Home Renovation — Am I Overworrying About the Noise Levels?

In my house, my parents want to start renovation, which will involve drilling, hammering, polishing with power tools. I obviously won't be doing the renovating. Our house has two floors, and the renovating will likely be on the ground floor.

Do you think that it should be okay? Am I overworrying? I know that the world can not revolve around my tinnitus and I need to cope, but I got an anxiety attack over this already.

 

No. You are preparing and asking the right questions.

Maybe, maybe not, get some ear plugs, some ear muffs perhaps, and if something seems too loud, leave.

 

It will not be ok. You should move out somewhere else before all the drilling and banging starts.

 

Thank you. I probably will have some quarrel about this with them, but I don't want to take any unnecessary risk if I don't have to.

 

Renovation can be a hassle for anyone with or without tinnitus. I've been involved in the renovation of two houses and it really depends on the type of work being done. Being on the second floor will definitely help by lowering the degree of noise you'll be exposed to. Carry earplugs and have them available when necessary. Also, plan on being out of the house if & when things get particularly loud. The end result of renovation is often worth the inconvenience.

 

Definitely leave the house while the renovating is taking place: there is no reason to take any risk, and drills / saws and anything could affect your tinnitus a lot, maybe even permanently. Doesn't matter if they understand or not, do not be there when the work is happening (although I do hope they will be supportive in this).

 

If you are on one floor and the renovation is on another there should be no effect on your T at all. They aren't going to set off dynamite in your home. If you need to pass through wear ear protection.

I've been around construction through the years. Jackhammers, tile saws, nail guns, and circular saws come to mind as the loudest. If they aren't breaking out any concrete then scratch the Jackhammer. The other tools are tolerable with good ear muffs.

 

Me again. So, we are through with the renovating part, I went away during it lasted. But. Tomorrow a very big tree will be cut and chopped in our yard with chainsaw powered by gasoline. Normally I would go away again, but I'm battling a cold and a UTI. So, do you think that it will be dangerous sound level? It's outside, and I'm going to go to the furthest part of the house from it. I'm worried, because it's a high pitched sound, and I read that it might be more dangerous than a lower frequency sound. Sorry for always worrying here on the forum, just not living my best life with kind of fresh T, and that's an euphemism.

 

Why don't you just go to a friends' house for the day?

 

Because I'm feeling all around awful, and khm... TMI: the UTI makes me go to the toilet in every 10 minutes. I'd go back to the city to my place, if I could.

 

This reminds me a bit of Bryan Pollard's story on how he developed pain-hyperacusis, however in his case they used an industrial-sized wood-chipper to chip up the entire tree and he had stayed outside while they were using chainsaws to cut it down (the wood-chipper was a lot louder than the chainsaws according to him).

If possible, I'd try to stay somewhere else while they're working but I also used to have severe pain-hyperacusis and err more on the side of caution.

 

Yeah, the post reminded me too about Bryan's story.

I would like to know how your hyperacusis evolved after all those years... did it get better for you?

 

This reminds me of a day when I was sick... so couldn't go to work. Then there was a renovation on the house beside mine, so I couldn't be at my place. Went somewhere else that was supposed to be quiet and peaceful and that particular day they were drilling there too!.. it was a horrible day really.

But another option if you want privacy and need to use the toilet every 10 minutes: spend 50 bucks on a hotel room for the day. Believe me, if you have bad tinnitus or very bad hyperacusis as I did, it will be the best investment of your life.

 

I would stay inside, and put my earplugs in as they cut the tree down. Have ear muffs available if it is still too loud. I would not evacuate my house for this.

 

Update if anybody interested: I left the house at dawn despite being sick. Maybe this was an overkill, I don't know.

 

I think that was sensible. You were on the cautious side, and that's always recommended if you have hearing problems.