after that I dont mind.

Many thanks for any advice.

seamus

Ear plugs.

You can't really ask people to keep quiet when they're going about typical activities. Music at night or parties would be one thing, but mundane things like open/closing doors and presses, not so much.

Particularly if they have a young child, they will be up at all hours doing things in the house, that's unavoidable.

Really the only thing you can do is to wear earplugs when you sleep. In some cases people also find that having white noise on in the room when you sleep can help as it drowns out any external noise.

If you complain to the neighbours, you will sound petty and unreasonable

Over time you will actually get more used to sleeping with urban noise, but for the time being ear plugs should help.

dnme

seamus wrote: »

Ear plugs.

You can't really ask people to keep quiet when they're going about typical activities. Music at night or parties would be one thing, but mundane things like open/closing doors and presses, not so much.

Particularly if they have a young child, they will be up at all hours doing things in the house, that's unavoidable.

Really the only thing you can do is to wear earplugs when you sleep. In some cases people also find that having white noise on in the room when you sleep can help as it drowns out any external noise.

If you complain to the neighbours, you will sound petty and unreasonable

Over time you will actually get more used to sleeping with urban noise, but for the time being ear plugs should help.

Thanks Seamus,

I remember ear plugs from before. They were uncomfortable and made my head hot. The sound of your breathing and movement is amplified in your own head and I just hated them. Maybe there are better ones these days. I'll look into it.

langdang

Is it a piece of crap semi-d slapped up during the property boom?
Lived in one for a while - if it was quiet you could tell whether they were standing up or sitting down using the toilet next door. You can imagine all other noises sounded like they were in the room with you.

Quies ear plugs on standby.
But basically just move to a house built by real builders from actual building materials as soon as you can. Living in a cosy, non-drafty, low noise house now and would never go back to one of those boom-built playhouses. I pity the people stuck with them, hope you're renting!

piperh

I agree it may come across as petty to ask them to close doors quietly ect but you could introduce yourself and say very politely you hope your not disturbing them as you've noticed how thin the walls are.

If your house has been empty for a while it might be that they've forgotten how much noise travels.

Graces7

dnme wrote: »

Thanks Seamus,

I remember ear plugs from before. They were uncomfortable and made my head hot. The sound of your breathing and movement is amplified in your own head and I just hated them. Maybe there are better ones these days. I'll look into it.

Modern ear plugs are better. I remember those heavy wax ones too..Dreadful. I have ME and at times hearing is utterly painful. Ear plugs are my lifeline.

The noise at the street markets I trade at can be appalling. And agricultural noise too.

The best I have are from a creamery/co-op, where they sell ear protectors for builders and welders., Neatly packed in pairs for 50cents. I cover them in a single fine layer of tissue to keep them clean in use.

Have some from a pharmacy for 20 cents each too. Better than the dearer ones,

Yes breathing can sound a little louder but better than the noise levels you have now.

kirving

It may not just be the house either. You say you are new to urban living. I live beside a busy road, and although my house was built to a reasonable standad, I can hear cars that pass by.

I'm totally used to it though, so I tune it out and it never bothers me. When I'm in a quieter house or down the country, I hate the silence and find it hard to sleep. Any little noise out of the ordinary silence annoys me.

I think it's something you'll quickly get used to.

Graces7

Kevin Irving wrote: »

It may not just be the house either. You say you are new to urban living. I live beside a busy road, and although my house was built to a reasonable standad, I can hear cars that pass by.

I'm totally used to it though, so I tune it out and it never bothers me. When I'm in a quieter house or down the country, I hate the silence and find it hard to sleep. Any little noise out of the ordinary silence annoys me.

I think it's something you'll quickly get used to.

The way we adapt is amazing.. For me this has been a perennial issue and I seek silence as I seek food. Thankfully I am a very early riser so get the quiet hours at that end of the day. Then in go the ear plugs....

dnme

Many thanks to all for the great responses.

The house is well built. There is solid concrete wall between me and neighbour. Also the house is part of 4 (2 blocks of 2) right in at the back of the estate. Not overlooked, backs onto fields and the railway line (which does not bother me at all).

