Downstairs Neighbour and Me

Hi [ion]

Thanks for getting back to me. I appreciate your suggestion to carpet your room but I'm not sure thats the answer to the latest issue. It would certainly muffle footsteps and things moving across the floor but I haven't been woken up by that type of noise for some time now (thank you for your efforts on that front. Much appreciated). I also know from many years of experience with noise from the pub below that carpet does little if anything to reduce music or TV noise.

I'm interested to hear that you have Tv or radio on every night because its not something I've ever been aware of, which is a sign that normally the volume is absolutely fine. Its only in the last couple of months, perhaps on 3 or 4 occasions that I've been woken up. For whatever reason, on those nights, the TV or radio was loud enough to be heard quite clearly. I could be wrong but I think it was the TV I was hearing so perhaps its just a difference in volume between the TV and radio? Or possibly a difference in the volume that various programmes are broadcast at? As I said, the vast majority of the time, I cant hear them at all so I think if you can just keep an eye (or ear) on the volume to make sure its at the level you normally use, we should be fine.

Thanks again,

[Downstairs Neighbour]

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Hi [Downstairs Neighbour],

Glad the percussion noise is better, sad there's now a new problem with TV/radio noise. As you point out, these separate types of noise nuisance have independent physico- mechanical properties.

It's very distressing for you to have your sleep regularly disturbed and equally distressing for me to receive ongoing complaints. I daily consider your low arousal threshold and sensitivities, making every effort to reduce noise to the extent of restricting my and my kid's normal behaviour in your interest. Yet the problem persists, even if it shifts focus.

Evidence is that no matter how hard we try, the noise nuisance persists. I feel that further restrictions to our lifestyle, such as using headphones or exercising even greater consideration, are not workable and are unlikely to be successful in the long term.My kids are now 12 and 16 and can't be expected to respect the strict rules on noise production that I have followed this year.

Thus I feel a new tack is needed, aimed not at further modification of my and my kids' behaviour but at insulating you from our everyday noise so you can sleep and we can lead a normal family life. I think we should consider insulating the ceiling/floor space between our bedrooms, in the interests of both our qualities of life.

Best,
[ion]