I read an interesting article this morning:
Traffic Noise Causes Heart Attacks
Whilst traffic noise and laminate flooring impact noise are two different kinds of noise, it is interesting (and rather worrying) to note the similarities - invasive, erratic, irregular and outside the control of the person being subjected to the noise.
Also, as noted in the article, "the researchers found that there was a 40 percent higher risk of a heart attack in people exposed to traffic noise exceeding 50 decibels — a relatively quiet level of noise;" The noises that I experience from the laminate flooring above me are generally louder than the traffic noise from the busy road outside. I would love to see a study done into the actual effects of laminate flooring noise on health - a study that takes the 2005 DEFRA Study a step further than simply saying "laminate flooring creates a noise problem but all we are going to do is produce a leaflet no-one is obliged to adhere to, evern if they bother to read it."
The World Health Organisation (WHO) have produced studies on the effects of noise on health. They also raise the issue of noise creating heart attack risk ~
"Acute noise exposures activate the autonomic and hormonal systems, leading to temporary changes such as increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and vasoconstriction. After prolonged exposure, susceptible individuals in the general population may develop permanent effects, such as hypertension and ischaemic heart disease associated with exposures to high sound pressure levels (for a review see Passchier-Vermeer 1993; Berglund & Lindvall 1995). The magnitude and duration of the effects are determined in part by individual characteristics, lifestyle behaviours and environmental conditions. Sounds also evoke reflex responses, particularly when they are unfamiliar and have a sudden onset." (Section 3.4 Cardiovascular and Physiological Effects)
It is not a huge leap of the imagination to suggest that people jumping, running, thumping, banging, door slamming and dancing on laminate flooring - ie force feeding random, loud, impact noises into a neighbour's property are in fact risking their neighbour's lives.
Why is there no legislation about this type of noise?
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3 comments:
I haven't read all that you've written, but I know exactly what you are going through. We've been experiencing noise from our neighbour for 6+ years. We've been telling the coucil about it all this time, but they seem to be supporting the noisy residents. We complained about the banging stamping and dragging of furniture along the floor long before they lay down the laminated flooring, but yet they were given permission (by Lambeth council) to lay it down. If this does affect my health, maybe I need to get my doctor to write them a letter.
MJ.
I am sorry that you are experiencing the same thing. Thanks for commenting - not many people do but the stats tell a depressing story in the search strings used to arrive on this blog :(
It does seem to me that the councils are happy to support people with laminate flooring and refuse to legislate around the installation. The flooring above us has no soundproofing at all and the laminate is butted up against the wall so that every noise travels into the wall.
Aside from that, I don't think that flats should have laminate flooring at all - it breaks apart the community and leaves people with longterm conflict situations as well as the health issues from the noise.
It is a real shame that people with laminate floors prefer to live in denial and states of self-righteousness - instead of taking responsibility for their choices and their contribution to the community.
Thanks for the messag. I forgot I left a message here. I agree with you. The council told us that the resident has the correct soundproofing, but I've always believed that if the Laminate floor is making contact with the wall (via the scirting board), then no matter how much soundproofing is put down, we'll still be experiencing noise. People are so insensitive and the council don't help when they allow permission in this way. The resident lives on the third floor of a block of flats. They're also responsible for other disturbances too. You can listen to it on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU4IgxAfP4g
I've only just put it on and I'm planning on putting together some more.
Thanks for your reply
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