To Those Who Value Peace & Quiet

[FLSUnFIRE]

No need to go medieval on them... I'd try to talk to them when you are not upset and aggravated. Multi-unit, you will have some noise. They probably don't realize it and if hanging out and having a drink or three, may be noisier than they realize. You can try some white noise too as it may help and be a way to "meet in the middle." I'm living in a multi-unit dwelling for the first time in 20 years and give lots of leeway (fortunately no issues).. sometimes I worry I may be too loud myself.


I'll leave this (although this internet world would have you believe otherwise)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liqktLC7xR0

Good Luck!
FLSunFIRE

[CDRE]

Create a free customized soundscape: https://noises.online/

[Vincenzo Corleone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDRE Create a free customized soundscape: https://noises.online/

Bookmarked. Thanks!

[sergio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATX78701 I lived in a high rise with mostly older neighbors. The next door couple in the their 60s were considerate and kind...until they divorced and Mark began dating again. Loud music (I can never listen to the band Boston again), smoking, fighting. I spoke to the neighbor - no effect. I complained to the building - no effect. So I bought an air purifier from a big box retailer. It has a HEPA filter and three speeds which also generate more white noise the higher the speed. It’s easily 3 feet x 3 feet x 1 foot. It worked like a charm to clear any smoke that came into my unit AND provided sufficient white noise to cover their noise.

This would drive me nuts. I highly recommend caulking all holes and gaps (eg between the baseboard and floor) in the party wall, sealing up all electrical outlets, light fixtures, and plumbing pipes, and putting one of those rubber sweeps on the bottom of your door to seal it off from the hallway. Second hand smoke is friggin nasty and dangerous!!

[MRG]

OP I'd be in the white noise camp. It's helpful.

Occasionally we get a noisy rental but they're normally gone by the weekend. More often, like two nights ago, I'll be outside on the hammock at 11pm, in total darkness and silence and hear an animal walking around the forest. Deer? Neighbors cat? Lion?

[sergio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markola On the other hand, we’ve had neighbors in detached homes with barking dogs and screaming children, and it makes DW unreasonably angry when people park their cars blocking the walk to our street. I’m usually oblivious and at peace with all of this annoyance until she comments on it.

Our townhouse is way quieter than my parents single family detached home. One of their neighbors lets his huge dog outside all day in the yard and is constantly barking. The windows on the side of their house let in a ton of noise. Their neighbors on the other side have 3 kids ages 5-9 who run around screaming from dawn till dusk all summer. A few doors down a guy has a Harley which you can hear for blocks. None of this is against city rules and there's no HOA so they just deal with it.

Our party walls are thick double stud walls with 4 layers of drywall that let in no sound from our neighbors. The kids all go play in the park a block away. There's nowhere to let your dog roam around unleashed and hence most people don't have dogs, or if they do, the dogs are smaller. Any obnoxious noises like revving a Harley would be immediately addresses by the HOA.

[walkinwood]

Can you get better sound insulated windows?
Put up a barrier on your terrace to reduce the sound?
Get a noisier a/c?
Get to know your neighbors and ask?

[travelover]

No suggestions but lots of sympathy. I rented a house for a year in a cheek by jowl neighborhood and the noise drove me bonkers. Barking dogs, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, pressure washers, neighbors occasionally bickering - they all took their toll. Not advice for you, but I finally moved onto a big lot and it helped a lot , but it still not perfect.

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover No suggestions but lots of sympathy.

+1

In my 20's circumstances forced me to live in three different apartments. Two of them were terrible regarding noise, and I swore "never again!"

I'll live in a cave before I went back to an apartment. Might be hard to drag DW along with me though...

[Vincenzo Corleone]

Here's one of the main reasons why we don't want to move from here.

[JustCurious]

To each his own, but there is no view in the world that would make me want to live in a high rise building with neighbors on all sides.

[Vincenzo Corleone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustCurious To each his own, but there is no view in the world that would make me want to live in a high rise building with neighbors on all sides.

I could completely understand that. We've really not had any big problems for the past 20 years. Actually, it's been really good. But, I understand. It's a crap shoot. And "past performance doesn't guarantee future results".

[Vincenzo Corleone]

Hm...something to consider for sleeping in those rare cases when noise keeps me awake.

https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Hea...ronics&sr=1-51

[24601NoMore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vincenzo Corleone We have a magnificent view and have a wall of windows through which the noise enters.

We had a similar problem, but in a single family house with neighbors ~20 feet from us. Sound from teenage boys at the height of puberty screaming like they were lit on blazing fire while playing basketball. Most times without music, but sometimes with - LOUD music. Often with every form of vile vulgarity screamed at the top of their lungs that you can imagine..so over the top with it that it would make the most hard core Mobster uncomfortable.

For some reason, the sound of a bouncing basketball (or several basketballs, which happened often) is damned near impossible to block. It's a low frequency thing. And, of course, they loved playing at dinner time and well into the evening - ie: long after we went to bed.

We almost had to move. Wife loves to sleep with the windows open as she grew up in a house without A/C and they always had fresh air. Couldn't do that due to the noise. So closed the windows and ran the A/C always. STILL could hear the little varmints, clear as day IN OUR Greatroom, BEDROOM and other rooms of the house. Not good.

I learned windows are the biggest "leaker" of sound around. And even though we have Andersen 400 windows, we somehow have "glazing" (glass) that lets through a simply incredible amount of sound, even when fully closed.

I researched the heck out of what to do, and wound up putting QuietRock sheetrock OVER our existing drywall, AND buying a secondary layer of sound deadening windows from a company called SoundProofWindows. I don't know and haven't looked if either company is still around (ETA - see https://www.soundproofwindows.com/ and https://www.quietrock.com/products), and that gave us 'some' relief - although if they're loud enough, nothing truly "fully" blocks the noise.

