Built next to a church that changed the bells and now I'm in therapy
Built next to a church that changed the bells and now I'm in therapy
I bought a property near a church, about 30 meters. When I bought it and years before the bells were "off" and it's barely used.
Since a year they fixed the bell and clock and now it starts at 05:30 in the morning, 08:00, 11:00, 12:00, 01:00 and 18:00
For each 5 minutes very loud.
I talked with the people who work at the church and said it is a huge issue for me, especially cause I work nights.
They don't care and refuse to make it quieter and won't reduce the length of each time it starts the bells.
Long story short: I am in therapy since a year because I have a huge debt, I can't move away and I can't sleep anymore. I have no idea what I can do with my life I am afraid I am going to get even more mentally ill than I am now. Selling is also now no more option, who would buy a place where you can't fall asleep or if you fall asleep you wake up by massive bell noise.
The only time I sleep is when I can afford vacation twice a year...
My therapist wrote my insurance and they are thinking of giving me the oppertunity to sleep somewhere else for one to two weeks every three months. They will pay for it, but this can't be the solution?!
If the church doesn't care, send a letter to the mayor, show up to the town hall meetings or public town hall sessions, make videos about it on social media, sue them for being a noise nuisance, send the newspaper a message and describe your situation to ask for help in exposing the problem so that more people get wind of it, ... Basically, air your dirty laundry since the church doesn't give a fuck about you.
Personal opinion about loud, religious venues: fuck them. I wish more people would sue them for being a noise nuisance. If they want to remind people to show up, send an electronic message or hell, even a carrier pigeon for all I care, just stop making everybody aware of your beliefs. Many people don't care or believe in the same things as you. These aren't the 1800s anymore.
Get a sound meter. Check the laws to se if they are exceeding the sound decibels, then complain to the police and keep asking for higher supervisors and be persistent.
Complain to city council or mayors office if police refuse to enforce the law
I’m my area, and I assume this is the case for most, shit like this is exempt from noise ordinances.
Because religious noise is ok…
Worth at least verifying.
Time to pump Islamic nasheeds through a loudspeaker at sunup and sundown
Yeah quiet enjoyment laws are usually set at a municipal level and can vary widely so I'd say they could at least look into it. At the very least, I'm sure the 5:30 am noise is breaking an actual bylaw. I don't know anywhere where that type of noise is allowed that early.
If the city tries to ignore you go to local news stations
Just talked with the church priest just now. He can't do anything...
But now I have an idea, I might just play loud music outside while I am inside, stuff like Heaven Shall Burn or Breakdown of Sanity (legal volume on my ground).
In the hope church goers will be annoyed and talk with him out me making noise all day. Then we can make a deal and if he can't do anything I sadly can't either because I love listening to music during the day
Yeah, I don't think going on the offensive is going to help you. It's just going to alienate everyone.
I don't quite get how you still get woken by the bells if your house is isolated and you wear ear protection to bed. There must be a way to get your bedroom soundproof.
It sounds like your issue isn't just the sound of the bells. I've lived near a hospital with ambulances blaring students coming and going randomly at every hour. After a while we got used to it. Now, when I rewatch videos from back then I'm surprised to hear them, because they aren't in my memory. What I'm getting at is that your opposition to the sound, your anger, is drawing your focus. I don't think you can get used to them if they keep triggering strong emotions in you. It might be a long shot and I understand this isn't the solution you are looking for, but maybe you can get used to them eventually. Humans are really good at getting used to new conditions. You can't control your environment, but you can control your reaction to it. It sounds like some zen shit, and it is, but reducing your anger about the bells and accepting them as a new part of your life, might help you get your sleep back. There is no physical reason, why you shouldn't be able to sleep through the bells ringing. So, at least in theory, you should be able to change it by accepting it. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but it should be possible and if you manage to do that, you will be able to handle similar issues as well.
I used to live in a rented duplex apartment directly beside some train tracks. The trains blasted their horns going through town at 3am every day. I quickly stopped noticing.
When girls would stay over they would ask me why I didn't wake up to that shit. I am a deep sleeper though.
This guy can afford to buy a house and he's crying about hell's bells. I used to work late nights and sometimes still do. When I was working 12am to 8 am I absolutely fucking hated people running lawn mowers and weed whackers. Random robot scam calls were particularly bad back then, before smartphones. Working nights is rough. But if this guy can afford to buy a whole house I imagine he has other options.
For me these days, I'm beat after work and nothing can wake me. My wife on the other hand wakes up to everything. She's better then she was, she used to wake up to light from the kitchen.
I think that's a very bad idea. I think getting the congregation on your side is wise, but I don't think doing it by annoying them is a good approach. They'll just dig their heels in.
I feel that making loud noise during "normal" sleeping hours to get back at the church for making noise during "normal" waking hours will backfire horribly on you.
It's probably just time to move.
