Neighbor Noise

[aaronc879]

My Mom emailed me this morning complaining about one of her neighbors using a chain saw at 7:15am on a Sunday. That got me wondering what other people think is reasonable for a time to do outside yard chores that are loud like a chainsaw, or lawn mower. If I owned a house I would want to get the lawn mowed by 9am to avoid the hotter times of the day so that means probably starting by 8am. What do you think is a reasonable time to start outside noise or end it at night?

 

[Walt34]

Where I used to live they had a fairly thoughtful and well-written noise ordinance. 7:00 AM was the start time on weekdays, I think the end time was 6:00 PM. Saturday had a later start time, I think it was 9:00 AM and on Sundays the start time was 10:00 AM.

This addressed the issues of loud music, early construction start times, and the like.

 

[aaronc879]

Where I used to live they had a fairly thoughtful and well-written noise ordinance. 7:00 AM was the start time on weekdays, I think the end time was 6:00 PM. Saturday had a later start time, I think it was 9:00 AM and on Sundays the start time was 10:00 AM.

This addressed the issues of loud music, early construction start times, and the like.

That looks good on paper but if I worked a M-F job I would probably have to do yard work on the weekends. It can get awfully hot after 9am on a summer weekend. I think 8am should be acceptable any day of the week. If you aren't awake by then that means you went to sleep after midnight. You can't go to sleep after midnight and then complain about not getting enough sleep IMO.

 

[aaronc879]

Snow blowers in the winter are an exception. You have to be able to get out of your driveway to get to work and they may mean snow blowing at 5am. That's just a part of living in a place with lots of snow. People need to realize that and go to bed early when there's going to be heavy snow overnight.

 

[Walt34]

I think 8am should be acceptable any day of the week. If you aren't awake by then that means you went to sleep after midnight. You can't go to sleep after midnight and then complain about not getting enough sleep IMO.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this. I worked rotating shift work for nearly two decades and really didn't need some guy mowing his lawn early AM when I didn't get off work until 2:00 AM. I wasn't sleeping late because I was out partying.

I worked in law enforcement but noticed a lot of other people working night hours. Restaurants, hospitals, some construction, cleaning companies, things like that all have overnight crews.

When you flip the switch at 3:00 AM the lights come on. That doesn't happen automatically, people working make it happen and they deserve some consideration when they're off.

 

[Gumby]

No particular "rules" where I live, but when I mow the lawn on Saturday mornings, I don't start until 9:00 am, so I can avoid waking any neighbors who are sleeping in. I would rather sweat a little more than disturb them by starting too early. If I were home on a weekday, I might start at 7:00 am, since virtually everyone is up and just about leaving for work then.

 

[Gumby]

When you flip the switch at 3:00 AM the lights come on. That doesn't happen automatically, people working make it happen and they deserve some consideration when they're off.

As a veteran of the midnight shift at the nuclear power plant, I can relate. I used to get home between 9 and 10 am. The I went to bed so I could spend time with the young wife in the afternoon/evening.

 

[aaronc879]

We'll have to agree to disagree on this. I worked rotating shift work for nearly two decades and really didn't need some guy mowing his lawn early AM when I didn't get off work until 2:00 AM. I wasn't sleeping late because I was out partying.

I worked in law enforcement but noticed a lot of other people working night hours. Restaurants, hospitals, some construction, cleaning companies, things like that all have overnight crews.

When you flip the switch at 3:00 AM the lights come on. That doesn't happen automatically, people working make it happen and they deserve some consideration when they're off.

Trust me, I understand what you are saying. I worked 12 hour night for over a decade. I would get to sleep at about 6am or just after and had a very difficult time sleeping thru all the different noises during the day. I still say that as a general rule, 8am should be acceptable. Maybe if you know specifically what the schedule is of your nearest neighbors then you can adjust if you want to.

 

[Walt34]

Maybe if you know specifically what the schedule is of your nearest neighbors then you can adjust if you want to.

I was blessed with a very considerate neighbor. He was going to have an old patio jackhammered to make room for an addition and scheduled it for when I was working day work. I was very appreciative about that!

 

[braumeister]

Aside from moving to Germany (where there are strict laws on the books about quiet times), I don't think there is a good answer to this problem.

 

[eytonxav]

On Sunday, I would say 9:00 AM, other days of the week 8:00 AM.

 

[JoeWras]

Snow blowers in the winter are an exception. You have to be able to get out of your driveway to get to work and they may mean snow blowing at 5am. That's just a part of living in a place with lots of snow. People need to realize that and go to bed early when there's going to be heavy snow overnight.

