Construction work on Saturday mornings…whats the rule?

donuts · Feb 23, 2010 8:14 pm

cclarity

Saturday may have been the only day they could spare donuts, I doubt they were taking Monday off for a sleep in.

that's fine cclarity, but they should be starting when they are allowed to. if it was my house and i agreed to it as in your case, then i would have no problem. this is clearly different.

also, i didn't ever suggest they were taking monday off for a sleep-in! good on them if they were! i was just saying it was ironic that the morning they are allowed to start early, they didn't.

sheesh.

DeeElle · Feb 23, 2010 11:23 pm

I totally sympathise Donuts.

The builders next door don't turn up all week, and then rock up on weekends at 7 am (and even 6:30 am one morning) and use their power tools, equipment and oh lets not forget the loud music ::angry::

. I'm all for feeling neighborly and supporting others to get their build finished, but there is a limit to my patience. The noise ordinance is 8 am Sat and 9 am Sunday here and I'm sure they've been in violation. A few times my husband walked over there and nicely asked them to keep it down until a reasonable hour.

One early Sunday morning they were making a huge racket and my tender 7 yr old daughter got up, stomped next door and screamed "stop that noise ... there are people here trying to sleep". It worked a treat - dead silence for hours :wink:

.

Living in a new development and putting up with the general dirt, mud, noise and grime is one thing .. waking up in the early hours to incessant hammering something else again. ESPECIALLY weekends.

donuts · Feb 24, 2010 9:38 pm

thanks DeeElle...maybe I should send over Master 4 during his next tantrum then! haha :lol:

I guess I am lucky that I am not even in a new estate, so this is a new thing for me. There are lots of houses around the area being sold and knocked down for townhouses though.

C&D · Feb 25, 2010 6:43 am

Quote:

as for your comment about what ppl complain about... there is nothing wrong with wanting a sleep-in past 7am (edited to add: on a SATURDAY). get off your high horse.

Not on my high horse, I just wouldn't ever consider someone working at 7am on a Saturday a big deal. Obviously you do, which of course is your right. Doesn't mean it can't surprise me.

donuts · Feb 25, 2010 9:05 am

of course it can surprise you. but your comment definitely had a smug/pompous undertone about it especially this bit

C&D

The things people complain about really surprise me sometimes

which i felt the need to respond to. that's all

lisanne · Feb 25, 2010 9:24 am

C&D

Quote:

as for your comment about what ppl complain about... there is nothing wrong with wanting a sleep-in past 7am (edited to add: on a SATURDAY). get off your high horse.

Not on my high horse, I just wouldn't ever consider someone working at 7am on a Saturday a big deal. Obviously you do, which of course is your right. Doesn't mean it can't surprise me.

So what you are saying is that the law/rules don't matter if someone is 'doing their job'?? hrmmm :th:

donuts · Feb 25, 2010 10:30 am

C&D

I just wouldn't ever consider someone working at 7am on a Saturday a big deal. Obviously you do, which of course is your right. Doesn't mean it can't surprise me.

also just wanted to add that its not the fact that they are WORKING at 7am on a saturday that is a big deal to me. I sometimes bring work home and do it at midnight, who cares. I don't give a toss about people's work hours. it's the NOISE at that time that bothers me.

hope I've made that clear this time, 'obviously' before it was not.

Uncle Arfur · Feb 25, 2010 11:04 am

Being a former tradie I'm surprised this topic went on for so long about nothing.

I guess those complaining perhaps should get out of their comfort zone and take a real honest look at the conditions these guys work under. Its subject to weather its dangerous its dirty and at heights and wreaks havoc on your body after 40yrs. I guess those complaining wouldn't think of anyone daring to start earlier to miss the heat of the day etc. Added to that you have grizzling owners some of whom are never happy and the worry of being screwed by the builder or paid late.

When we found someone who reported us their job was blacklisted -- no maintenance for months or we stuffed them around big time, and then we set out to make as much noise as possible with radios, car horns and yelling out etc. People get a life!!

lisanne · Feb 25, 2010 11:46 am

Uncle Arfur

Being a former tradie I'm surprised this topic went on for so long about nothing.

I guess those complaining perhaps should get out of their comfort zone and take a real honest look at the conditions these guys work under. Its subject to weather its dangerous its dirty and at heights and wreaks havoc on your body after 40yrs. I guess those complaining wouldn't think of anyone daring to start earlier to miss the heat of the day etc. Added to that you have grizzling owners some of whom are never happy and the worry of being screwed by the builder or paid late.

