Noisy neighbours

Hi

I currently have neighbours who rent next to me. The house isn’t great with sound travel but their back door is a problem. Basically the landlord installed an old wooden front door as their back door so it bangs shut which in turn causes vibrations to the rooms at the back of my house. I have got insulated slab put onto the back box bedroom and stairs wall. The kitchen and the bathroom will follow. The kitchen has the cabinets onto the party wall which makes it tricky to sound proof until I do a complete job on the kitchen.

I approached the tenants however he doesn’t speak English and I had to communicate through his 10 year old daughter which was awkward but they appeared responsive and willing to sort it but alas nothing has happened and that was months ago. They appear friendly but their days are totally out of sync with a normal working day, as in they would be outside the back smoking and chatting and going in and out till 1 am, meaning the back door backs multiple times waking me up nearly on a nightly basis.

I was wondering for the kitchen wall with the cabinets is there any good sound absorbing type pictures? Or an any other recommendation?

I was also thinking of getting a stud finder and the drilling small holes in the back wall area connecting to the party wall and spraying in expanding foam to stop the sound travelling,

The cavity walls are pumped as well.

Any recommendations as I actually do think it’s the way of the people and nothing malice in their actions, they are just none the wiser really so rather than make it an issue I would like to resolve it. I was thinking of getting the landlords numbers and asking him to bang proof the house as that would mean putting soft close onto the internal doors and put a small arm onto the back door to stop the bang, but that Avenue could cause bad feelings

mr_cochise

Ah, you mean noisy neighbours!!!

ekevosu

Noisy rather than nosey I think. That would be a totally different issue.

Yeah noisy, how do you edit a thread title

GG66

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Yeah noisy, how do you edit a thread title

It sounds like a lot less work and expense putting a soft close on their rear door. I'd explain it again to them and suggest you are going to ask the landlord to fix it. If they're ok with that then just be sure you don't imply your neighbours are noisy, his door is.

I'd go as far as to suggest i'd fit the arm to the door myself if he is hesitant. A lot easier than remodelling your kitchen.

Really though your neighbours should be more sensitive when chatting outside at 1am if it's regular. I'd drop that into the conversation too in a polite way.

Good luck

Gumbo

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeah noisy, how do you edit a thread title

Already done

Right i approached them and they seemed receptive but it lasted about 2 weeks.

The door was changed whenever how long back and now it closes towards my house if that makes sense, basically the inverse of a front door.

I am going to escalate it now.

In the meantime I am thinking of drilling small holes on the dry lining by the party wall and spraying expanding foam in. Would this make a difference?

What grounds could I do for a complaint, like how do you prove slamming at random times in the night

Arklow10

Be very wary re expanding foam, it could burst the plasterboard panels away from their wall fixings. Then you have a bigger issue.
Noise and vibration are very difficult to correct retrospectively.
On noise alone to bring the noise level down from say 86dbA to say 83dbA is halving the noise level and even this is quiet difficult to achieve. Download a free noise level meter to your phone and measure your noise levels.

Best to address the issue at source - bring in the neighbor and let him see the impact of the door closing. Can soft foam be put at the closing/contact area of the door frame.
Talk to an expert in noise/vibration reduction, it will be expensive but in the long term (new tenants) you may find it worthwhile

Gumbo

Deleted User wrote: »

In the meantime I am thinking of drilling small holes on the dry lining by the party wall and spraying expanding foam in. Would this make a difference?

Do not do this.

carq

This type of noise (Vibration) needs to be tacked at source - the door. No amount of soundproofing your house will stop this as the sound travels through solid structures/ your roof etc.