Good luck..noisy neighbors can be a REAL PITA and stress you totally out of your mind if you let it, which I did because like you, I really value peace and quiet and having my "own space". If I have my doors and windows shut, and can still hear someone - that person is "invading" my space, which is a real issue for me and makes me totally and completely nuts.

[Vincenzo Corleone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 24601NoMore We had a similar problem, but in a single family house with neighbors ~20 feet from us. Sound from teenage boys at the height of puberty screaming like they were lit on blazing fire while playing basketball. Most times without music, but sometimes with - LOUD music. Often with every form of vile vulgarity screamed at the top of their lungs that you can imagine..so over the top with it that it would make the most hard core Mobster uncomfortable. For some reason, the sound of a bouncing basketball (or several basketballs, which happened often) is damned near impossible to block. It's a low frequency thing. And, of course, they loved playing at dinner time and well into the evening - ie: long after we went to bed. We almost had to move. Wife loves to sleep with the windows open as she grew up in a house without A/C and they always had fresh air. Couldn't do that due to the noise. So closed the windows and ran the A/C always. STILL could hear the little varmints, clear as day IN OUR Greatroom, BEDROOM and other rooms of the house. Not good. I learned windows are the biggest "leaker" of sound around. And even though we have Andersen 400 windows, we somehow have "glazing" (glass) that lets through a simply incredible amount of sound, even when fully closed. I researched the heck out of what to do, and wound up putting QuietRock sheetrock OVER our existing drywall, AND buying a secondary layer of sound deadening windows from a company called SoundProofWindows. I don't know and haven't looked if either company is still around (ETA - see https://www.soundproofwindows.com/ and https://www.quietrock.com/products), and that gave us 'some' relief - although if they're loud enough, nothing truly "fully" blocks the noise. Good luck..noisy neighbors can be a REAL PITA and stress you totally out of your mind if you let it, which I did because like you, I really value peace and quiet and having my "own space". If I have my doors and windows shut, and can still hear someone - that person is "invading" my space, which is a real issue for me and makes me totally and completely nuts.

Good grief - that sounds awful. Glad I don't have it that bad. Thanks for the tips though.

[rodi]

OP - agreeing with the others about the white noise solutions.

I love your view. Thanks for posting the picture. I'm all about the view and see why you love living where you do.

We're looking at moving to a highrise condo in the next 2-3 years... Our current house is your typical suburban 60's era tract home - neighbors on either side about 15-20 feet away. We've had quiet neighbors and noisy neighbors... Currently our next door neighbor on the bedroom side has small children... the younger daughter is a screamer/cryer. Hey - when *our* kids were younger they were rambunctious boys who cried, shreaked, yelled, squealed... it's all part of being in a family neighborhood. Neighbor 2 doors up throws a few big backyard parties a year - usually with live music. It's not every night. We don't have AC - so have to open the windows in the summer. We have a whole house fan which helps as white noise.

Random car alarms are a bigger annoyance.

[socca]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 24601NoMore It's a low frequency thing.

Sometimes I'll be sitting on my screened porch enjoying the view and I'll hear the liminal throbbing of (most likely) some teenager's subwoofer. The high frequencies are completely absent; it's just a gentle boom-boom-boom. Very odd. I could be pissed off, but at my advanced age (mid- to late-50's) perhaps I should just be grateful that I still have excellent hearing. Every day I know when the mail has arrived because I hear the USPS mail delivery truck drive by outside my house.

I don't sweat intermittent noise pollution, whether it's a barking dog, screaming kids, unmufflered motorcycle, landscaping equipment, etc. However, chronic noise pollution - which fortunately I currently don't experience - would require corrective action of some sort. This is one advantage of a HOA - there are restrictions dealing with this.

Sorry about your predicament - good luck getting this resolved!

[Vincenzo Corleone]

It didn't occur to me until now to mention it but - I have tinnitus. I wonder if that's what's making me hyper-sensitive to noise that's not in my control. Maybe I should look into something that would mask the tinnitus noise and see if that makes things better.

Although, the lack of consideration of others is what really grates on my nerves. Especially since my wife and I were raised to be considerate people. <shrug>

Just thinking "out loud".

[38Chevy454]

Your problem is one of many reasons that I can never live in any multi-family high density housing situation. I also live out on country where the worst noise is a neighbor firing off a few rounds on their gun range. But that doesn't help your question.
I think if the offending neighbors are within the limits, you are out of luck except for measures you can take yourself, such as white noise generating equipment in your control. If they are outside defined limits, utilize the authorities available to help cut the noise down. It sucks you are in the position of your nice past history being changed with new neighbors. But such is the nature of all living situations.

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vincenzo Corleone .... Although, the lack of consideration of others is what really grates on my nerves. Especially since my wife and I were raised to be considerate people. <shrug> ..

I notice there seems to be an assignment of reason as to why the noise, and it's not helpful, more likely it's upsetting.

Here we live in a house, and 2 backyards over, a large family has gatherings about every week or two.
I can easily hear them talking, these days folks have to sit 6-10 ft apart so they have to talk loud.
They also play music and it's not my type of music, and turn on floodlights when it gets dark.
They don't break any laws, and are minding their own business, so why should I complain, even if it bugged me the first time.

I notice when inside my home, with the radio or tv on, I cannot hear them.

For about 5 years we had the neighbor son playing basketball every day. Those bouncing balls really do carry the sound across the street and through a house. The kid grew up and moved away.