Noisy neighbours
New research by Rockwool reveals over half (52%) of Irish adults have been disturbed by noisy neighbours in the last two years.
- A fifth (17%) of households claim noisy neighbours have made their lives a misery in the last two years and they cannot enjoy their own homes
- Unacceptably loud parties cited as the biggest cause of domestic noise pollution
- Almost one in ten (7%) of those that have been driven to distraction by neighbours’ noise have ended up in a physical fight
Almost one in five (17%) has been disturbed fairly or very often by inconsiderate noisy neighbours. Raucous parties are cited by half (49%) of complainants as the primary cause of their aural discomfort.
Shouting and screaming has disturbed 48% of Irish households, often leaving them unable to sleep or stressed. The same number of households has been disturbed by music and television being played at an unacceptably high volume. Almost a third (30%) of Irish adults have been disturbed by neighbours’ arguments in this period. The sound of drills, saws and hammers from neighbours’ DIY endeavours have disturbed 27% of Irish adults.
The fashion for parquet floors has left 21% of households cursing the removal of carpets, as the sound of footsteps have reverberated through their homes from adjoining properties. The X factor effect and home karaoke revolution has left over one in ten (14%) adults tearing their hair out complaining of being disturbed by wannabe Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burkes.
On the back of the findings, Rockwool is urging builders and DIY fans who are looking to make homes more eco-friendly by installing high grade insulation to also consider its sound proofing qualities and ensure they choose a product that provides thermal and acoustic insulation. With the Government pushing though new noise pollution legislation, Rockwool also warns that householders and builders would be well advised to address the issue of noise as a key priority when installing new insulation.
Table 1: League table of domestic disturbances caused by neighbours' noise
| Cause of domestic disturbance | Irish adults affected |
| Parties | 49% |
| Playing loud music / TV | 48% |
| Shouting / screaming / loud voices | 48% |
| Arguments | 30% |
| Noisy pets | 29% |
| Slamming doors | 28% |
| DIY | 27% |
| Children | 26% |
| Reverberating noise from wooden floors | 21% |
| Singing | 14% |
| Playing musical instruments | 13% |
Source: Rockwool
Leo Hassett, Sales Director, UK and Ireland commented: “Domestic noise pollution is not just an urban nuisance; the problem of noisy neighbours is rapidly becoming the scourge of suburbia. It is completely unacceptable that residents should be unable to enjoy their own homes because of the selfish actions of their neighbours. However, there are solutions to this problem and we urge builders and DIY fans to make sure they consider the acoustic as well as thermal properties of insulation, especially now householders can obtain a €700 grant under the Government’s HES scheme and given the Government is pushing though new noise pollution legislation.”
More than one in ten (16%) adults that have been disturbed by noisy neighbours in the last 24 months have called the Gardai regarding unacceptable noise levels.
Less than half (42%) of those affected by domestic noise pollution complained to their neighbours directly, perhaps because they were scared of becoming involved in a verbal or physical confrontation. One in twenty (4%) of householders that did tackle the issue directly were threatened and intimidated by their neighbours after making a complaint. 7% of those affected have even been involved in physical fights with neighbours after complaining about noise.
Domestic noise pollution can have a serious psychological impact on its victims, over one in twenty (6%) victims of domestic disturbances claims it has left them continually disturbed and stressed. Worryingly 3% of Irish adults affected by noisy neighbours claim it has made their life a misery and they cannot enjoy their own homes.
On a regional basis, loud parties causing domestic disturbances is the greatest problem in the Dublin area. In the Munster region shouting neighbours, blaring stereos and unacceptably high volume televisions are cited as the key causes of noise pollution from neighbours’ properties.
Table 2: Source of domestic disturbance by region
| Parties | Shouting/ screaming | Playing loud music/ TV | Arguments | Noisy pets | Slamming doors | DIY | Children | Reverberation on wooden floors | |
| Connacht | 35% | 43% | 33% | 23% | 33% | 25% | 20% | 13% | 20% |
| Dublin | 61% | 49% | 49% | 30% | 20% | 33% | 30% | 22% | 24% |
| Munster | 42% | 44% | 45% | 26% | 26% | 25% | 26% | 22% | 19% |
| Rest of Leinster | 48% | 50% | 50% | 34% | 36% | 29% | 27% | 33% | 22% |
Source: Rockwool
Hassett continued:
“Just 6% of householders that have been disturbed by loud neighbours took proactive steps to improve their property, reducing the impact of noise by fitting noise dampening insulation. Effective insulation can absorb sound waves, providing an acoustic barrier between properties. Installing cavity wall and loft insulation could free millions of Irish households from neighbours’ noise intrusion.”
Research Plus interviewed a random sample of 1004 Eire representative adults aged 18+ from 4th – 10th February 2009. Surveys were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults.
