Apartment neighbor upstairs nailing boards into almost every wall all day (house, roommate)

[cifodayo]

I've never heard this from a neighbor before, just maybe something going into a wall or a couple of walls, but not almost every wall in the place all day... it sounds like they're nailing in big boards too, so have you experienced this, and what did you discover that it was?

I've previously heard a strange rhythmic machine regularly up there that gets grindy and annoying, I can't tell what that is, though it sounds like some sort of odd exercise machine, but it also sounds like machines I've heard when renovations are done...

I've already talked to the apartment manager about these things, and they just said they'd ask about the rhythmic machine (it's only kept me up during sleep hours a few times, as they do it at different times of day and in different rooms), and with the nailing they said "The residents shouldn't be nailing boards to the walls, but as long as they refill the holes before they leave, we don't really care what people nail to their walls".

The nailing has just been strange overall; it just sounds like they're putting boards all over the walls like rails or something. What's your experience or thoughts?! PS: I've already had too many problems with noise from them (like 10-2am partying noise on random days every week), so I try to avoid talking to them (one is nice but I don't see him often, the other really isn't nice).

[Flamingo13]

You may not be someone cut out for apartment living? Maybe they are just hanging pictures - no idea how you jumped to boards.

[Parnassia]

OP you do seem to spend a lot of energy speculating and complaining about the daily lives of your neighbors. Consider renting a house or part of one. You may still have neighbors but you won't hear every single thing they do. However, if you're a nosey Parker you might find yourself with more time on your hands than you want.

[oh-eve]

Maybe it is a sewing machine? Or some other tailoring machine, making clothes?

[Wartrace]

Ah the joys of apartment living. It sounds as if you are renting a cheaply built apartment and can hear everything a neighbor is doing. I've lived in a few in the past. The best one had concrete walls, ceilings and floors. The worst were stick built. Start looking around for a better place.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

If I were your landlord I would check it out because pounding the walls full of nails is a symptom of meth use. Don't ask me why, not much on the druggie scene makes much sense to me. But it wasn't your landlord who came here to ask about the pounding and since you are a tenant, it probably isn't your concern if the neighbor fills their walls with nail holes; you aren't the one who will have to pay for the damage.


Do you file a lot of complaints with the landlord? If so maybe they have you listed as a complainer and just ignore your noise complaints.


If the neighbors are damaging their apartment, you've done all you can do by giving the landlord a heads up. If the landlord doesn't care to investigate, there isn't much you can do about it... unless the noise is after 11PM and it it is really loud, you can call the police with a noise complaint.


If the landlord isn't interested and the noise isn't loud enough to involve the police, then you have two options: learn to live with it or move out and try a different place to live.


There are some things like noise cancelling headphones and white noise machines that you can try and maybe they will make the noise more tolerable.


Apartment buildings are not a good choice of dwelling place for people who are noise intolerant.

[hertfordshire]

Perhaps they create wood crafts for Etsy or similar. (String art, for example, would require a lot of nails into boards)

[oregonwoodsmoke]

I wonder if what you are hearing is a Roomba.


I was listening to mine this morning and they make a fairly loud machine noise and they bang against the walls and furniture and it sounds like knocking.


If that is what it is, I can guarantee your landlord is not going to order them to stop vacuuming.

[Izzie1213]

My son's roommate does leather work as a hobby. Lots of pounding. Neighbor probably is making stuff.

[anononcty]

Noisy neighbors here. Video or electronic game systems and a foot device sounds like boards being banged together. What one hears and what the sound is are different things when it comes to background noise. Also sounds frequently sound different in different parts of the room. Here pounding sounds are frequently a lead foot on the peddle of game device or games with a lot of foot movement ie stomping and thud sounds. Game sound track music comes through as a hum or buzz.

If you are looking for proof download a free live music recording app , put a cell phone on a selfie stick and put about 2 feet from ceiling. Too close will sound like distortion. Play back recording on a speaker better than the cell phone and you would be surprised what the sound is. Look for apps that have ajustments, filters etc. Voice recording apps won't capture lower frequency noises which what environmental or background noise tends to be after going through a floor or wall.

Also the price of portable low frequency or music recorders has come down over the last year and can even find in some big box stores for under $150. If you are will to spend there are hand held recorders that will capture lower frequencies.