Noise Tips
Here are twenty six tips to being a considerate neighbour. We can all do our bit in helping to reduce noise nuisance to others. Of course, some noise is unavoidable but there are lots of simple ways to avoid disturbing others.
- Try to site noisy household equipment such as washing machines, dish washers away from partition walls or place them on a carpet or rubber mat to reduce vibration.
- If you think your washing machine or dishwasher may be heard by neighbours try to avoid using it overnight.
- Consider fitting carpets over floorboards and curtains on windows to reduce everyday noise in your home.
- If your flat is above another one avoid having bare floorboards or laying wood effect flooring unless you can isolate the walking layer on top of a resilient underlay. A good underlay and carpet are much the best finish to avoid your neighbour having to listen to your every step.
- If your kitchen cupboards or bedroom wardrobes are fixed to the separating (party) wal use soft neoprene rubber stops to prevent the doors slamming shut. Also try to avoid fixing light switches and electric socket outlets to the separating wall.
- Try to reduce the effect of noise from your TV and stereo by moving them away from your neighbours' walls. If you live in a flat with a neighbour beneath you, raise your TV and stereo off the floor if possible.
- Try to always keep the volume of your TV, radio and music as low as possible, especially late at night. Set your hi-fi bass control at a low level - the bass beat can be particularly irritating!
- If you like your music loud, use headphones. But be careful, if you cannot hear other people talking when you are wearing headphones you could be deafening yourself.
- Try to avoid using your radio outside in the garden or on the street unless you can use headphones.
- If you like loud music in your car keep the windows closed so as not to annoy others and try to pick a radio with automatic volume control that reduces as the car slows.
- Warn your neighbours if you are going to make unavoidable noise - having a party or doing DIY for example.
- When doing DIY, try and make sure you carry out the noisiest jobs during the day. Keep the evening for quieter work such as painting and decorating.
- Consider mowing the lawn and using garden power tools at a reasonable time - not early morning or late evening when the noise could be most annoying.
- Try to carry out unavoidable noisy activities in sociable hours which the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection defines as being between 8.00am and 7.00pm weekdays and Saturday and between 10.00am and 5.00pm Sundays.
- If you own a dog, train it not to bark unnecessarily. Never leave your dog alone for long periods - ask a friend to exercise it during your absence. In law a barking dog can be a noise nuisance and you could be prosecuted if you do nothing to stop it.
- If you're a car or motorcycle driver, always drive quietly in built up areas. Try not to drive and brake fiercely.
- In winter cover the screens of your car to avoid the need to defrost it by leaving the engine running for prolonged periods. This will save fuel, reduce noise and air pollution.
- Try to avoid revving your car or motorcycle unnecessarily. Try and keep the silencer in good condition and only use your horn in an emergency. Remember, it is illegal to sound a car horn between the hours of 11.30pm and 07.00am and anytime when the vehicle is stationary unless it is an emergency.
- If you are using a taxi or minicab early in the morning or late at night ask the driver to announce his arrival by knocking on your door or phoning beforehand rather than sounding the horn.
- If you have a house/ car alarm appoint a key holder who can be contacted if it goes off while you're away. And get it maintained regularly so that it doesn't go off accidentally.
- When you buy new household appliances such as a washing machine choose the quietest models. This will encourage manufacturers to make more!
- If a neighbour is creating a noise, try talking to them and politely explaining the problem. People are often very happy to reduce the noise once they realise it is causing others a problem. Conversely, people usually feel less disturbed by nuisance noise if they feel they have some control over it.
- If talking to your neighbours doesn't work and the noise persists you could try involving a mediation service, which may help sort out your differences without having to go to court. Up to 70 per cent of the work that UK-based free mediation service Mediation UK deals with is noise-related issues.
- Remember that the council environmental health department has powers to deal with all types of domestic noise. Contact you local council to find out what can be done to tackle noise problems in your neighbourhood.
- If you play a musical instrument, consider practicing it at a reasonable time and not early in the morning or during the late evening or night when the noise could be most annoying.