You cannot hear neighbours talk, or their tele or their bathroom or anything like. Its just that upstairs you can hear doors, closets etc. I reckon any part of the woodwork. So at night time as they potter about in their rooms, I can only hear the doors bumping. They start at 8, 8:30am on weekends so I cant even get a lie in on a Sat or Sunday morning. Last night there was bumping all night so I am assuming they left a window open and high winds caused a wardrobe door to open/close a bit. It drove me insane.

I just think, door buffers, (you know those little sticky backed velvet stops) would help us all enormously. I'd pay for them etc But how would I approach the neighbour and offer these to him without seeming like an anal retentive psychopath?

On the ear plugs....How do you wake up on a work morning when using them? Wont they prevent me from hearing my alarm (which is fairly low as I dont need a loud sound to wake and I dont want it to wake anyone else).

Graces7

dnme wrote: »

Many thanks to all for the great responses.

The house is well built. There is solid concrete wall between me and neighbour. Also the house is part of 4 (2 blocks of 2) right in at the back of the estate. Not overlooked, backs onto fields and the railway line (which does not bother me at all).

You cannot hear neighbours talk, or their tele or their bathroom or anything like. Its just that upstairs you can hear doors, closets etc. I reckon any part of the woodwork. So at night time as they potter about in their rooms, I can only hear the doors bumping. They start at 8, 8:30am on weekends so I cant even get a lie in on a Sat or Sunday morning. Last night there was bumping all night so I am assuming they left a window open and high winds caused a wardrobe door to open/close a bit. It drove me insane.

I just think, door buffers, (you know those little sticky backed velvet stops) would help us all enormously. I'd pay for them etc But how would I approach the neighbour and offer these to him without seeming like an anal retentive psychopath?

On the ear plugs....How do you wake up on a work morning when using them? Wont they prevent me from hearing my alarm (which is fairly low as I dont need a loud sound to wake and I dont want it to wake anyone else).

I am sure they would understand an alarm going off.. with a baby also..I used when getting up very early to study put mine under the edge of the pillow so it vibrated near my head.

I think nothing you can do re their noise; try to adapt?

Is the house not made so you can sleep in a room away from the dividing wall?

Sleep deprivation is appalling...

dnme

Graces7 wrote: »

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I am sure they would understand an alarm going off.. with a baby also..I used when getting up very early to study put mine under the edge of the pillow so it vibrated near my head.

I think nothing you can do re their noise; try to adapt?

Is the house not made so you can sleep in a room away from the dividing wall?

Sleep deprivation is appalling...

No, I notice that a lot of these semi-detached houses are designed with door, and stair well on the outside, and the rooms on the inside so the rooms are adjoining (stupid really). I have a choice of 2 rooms to sleep in both of which are adjoining next doors rooms. There is a third box room but I am very tall and cannot fit in the room never mind the tiny single bed literally.

draiochtanois

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dnme

draiochtanois wrote: »

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No I rent the place. Interesting though.

langdang

dnme wrote: »

Many thanks to all for the great responses.

The house is well built. There is solid concrete wall between me and neighbour. Also the house is part of 4 (2 blocks of 2) right in at the back of the estate. Not overlooked, backs onto fields and the railway line (which does not bother me at all).

You cannot hear neighbours talk, or their tele or their bathroom or anything like. Its just that upstairs you can hear doors, closets etc. I reckon any part of the woodwork. So at night time as they potter about in their rooms, I can only hear the doors bumping. They start at 8, 8:30am on weekends so I cant even get a lie in on a Sat or Sunday morning. Last night there was bumping all night so I am assuming they left a window open and high winds caused a wardrobe door to open/close a bit. It drove me insane.

I just think, door buffers, (you know those little sticky backed velvet stops) would help us all enormously. I'd pay for them etc But how would I approach the neighbour and offer these to him without seeming like an anal retentive psychopath?

On the ear plugs....How do you wake up on a work morning when using them? Wont they prevent me from hearing my alarm (which is fairly low as I dont need a loud sound to wake and I dont want it to wake anyone else).

There was a concrete wall between the houses in the last place too, you could smell if they were smoking next door in a bedroom. I'm living mid terrace now and hear practically nothing compared to the noise in the last place. Not a chance you'd hear a wardrobe or cupboard door banging unless someone was trying to break it.
Just depends on how the place was built and fitted out.