I was one of those guys. During high school, I made good money clearing snow. But with my bus leaving at 6:50AM, it mean clearing at 5AM sharp. It was also nice to hit it before pedestrian traffic trampled. I had zero complaints, and only thank yous. Of course, this was a blue collar neighborhood in a different time. A lot of people were up by 5AM ready to catch a bus at 6AM.

Looked at my city's ordinance. 7AM to 8:30PM 7 days a week. So technically, 7:15AM is OK.

But he is a jerk of a neighbor. There are laws and common sense. I never run my blower or chain saw before 9AM out of courtesy, and I try to stop before 6PM dinner hour when people eat on their decks.

 

[aaronc879]

Aside from moving to Germany (where there are strict laws on the books about quiet times), I don't think there is a good answer to this problem.

Every city that i have lived in has had a noise ordinance. Usually quiet times are from 10P-6a, sometimes 11p-7a. Sometimes later in the morning on the weekend. As Walt noted, non of those ordinances work for everyone's schedule. If you could only make noise when no one is sleeping then nothing would get done.

 

[Ronstar]

I never make outside noise earlier than 9am or after 5pm. I used to plow snow before 9 or after 5, but not since DW retired.

I can accept others (mainly businesses) that occasionally make noise before 9 or after 5, if they have schedule issues that make it necessary.

 

[jwkde]

check on the local noise ordinances. Here no lawnmowers or power equipment before 8am on weekends. 7am during the week.

 

[easysurfer]

I would say not before 9 am and not later than 9 pm. Always heard that's the rule of thumb too for when calling someone unless you know them very well.

I'd say though, an exception is in heavy snow when folks gotta get out of the garage to w*rk.

 

[FUEGO]

I usually wait till the sun starts to dip behind the trees, so I'm starting mowing at 6:00-6:30 this time of year. I hate it when my neighbors are out enjoying their yard when I mow, but I know it's only an hour or two every 2-3 weeks.

I don't particularly like the 7 am mowers, but don't blame them because it gets HOT outside. Another reason for not likely them. Not only do I wake up, I also realize that hey, I probably need to mow grass too. So I'll lay there half asleep thinking how I'm wasting my day AND have this chore looming over my head.

 

[aaronc879]

I usually wait till the sun starts to dip behind the trees, so I'm starting mowing at 6:00-6:30 this time of year. I hate it when my neighbors are out enjoying their yard when I mow, but I know it's only an hour or two every 2-3 weeks.

You would rather disturb them when they are eating dinner?

Just showing that there isn't a time that works for everyone.

 

[Just_Steve]

I w*rked overnights most of the time, would go to bed around noon, put in earplugs pulled the blackout curtains and life was good. Noise? What noise?

 

[aaronc879]

I w*rked overnights most of the time, would go to bed around noon, put in earplugs pulled the blackout curtains and life was good. Noise? What noise?

I've worn ear plugs for sleeping every day for the last 15+ years and I rarely sleep more than a few hours before something/someone wakes me up whether it's day or night.

 

[SteveNU]

Worked rotating shift most of my career so I am sensitive to this. But life must go on and I learned early on that a little white noise from a fan made all the difference in my ability to sleep during the noisy hours.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[aaronc879]

Worked rotating shift most of my career so I am sensitive to this. But life must go on and I learned early on that a little white noise from a fan made all the difference in my ability to sleep during the noisy hours.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

I do the fan AND earplugs and still get woken up multiple times every day.

 

[rayinpenn]

I won't mow until after 8am any generally do it after 9am. I hear the landscapers at 8 every day


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forumh

 

[Just_Steve]

I've worn ear plugs for sleeping every day for the last 15+ years and I rarely sleep more than a few hours before something/someone wakes me up whether it's day or night.

What type of plug? I used the silicone flanged plugs, never liked the expanding foam plugs.

 

[FUEGO]

You would rather disturb them when they are eating dinner?

Just showing that there isn't a time that works for everyone.

Considering the heat index was 92 at 1 am last night, I don't think many folks are dining al fresco at 6 pm here. At least not in the middle of summer.

Like I said, I feel like a real sh1tball when I go out to mow at 6 or 7 and see my neighbor chilling in her rocking chair on her back deck. I only mow every 2 weeks or so, so the inconvenience isn't huge.

The grass is generally soaked with dew at 7 am, otherwise I'd probably do the early morning thing to beat the heat slightly. But no way I'd mow at say 4 pm when it's still steaming hot just so my neighbors could enjoy a quiet dinner. One's rarely there anyway, the other is slightly hearing impaired, so maybe not a big deal in my situation.