When we found someone who reported us their job was blacklisted -- no maintenance for months or we stuffed them around big time, and then we set out to make as much noise as possible with radios, car horns and yelling out etc. People get a life!!

Surely that's part of the job? I fully understand and appreciate that the weather can play a big part in working hours etc and if I was to hear noise early on a day that was going to be really hot etc then I'd be more willing to accept it as I do understand these issues. However please also keep in mind that noise that disrupts and stops people from sleeping can be quite a big issue, especially when it comes to small children, so I think it is fully understandable that people want the laws adhered to.

Also, by then coming back to a job and being super noisy - who is the person that really needs to get a life? -shakes head-

BTW, I'm not talking about noise during the "correct working hours" as I respect people's right to work, just the noise out of hours! (although the noise does annoy me then too but I wouldn't complain about it as they are working) but I mean FFS I had delivery trucks down my street this morning at 5:20am and their bloody reversing beeps drives me bonkers - that is TOO EARLY!!!

Jodie80 · Feb 25, 2010 11:50 am

Uncle Arfur

When we found someone who reported us their job was blacklisted -- no maintenance for months or we stuffed them around big time, and then we set out to make as much noise as possible with radios, car horns and yelling out etc. People get a life!!

Are you serious?

'chelle · Feb 25, 2010 12:30 pm

Uncle Arfur

Being a former tradie I'm surprised this topic went on for so long about nothing.

I guess those complaining perhaps should get out of their comfort zone and take a real honest look at the conditions these guys work under. Its subject to weather its dangerous its dirty and at heights and wreaks havoc on your body after 40yrs. I guess those complaining wouldn't think of anyone daring to start earlier to miss the heat of the day etc. Added to that you have grizzling owners some of whom are never happy and the worry of being screwed by the builder or paid late.

When we found someone who reported us their job was blacklisted -- no maintenance for months or we stuffed them around big time, and then we set out to make as much noise as possible with radios, car horns and yelling out etc. People get a life!!

As Lisanne said, isn't it all part of the job which tradies choose to do and get paid to do?? And, yes I know, those of us with young children have chosen to have them, but when you have had night after night after night after night after night after night...am I getting through to you...after night after night after night after night...of interrupted sleep (I know people who have not had a proper night's sleep for years), and you have one morning a week where your other half will take the little cherubs for a while, that little sleep in can be your saving grace...just enough to keep you from going insane!! A bit of empathy doesn't go astray :wink:

mummagoose · Feb 25, 2010 12:46 pm

I'm pretty sure my kids wake up our neighbours at least 6 days a week. (Not to mention during the night as well!) So when my renovating neighbours get their tools out on a saturday morning I don't think I have any reason to complain. I guess this is what you get when you chose to live in the city.

Bam · Feb 25, 2010 1:59 pm

^

If its not something which is going to happen for an extended amount of time, I'll live with it. We're in an established area and a person in our court in owner-building a unit in his backyard and often starts before the 'allowed time'. Yes, its frustrating but then I stop and consider that its not going to be an ongoing thing, and sometimes it is preferable for tradies to work early morning than in the afternoon heat.

donuts · Feb 25, 2010 3:20 pm

Quote:

Being a former tradie I'm surprised this topic went on for so long about nothing.

No, it is not nothing to me. Hence why it has come up.

Quote:

I guess those complaining perhaps should get out of their comfort zone and take a real honest look at the conditions these guys work under. Its subject to weather its dangerous its dirty and at heights and wreaks havoc on your body after 40yrs.

As Lisanne said, these are the conditions of your job and ones you agreed to when you started your career. It’s life. I work in a big corporation at a computer all day – so I might have a bad back when I’m older – doesn’t give me any right to make other people’s lives less enjoyable. Why don't YOU get out of your comfort zone and come look after my kids night after night when they wake in the middle of the night and THEN get up early at 6am every morning except for saturday and deal witht hem all day or do the kinder/childcare dropoffs and then go to work all day at an office?

Quote:

I guess those complaining wouldn't think of anyone daring to start earlier to miss the heat of the day etc.

I would be fine with that, as long as they confine their activities to ones which won’t disturb anyone’s precious sleep-ins that they might need after a whole week of not getting enough sleep night after night.

Quote:

Added to that you have grizzling owners some of whom are never happy and the worry of being screwed by the builder or paid late.

Ok let’s not bring any grizzling owners into it … my situation has nothing to do with being an owner so its not relevant. As for getting screwed or paid late – again they are conditions of your job. If you don’t like them get a different job – it doesn’t give you the right to make other ppl’s lives less enjoyable.