Maybe you could get talking to them, general chat, friendly neighbour, "I'm not a looper" kinda thing. Lead into "Have you noticed these houses are a bit noisy" "I got these door buffer things that cut down a lot of the loud noises, maybe they'd help ye not wake the baby...." "yeah, actually I've some spare..."

Graces7

dnme wrote: »

No, I notice that a lot of these semi-detached houses are designed with door, and stair well on the outside, and the rooms on the inside so the rooms are adjoining (stupid really). I have a choice of 2 rooms to sleep in both of which are adjoining next doors rooms. There is a third box room but I am very tall and cannot fit in the room never mind the tiny single bed literally.

Ah yes, I grew up in a house like that but I had the boxroom. Image of you lying diagonally with your feet out of the door...;)

But that was a sound post-war boom house and I never remember hearing anything from next door in any room.

Graces7

langdang wrote: »

There was a concrete wall between the houses in the last place too, you could smell if they were smoking next door in a bedroom. I'm living mid terrace now and hear practically nothing compared to the noise in the last place. Not a chance you'd hear a wardrobe or cupboard door banging unless someone was trying to break it.
Just depends on how the place was built and fitted out.


Maybe you could get talking to them, general chat, friendly neighbour, "I'm not a looper" kinda thing. Lead into "Have you noticed these houses are a bit noisy" "I got these door buffer things that cut down a lot of the loud noises, maybe they'd help ye not wake the baby...." "yeah, actually I've some spare..."

They'd think you were loopy!

A better approach might be to drop or bang something a few times one night then go round and apologise profusely...saying that you know how sound travels in the house. Depends how thick or else they are:)

Or ask if they are OK as you heard banging and were worried. That last idea does work well..

Zamboni

The property beside me which has been empty has now got a new family moved in.
I can hear them having sex at night. It is not nice and very unsettling.
But they are entitled to the enjoyment of their own home tbf.
Go to sleep with an Mp3 player ftw.

Cuddlesworth

draiochtanois wrote: »

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Snake Oil. Two sheets of plywood with minimal contact between them(because of a small amount of glue) would of course have some sound dampening benefits. But 90% sound loss and heat creation is a farcical claim.

draiochtanois

This post has been deleted.

langdang

Graces7 wrote: »

They'd think you were loopy!

For cutting down on noise in your house and having had some spare ones?
Or for talking to them as neighbours?
Or for noticing that noise travels in the house?
I dunno about that. But shur I suppose... how about this so:

Graces7 wrote: »

Or ask if they are OK as you heard banging and were worried. That last idea does work well..

Then they'll just think you're a creep with an unhealthy interest in their sexual activities!

doubleglaze

I think that light sleepers are better off living anywhere else other than in appartments and semis.

The alternative is to say something to them.... but immediately you've complicated their lives and introduced an unpleasantness when they actually haven't done anything wrong.

It is best never... NEVER... to complain to neighbours unless it's a life and death sort of situation!

Graces7

doubleglaze wrote: »

I think that light sleepers are better off living anywhere else other than in appartments and semis.

The alternative is to say something to them.... but immediately you've complicated their lives and introduced an unpleasantness when they actually haven't done anything wrong.

It is best never... NEVER... to complain to neighbours unless it's a life and death sort of situation!

Amen to this.

But sleep deprivation is a serious matter.

We once lived near a lovely old couple across the fields. We were on very good terms with them.

When summer nights came, their collie, always chained at the front of the house. started barking all night. Every time sleep came near, bark, bark, bark..

We talked about what to do without upsetting the old ones. We knew one of them was deaf so the chances were that with double glazing, they had not heard the dog.

That morning, I drove round, asking were they OK and did they need anything as we had heard the dog and were worried and concerned for them.

They were mortified and upset; as we had realised, they had not heard the dog and had no idea. As we had realised - and our old collie is the same and now sleeps in the shed so we can get some sleep - the dog had been hearing and seeing critters and barking at them.

So they moved the dog to the back of the house at nights and all was well.

But we were already on very good terms with them. It is a hard way to start a relationship with a noise issue.

Maybe see if the ear plugs help enough to let you acclimatise to the new sounds around you? Get a good sleep at weekends with them?

