Thread: Woodworking and your neighbours

Actualy I forgot, I did have a complaint against me. Not so much noise but just location and should I be doing what I was doing. The council officers called in looked around asked a if I employed anyone (no), I have legitimate home busness so all was good. They spent more time talking to me about woodwork than anything else. The complaint had come from a neighbour a few doors away who thought I had complained about him taking machinery through the park at the back (no not me). They left not long after, may have been the carved wooden effigy full of tech screws

Andy I can understand how you feel. My shed is only about 5 metres from my nearest neighbour and I am always conscious of the noise I'm making, although thankfully she has never said anything.

I sometimes compare it to mowing the lawns. It's quite common for someone to spend a morning running the mower, then the brushcutter doing the edges and then onto the blower for the leaves etc. Might even get the mulcher going to shred some branches.

This is all accepted as part of living in our community. At the start of winter many of my neighbours have wood fires and everyone's got their chainsaws going cutting firewood.

My point is we all have a right to make some noise. And we're only hobbyists, it's not like you're churning out tonnes of furniture.

Thanks for everyones advice on the matter. I'll keep doing what I love, but it's still hard not to think in the back of your head that everything hates you for it.

As always i'm in the noise restriction times, so hopefully the person who made the complaint will come forward so we can work out when it doesn't suit them. I'm more than happy to negotiate on when I make noise, then have this horrible anxious feeling whenever I turn on a power tool. Maybe they have a new born? or a shift worker as someone suggested?

Andy

Originally Posted by groeneaj

The problem is I live in a circuit that has about 20 houses. Its like a circle in a circle. Apparently the person who made the complaint also complained about other neighbours dogs etc...
I'll keep a log of when I use power tools also incase they turn around and acuse me of making noise that's not within the allowed hours.

I might do the rounds and knock on all the doors over the next few days. I want to get my enjoyment back from woodworking.

Like everyone else I sympathise with your predicament, Andy.

May I also suggest that you do the above, starting with your immediate neighbours and all members of your body corporate; do not miss anyone, including your complainant. Tell them what you do, when you are likely to do it, and ask them to tell you when they have particular requirements for quiet - shift worker, sickness, BBQ, listening to Boston Philharmonic simulcast or league finals, etc. Be very cooperative. Even ask them to join you in the shop - willing assistant or new inductee?? Be the good guy, oil the pensioners door hinge, and get everyone else on side. Possibly even old grumpy.

Then, enjoy your woodwork. Its the only reason that you do it.

Cheers

Graeme

Almost off topic but back in the 1970's we had a severe problem with a very noisy neighbour, and my then housemate took a quite desperate step, that worked. Complaints were met with incredulity and denial.

Noisy neighbour had very boozy parties two or three nights a week, frequently worked on and revved his trail bikes and ski boat at 6 am, shouted at his wife 24 hours a day and she screeched back at him. I think she had more decibels than the trail bikes!

Remember the old open reel tape recorders? Housemate spliced 500mm of tape into an endless loop, recorded the first verse of "God Save the Queen", and just as the neighbours party was going well he turned the tape recorder on, gave the beighbour 100 watts per channel ..... and we went to the pictures. When we returned three hours later the street was quiet except for the harmonious repetition of "God Save the Queen". Next time the motors started at an inappropriate hour, a couple of repeats of "God Save the Queen" brought silence.

It worked.

Cheers

Graeme

3am sound/guitar amp with sound system plugged into it and they were playing Basket Ball slamming bodily against the steel fencing. When the cops arrived they came to see us first Only way they could get anyone next doors attention was turn the power off lights the whole lot. Cops had heard the music from 7k's away across town.

Another more recent believes in low noise yells at his son for loud music from car. Yet starts his boat right outside our windows a distance of less than 3 foot. Runs it for 1hr. Then wonders when I complain about a house full of fumes , took 5hrs to clear mid winter.

Andy may I suggest a sound barrier, portable wall like in an office it will deaden some of the noise. I agree with the others speak to the neighbours, I have been as many have done odd hours for sleeping, babies, ill.

Buy them a Christmas present of ear muffs

Originally Posted by joez

This is one of my biggest fears, the block next door was subdivided and they put a unit about 3m from my garage!

Joez, I live on half an acre in a street that has been infested with unit developments over the past 20 years, including a six unit development next door nine years ago.