Quote:

When we found someone who reported us their job was blacklisted -- no maintenance for months or we stuffed them around big time, and then we set out to make as much noise as possible with radios, car horns and yelling out etc. People get a life!!

Well that’s just cutting off your nose despite your face. Those customers have plenty of other tradesmen to choose from next time they have a big job needing to be done.

Thanks for all the support from other sleep-in lovers.

And hey Bam, you have every right to change your mind once your baby is born.

Bam · Feb 25, 2010 5:00 pm

We have a baby under our roof already ::lol::

zeke · Feb 25, 2010 5:52 pm

The laws are there for a reason - to force people to consider the needs of others. It's a bl**dy shame we need laws to enforce reasonably considerate behaviour.

To those that think the law is wrong.....well, it's your right to agitate for change. In the interim, though, abiding by the law is part of living in a democratic society. About time some people got used to it!

As for making as much noise as possible to irritate "grizzlers" - that's just childish and some "growing up" is needed!

Cheers
zeke

In fact, I think laws like this can be genuinely useful in another way - they can give some guidance as to what society in general regards as reasonable behavior. I can imagine wondering if, say, mowing a lawn at a particular time is OK or a bit antisocial. Good legislation can be a useful guide.

kek · Feb 25, 2010 6:51 pm

Never mind Donuts.... I'm totally with you, and I choose to get up early, so it's not about missing out on sleep. That isn't the point at all - as you say, you're aware of the conditions of a job when you choose it, so whingeing about working outdoors in hot weather doesn't cut it with me.

I've had to get up at 4:15 am to train clients,

worked outdoors in the freezing cold,

and in the searing heat,

plus indoors in a no-frills, unheated gym where the temp is around 2C early in the morning and your hands almost freeze to the dumbbells

.....but that's my choice of career. I don't love those parts of the job, but I just tell myself to suck it up, Princess! :lol:

It's what I'm getting paid for.

I live on a new estate and I accept that construction noise is something we have to bear for a few years. But I will NOT put up with it outside allowable times, and I'll front any so-and-so who thinks he can get away with it. If they don't take notice of me (or my much more scary husband), I'll just complain to the council, the builder in charge of the job and anyone else I can think of. I don't actually care if they don't like me....

We are all entitled by law to "quiet enjoyment of our property". That means that not only are there set times for construction noise, but unreasonable noise is a no-no too. So the stereo blaring Indian pop music three houses down from the open windows of a car parked in the street, while a team of guys paint a house there? I don't think that's actually reasonable. :roll:

That's the kind of behaviour we have to put up with on a regular basis. Enough to drive you insane. :::

I'll go away now. ::lol::

donuts · Feb 25, 2010 8:36 pm

Bam

We have a baby under our roof already ::lol::

oh congratulations!

sorry i misunderstood, your signature says this one will be your first, so I jsut assumed you weren't getting up all night every night just yet!

thanks zeke, i agree that the laws are a useful guide. and kek, please don't ever go away, and I don't care if they don't like me either ::lol::

haywgl · Feb 25, 2010 9:23 pm

Rules are rules - if people can't obey them they deserve to be told off! :roll:

Using the 'poor tradies - we work in bad weather/early mornings' isn't going to cut it - if I could use the 'poor me' excuse every time a patient vomited on me, I was up to my elbows in sh!t or I had to do a night shift then I'd be out of a job. You choose your profession, if you don't like the conditions - quit

Fwiw, I love you Donuts and Kek ::kiss::

photogirl · Feb 26, 2010 8:44 am

We went through this with our neighbours when we were building. Trades were turning up at our house on Saturday mornings before the allowed time. The neighbours called us and we called the builders and asked for it to stop. It didn't affect our build or relationship with the builder. We were renting in another area at the time but that shouldn't stop anyone from being considerate to others in the neighbourhood. I agree, starting time is starting time for good reason. And it's not always because of what some see as trivial because you are woken up a bit early, everyone's situation is different and people shouldn't just assume that others are winging about nothing, especially those trades on here who seem to put their needs as more important than others. We had a demolition crew roll up in our street on a Saturday at 7am a few months ago to demolish a house, sure it woke me up early and I got over it knowing that it would be a once off, but I couldn't help thinking about the neighbour over the road who lived only 2 doors down from the site, who was under pallative care at the time because he was dying of cancer. He and his family didn't need to be disturbed at that time of the morning with that level of noise.