Hi all,
I recently got a problem in my new flat and hope I could get some advice here.
I recently bought a ground floor flat which has a different layout to all the flats above. My block has four floors and all three flats above us has the same layout. Above my bedroom is where the ensuite bathrooms of the flats above and above my kitchen is where the toilets of the flats above.
Because of the different layouts, the soil pipes do not travel vertically from top to bottom. One soil pipe - collecting all wastes from the ensuite bathrooms of all the flats above - takes a 90 degree bend above the ceiling of my bedroom. And another soil pipe with all the toilet wastes likewise bends right above my kitchen ceiling. When anyone above us flush the toilets/using the dishwasher etc, it creates an enormous amount of noise which often woke us up in the middle of the night.
I raised the issue with the developer and they opened the ceiling and realised that there was no lagging at the bends. So they put on lagging and in our bedroom they even made a box in order to contain the noise. However, the situation has not improved much. When anyone above us flush the toilet, it just sounds like a thunder.
The developer said they now abide to the regulations and nothing further they could do. Are there any regulations in relation to the noise level of the pipes? Could I push the developer further? Or do I have to find a plumber to see if there is a better solution?
Thank you very much in advance for any advice!
P.S. One lesson learned - never buy a flat that does not share the same layout as all the flats above!