The good news is that we retain our rights of prior usage, if we have been within our rights to produce noise in the past we do not loose that right because someone was stupid enough to build/buy an apartment right on our boundary. I was able to replace my old one and a half car detached garage (tin shed really) with a 16 x 12 x 7m high barn (tin shed again) about 5 years ago, no planning permit required, based on rights of prior use.

While I do not set out to intentially offend, I make noise at reasonable hours if I need to, and so far the neighbours haven't seen fit to try and regulate this.

I like my wood working for a number of reasons and one of those reasons is I can make noise. I am doing more hand tool work and I guess I am missing my noise making.

Andy,

Think of it as one neighbour has complained, the other 40 people around you have not.

I'm not at all surprised that the person also complained about a dog barking - its likely someone who isn't happy unless they are complaining.

The closest neighbour to my shed is 20m away, so not too many issues there. But like you I try and be as quiet as I can.

Just remember, as long as you operate within Council guidelines you are free to do what you like - just like everyone else. Its a great idea you are keeping a log of noise times. A royal pain in the bum for you, but if escalates much more, the Council should view your log book as you acknowledging your time windows and being responsible.

Try not to let it get in the way of your hobby. I've never had to do it for this reason, but I've read a lot on here how when people receive a complaint (if the person is reasonable in putting forward the complaint [ie: not being an ass]), they will knock up a pen/bowl/box for them to say 'sorry' and to show what they do is harmless.

Let us know how it works out.

Nathan.

my complant from a neighbour was due to a router being used, it was a easy fix, they have been raded 3 times now by the drug squad in 12 months, no complants anymore from the neighbour, good to have friends.

I think I just feel if one person is complaining, surely more feel the same way.
Even though i'm well within my right to make noise, whenever I go in the garage, I think twice now about turning a power tool on. I simply feel guilty about it.

Hopefully this feeling will pass while i'm home in Melbourne over Christmas and when I get back i'm back to my usual self!

When I was still living at home, there was a block of units behind mum's place. The unit directly behind us was inhabited by a bloke and his brother. One played drums, and the other the bass, well, attempted to play them at least, usually at 2-3am!!!

After a few weeks of this, I got the $hits on (I got up for work at 5.30 weekdays). So at 2.30 in the morning, in my boxer shorts and thongs, I go up into the back yard with my marshall stack and fender strat (can you see where this is going?!?). With the volume and overdrive maxed out I transported the neighbourhood back to the 60's with my best rendition of Jimi Hendrix's version of the star spangled banner. As it turned out, they were both yanks and ended up in their back yard spurring me on with their ciggie lighters! Not quite the effect I was hoping for

Fortunately where I am now I am lucky enough to have a 140ish sqm shed made from 10" thick concrete bricks. Neighbour on left side has harleys and muscles cars, neighbours on right side have evil screaming little kids. We all have a gentlemans aggreement not to complain about each other. I've had the router and DC running at 1.30am with no complaints so far

I'm not at all surprised that the person also complained about a dog barking - its likely someone who isn't happy unless they are complaining.

I don't see any issue with complaining about barking dogs. There's nothing more annoying than a dog that barks endlessly. There's an average of about 2 dogs per house in my street. Mostly they're good but it only takes one new dog that gets lonely when the owner is not at home and the whole cacophony starts up. If you don't tell people their dog barks when they're not at home, how are they going to know? Although my preferred approach is to tell them directly, rather than via an official complaint.

The thing about noise is that it can become almost unbearable if it goes on, and the more it goes on the more the person hearing it focuses on it, which is why sometimes you get the raving lunatic at your door - they've put up with it for what seems to them like hours and then the dam bursts. People have been murdered over it.

It's OK to say you're within your rights, but living in a community is not just about stubbornly adhering to your rights. Other people also have the right to enjoy their life at home without constant noise. I think you are going about it the right way to approach people about it and negotiate. If you just pig-headedly go at it because it's your right to do so, you're just going to p!ss everyone off.

Woodworking machinery and high-density housing aren't a good mix. That's one reason I moved to the country

Ultimately the noise is a distraction to your neighbours, and it should be kept to its minimum.

I see myself as lucky because I had a chance to move to when I live now. I get along very well with my neighbours, and they have no problem with the noise I make.