The church was likely there first. The church bells (tho non-functional) were likely there first. So your property likely has less "jurisdiction". Like a building a house next to an established noisy bar/pub.
And considering you haven't been playing music loudly outside since you've moved in, it will likely be pointed out that this is in retaliation to the recent bells renovation.It's just time to move.
Cope as best you can as you save up to move. Earplugs, basically.
You can research local noise laws, and track all times the bells violate them. But that's gonna be a long process.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKJKQLe-ohU
Maybe you can arrange things so the agreement stipulates what KIND of music you end up playing all day.
This one should work
Jesus: "love thy neighbor"
The church: I'm just gonna pretend I didn't see that
The fact that a lot of the neighbours like it means it could sell. You might get lucky with some old people. My grandparents had a clock that chimed every hour. They absolutely loved it even though it went all night.
Short term solution is to invest in the best ear plugs you can.
Selling is also now no more option, who would buy a place where you can't fall asleep or if you fall asleep you wake up by massive bell noise.
I'm sorry for what you're going through. I lived just near a cathedral which rang their bells every 15 minutes, in a badly isolated apartment but that never bothered me. I'm not saying this to minimize the seriousness of what you're experiencing, but to show a possible way out: we each have very different levels of tolerance. What is (legitimately) unbearable for you may be (legitimately) bearable or even pleasant for someone else. If the inconvenience is so great, try to sell anyway: at worst no one will buy and you will have lost nothing, at best you will find a buyer who is not bothered by bells and you will be able to rebuild your life far from this nuisance.
You're much nicer than me. I was thinking be an adult and sleep through that shit. But you're right.
It's been a year. I think if the OP was going to be able to adapt to the sound it would have happened by now. Some people just can't tune out some sounds no matter how hard they try.
Does your house vibrate when the bells ring?
- if true, you might sue for potential property damage. That should make them think twice. In this case, soundproofing has little effect.
- if not, you might want to invest in better windows and/or window blinds. Neither should be extremly expensive and you can start by soundproofing the room you sleep in.
Fyi, we lived near a noisy main street. After changing the windows we were surprised how little of the traffic we heard.
I wonder if the previous occupant of the property you're on was the reason the bell was out of service when you got there... 🤔
You probably tried this already but what about ear plugs?
Came here to say the same. The wax ear plugs are the best for sleeping.
You need to install double or triple paned windows and insulation. Windows are not easy to shortcut, but insulation generally is. Carpet is an outstanding sound deadener. I know other parts of the world have different construction and higher quality than American toothpick and plaster board crap houses. If you can access the spaces in the walls and ceiling, you can use old carpet instead of premade insulation. Even if you cannot access and install properly, you can line a room with carpet on all sides. You really need 2+ layers for some serious sound deadening.
I used to play in a band with a drummer that lived in a condo with neighbors all the way around him, above and below. He had a bedroom with a layer of carpet in the attic, another layer on the ceiling, and three layers of carpet on the walls and door. The space felt tiny, but he could practice as hard as he played normally and you could not hear a thing from outside the house. Inside it was no louder than people having a quiet conversation in the room next door.
I lived in Georgia at the end of a military base where they make the F22. When they do the first test flights of each plane, they took off and went vertical straight up above my house. It was so loud, you could not have any kind of conversation when it happened. Inside my house, it was nearly completely silent. The houses in the area all have triple paned glass and the wall insulation needed to make the sound irrelevant.
It is possible to hack a solution (carpet), and to quiet even the most high and low frequencies too. There are proper ways to do this that are more aesthetically pleasing. If you're having mental health issues, hack something together with carpet. People throw away tons of the stuff all the time. The vast majority of carpet that gets thrown away is nearly brand new. It was under furniture or in closets and other areas of low to no traffic. Call up local construction small businesses or just find work sites with dumpsters. You'll find some for free with a little persistence.
OP: I am in therapy since a year because I have a huge debt
You need to install double or triple paned windows and insulation
Read all. Full spectrum was given and was really just trying to sell the idea of carpet and that there are solutions.
Not all insulation or windows are equal either.
Tech Ingredients' testing was best IMO:
Already have that....
Thanks for advice but this house is new and it has insulation and triple glas windows with extra sound insulation
perhaps advertise it to deaf people? or other christians that would geek out on that shit lol....
I work nights and sometimes have to use disposable foam earplugs if there is lawn maintenance waking me up.
Wax earplugs are where it's at. I'm a light sleeper so I use them most nights and they're both more comfortable and better for sound isolation.
Adding to the list of earplug recs, I went to an audiologist and had forms made to order silicone earplugs perfectly shaped for my ears.
They’ve worked well for sleeping next to my spouse who’s a horrible snorer.
Are you not overthinking it? A good pair of noise canceling headphones or ear plugs would solve this issue. Most people who work nights that i know have to take extra steps to block out noise and light regardless of their mental health it just comes with the territory
Sabotage.