Some here suggest making a lot of noise on your side as they may not realise how sound travels. You said you did not want your alarm to wake anyone else; maybe alter that idea.

Blessings and peace

zenno

This may be of help to o.p. http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/repair/block-neighbor-noise.htm

riclad

Many houses built in the last ten years have badly fitted or low levels of sound insulation .IT would cost very little to put sound insulation in one room, if you are good at diy.
Get the owners permission.if you are renting older buildings ,with brick walls are generally better than a semi d.
MY friends house is about 20 years old, in semi d.
ITS almost impossible to hear any noise from house next door ,very good sound insulation.
ie you put up wooden frame ,, then, a few inches of soundproofing material, cover with plasterboard
although when you come from the country, you are used to silence
at night.
cover with plasterboard.

andrewg82

an aul set of ear plugs and you will be sorted! zzzzz

iguana

Download some white noise sounds, like ocean waves, and either play them through your computer or put them on you mp3 player in a speaker dock. Play them at top volume when you want to sleep and they should cancel out a lot of the noise coming from nextdoor.

zenno

Ahh the beach lounge will do that for sure... Listen to the sounds of this and you will be asleep in minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53lFbSG9MYg

Graces7

iguana wrote: »

Download some white noise sounds, like ocean waves, and either play them through your computer or put them on you mp3 player in a speaker dock. Play them at top volume when you want to sleep and they should cancel out a lot of the noise coming from nextdoor.

Does not work if you have sensitive hearing and simply adds to the issues.

dnme

Well its 9am on Sunday morning. I've had a fcuking weekend of it. They had me awake yesterday morning at 7:30am pottering about for ages upstairs. So last night I decided to try the tiny box room. This is the only room that is away from the adjoining wall. I squeezed into the tiny single bed, my feet embedded into the wall. Managed to get to sleep. 7:15am this morning I am woken to doors, walking, wardrobes etc. All the usual. Just goes to show, the walls are not necessarily the complete problem. These wooden first floors carry the noise and IMO they even amplify it.

I'm really groggy, sleep deprivation. Starting to loose my temper and bang doors here etc. That's not good. It's not their fault, it's the fault of badly built houses. I want to be able to get a nights sleep and have a lie on at the weekends. So I reckon I'll have to move. Someone said earlier, that if you are a light sleeper, you should live in a detached dwelling. That's a fair point.

I have actually ordered ear plugs. But Ive used them before and don't like them. They make you hot, they are uncomfortable, you can still hear some noises no matter what and they make the inside of your head, your breathing etc loud.

Duckjob

dnme wrote: »

Thanks Seamus,

I remember ear plugs from before. They were uncomfortable and made my head hot. The sound of your breathing and movement is amplified in your own head and I just hated them. Maybe there are better ones these days. I'll look into it.

If you don't want to go the whole hog with earplugs, a little plug of cotton wool in each ear might just deaden the noise enough for you to get to sleep. I do it when I go to music gigs these days because I'm an 'oul fella now and I want to save my hearing.

Graces7

dnme wrote: »

Well its 9am on Sunday morning. I've had a fcuking weekend of it. They had me awake yesterday morning at 7:30am pottering about for ages upstairs. So last night I decided to try the tiny box room. This is the only room that is away from the adjoining wall. I squeezed into the tiny single bed, my feet embedded into the wall. Managed to get to sleep. 7:15am this morning I am woken to doors, walking, wardrobes etc. All the usual. Just goes to show, the walls are not necessarily the complete problem. These wooden first floors carry the noise and IMO they even amplify it.

I'm really groggy, sleep deprivation. Starting to loose my temper and bang doors here etc. That's not good. It's not their fault, it's the fault of badly built houses. I want to be able to get a nights sleep and have a lie on at the weekends. So I reckon I'll have to move. Someone said earlier, that if you are a light sleeper, you should live in a detached dwelling. That's a fair point.

I have actually ordered ear plugs. But Ive used them before and don't like them. They make you hot, they are uncomfortable, you can still hear some noises no matter what and they make the inside of your head, your breathing etc loud.

Puzzled as as we have said they are freely available in so many shops and cheap. And they do help. Trust on that.