That sounds horrible... I recommend getting a pair of loops, they will help you sleep better. Also, for when you are awake try a noise cancelling like bose qc2, just wear them with noise cancellation on if you don't want to listen to music.
This is not a perfect solution, but at least you will some quality of life improvement.
Does the church have a sprinkler system installed?
Isn't this how fight clubs start? Maybe rent the basement of the church, invite some "friends" not to talk about it?
Seriously though, meditation/mindfulness can help a bit. Practicing incorporating and accepting the constant overstimulation.
Good luck 🍀🤞
Well, The first obvious step is to find a job that allow you to work during the day.
Working at night only causes big health issues mid and long term, and is now an incompatible life style with where you live.
Which is fucking bullshit. If I had my way I would wake up at 10 and go to work at noon every day. Sometimes I get to be the guy who decides things like that, but it will piss off morning people.
I used to live next to an interstate.
These white noise machines are GOLD:
There are several brands, so don't feel like you need this particular one.
Create any water features you can indoors and/or outside. These create background sound to drown it out.
Thick fabrics on the walls facing the sound can help if you can't afford to do new windows right now. I believe they also sell window inserts that deafen sound, as I was looking into them at one time.
To your particular issue, since it's a specific song (maybe?), a repeating catalog of songs, or at least specific frequencies/tones every time, and it's at specific times, I wonder if you could rig up some sort of noise cancelling device or sound to play at those exact times in your bedroom?
Sign up to be a part of the Church of Satan. Get a massive 1000W + speaker and PA system. Blast death metal at them every time they do a service.
Cops come, it’s part of your religious freedom like a minaret or something
… profit
This sounds really frustrating.
I used to live similarly close to a bell tower (it was a big, old university). I don't remember how long it took me to get used to it, but it did end up being that I barely noticed the sound. It was weird to visit a friend for a few nights in the same area after having moved away — the bells were so loud and annoying that I could barely sleep or focus on things.
My intention with this comment is to try to reassure you that it is possible to become acclimatised to the sound such that it doesn't cause significant issues. Adjusting to things like this can be extra difficult if you're already experiencing mental health stress, so you might find that you're not able to acclimatise, but there are definitely people who would be fine with buying property near a church, if it comes to that (people like me who have always lived somewhere loud)
Don't other neighbors mind the bells? Also, where are you from (what country)? There might be legal options to.pursue. Finally, the church is a hierarchy - you might want to go higher up so to speak and write or call a bishop for example.
Germany.
No legal options... the church bells don't count as "Lärm" (Noise Pollution) here.
Tried everything. The neighbours love it and missed the bells. They are all older than 80+... Only one other neighbor has the same opinion as I do and is annoyed.
Sometimes I wish it would just burn down randomly.
I don't wanna hijack this thread to make it political, but I find it insane how sk many people are opposed to the "noise" of mosques, but then don't mind the constant ringing of bells.
I've also lived near a church in Germany for some time and it rang every 15 minutes. Granted I wasn't bothered as much as you are, but it is still really annoying and I can totally understand your point.
I think religious sites should just not make any noise like this, whether it be a church or mosque.
Yeah, 'randomly' ...
Germany.
No legal options… the church bells don’t count as “Lärm” (Noise Pollution) here.
This is incorrect. Church bells are protected by the constitutional right to freedom of religion if they are used in a sacred function, say for a call to holy mass during a Christian holiday. Regular use, e.g. to indicate the time, isn't sacred and thus isn't protected.
See: https://www.juraforum.de/news/glockengelaeut-ruhestoerung-was-tun-gegen-kirchenglocken-laerm_247349
So check your noise levels and if they exceed the ones given in that article you have a good chance of suing.
If the church is unwilling to help locally, you could try appealing to their regional leadership (though this is unlikely to work). From there, your next steps fall into 2 boxes:
Management Double-glazing, earplugs, white noise, etc.
Fighting back Rallying sympathetic neighbours sounds as though it's not an option, so to start with, you should familiarise yourself with any relevant ordinances - if you need professional legal advice, consider bringing your sympathetic neighbour in on it and split costs. Trolling - the Satanic Temple (not the church of Satan as others have recommended) or the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster are your best bet on getting pseudo-legitimacy, and may have intervened in similar situations. Sabotage - cutting cables is cheap and fun - audio, data, power - who knows what cable does what, but trial and error is an option - bonus points for attracting rodents and and outsourcing the job to them. If you want to get creative, a HERF gun may be a viable option. Pamphlet drops to the congregation with something along the lines of "love thy neighbour - with 120db bells at x, y, z times" - don't do this if you're making less ethical moves - you'll paint an obvious target on your back. If you can get access to the audio console, your effective options open right up - but this probably involves breaking and entering, so that's probably more inadvisable than the rest of my advice.