How early is too early to work outside?

[Rich Engelhardt]

I have quite a bit of routing I want to get done.
I usually roll my router table out into the driveway to use it.

I don't want to cause a neighborhood disturbance with the whine, but, I also don't want to get stuck out in the direct sun in the heat of the day (temperature is forecast to be near 90* today) with sweat running into my eyes.

Is 9:00am too early to work outside?

I'm only asking because the two closest neighbors are new. I had my old neighbor's schedules worked out pretty well, but, they moved out.

[Art Mann]

Nine sounds quite reasonable to me.

[Justin Ludwig]

While recently visiting Manhattan Beach, California (one of the richest towns per capita), I took notice of all the home construction in progress (there is no recession in this town!) Ordnance for this area was: M-F 0800-1700, Sat 0900-1600, Sun work prohibited.

If your neighborhood has an ordnance, I'll follow theirs first. Get to work!

[Erik Loza]

The contractors who did our house started at 7:00AM. I always assumed that was the sort of standard.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Charles Lent]

I have started at 7 on weekdays with no complaints from the neighbors, but my neighbors are several hundred feet away. In a housing development with houses much closer you may need to start later. On Sundays I wait until 11 if I work at all.

Charley

[Wade Lippman]

I would ask my neighbors.

My neighbors let their dog, who is probably about as loud as a router, each day at 7:30. After a brief conversation they let him out at 9 now.
Their daughters love our dog. Go figure.

[Chris Fournier]

I don't have an answer for you but I am sure that anyone asking this question as you have will do the right thing! Routers are pretty annoying but I enjoy hearing the symphony of other people working.

[Matt Day]

Ask the new neighbors, and introduce yourself. It will show you care about being a respectful neighbor.

[Keith Hankins]

I think it depends on your neighbors. I had a neighbor call the police because I left with my Harley to go to work (and it is completely street legal). I wish they had come and just talked to me. So for that kind of neighbor 4AM is great. :)

[Glenn Howard]

In my opinion, there are two sides to being a good neighbor. Number 1, you want to try to be considerate of others, and when it comes to noise, you need to do just what you're doing, and be sensitive to what may bother them. Number 2, you don't want to be the kind of neighbor who complains about every little thing. Unless you live somewhere in the country with acres between houses, we're going to annoy one another from time to time.

In my (suburban) neighborhood, my immediate next door neighbors have two adult kids (18-21) who live with them, and they both have those ridiculous bumble bee mufflers on their cars. So when they head out at 6 or 7 am, or roll in well after midnight, it wakes us up. In my mind, they're being rude. Anything that makes a vehicle louder than it needs to be for normal operation should be illegal. But we don't complain about it because we don't want to be "those neighbors."

We also have neighbors across the street and three houses up who have own their own lawn care/mowing service. They have three teenage sons who help, two big, louder than they need to be trucks, two trailers for transporting their mowers, etc. Their yard looks like a junk yard, they have their trucks and trailers blocking portions of the street fairly frequently. In my mind, if they're going to run that kind of business, they should either pay to store their equipment elsewhere, or live somewhere out in the country where they would have more land and would be less irritating to neighbors. The suburbs is no place for what they do. Again, we don't complain because we don't want to be "those neighbors."

Neighbors on both sides of us have parties at least once a month that last well past midnight and are rather loud. Again, we don't complain.

From my end, on the weekends, I don't mow or use any loud machinery before nine am or after ten pm. On weekdays, again, nothing before nine am and nothing later than nine pm. I think those times are reasonable.

But as others have suggested, find out what the laws are in your area, talk to your neighbors to find out how they feel about it, and if you're going to be noisy from time to time, be sure to be tolerant of the noises that others make as well.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Nine o'clock sounds more than reasonable. I would talk with the neighbors and also check to see if there is a local noise ordinance. I've been told there is a local noise ordinance that limits noises prior to 0700.

[glenn bradley]

I start at 7am or whenever I hear the first yard machine (which is often earlier). If you live in a neighborhood where people sleep in versus have things to get done early, you will have to adjust.

[Sam Murdoch]

Nine sounds quite reasonable to me.

To me too! Nice of you to care enough to ask. In our neighborhood we have come to recognize 7AM as the start point. Lawnmowers, chain saws, leaf blowers and all kinds of construction noises start just after 7. The lobster boats in the bay are making lots more diesel noise (amazing how loud they can be) as early as 4AM in the summer.

If you are "running a business" out of your home that is not in compliance with local codes be very careful about asking permission or aggravating neighbors in any way that can be attributed to your "business". Some neighbors just aren't neighborly. You can make stuff for yourself and none can argue, but the home based business thing can be a bit dicey with the wrong folks next door. Just sayin'.

Lots of great answers above.

[Jason Roehl]

I would say 7 AM on weekends is too early, and certainly at the early limit on weekdays. 7:30-8AM should be considered normal during the week, and I would prefer not before 9 on weekends, but really wouldn't complain about 8 AM on weekends. I'd more than likely already be up at any of those times, but I do like some peace and quiet since I'm in construction and likely to be around the noise during the week. I think if anyone complains about a router at 9 AM on a Saturday needs to get over themselves.

[ray hampton]

do the neighbors work the night shift ?

[Rich Engelhardt]

LOL!
Well, ends up it was a moot point (for today anyhow).

By the time I got everything outside and set up, the one new neighbor had dragged stuff out of the garage for a garage sale & a construction crew was busy making all kinds of noise at the other new neighbor :D:D

I fit right in!
It was just about 9:30am.

FWIW - I plan on making the introductions as soon as they get all settled in.

[George Bokros]

Monday thru Saturday I believe 8:00 a.m. is fine. Sunday 10:00 a.m. If one of them works the graveyard shift then daytime is bothersome for them but they have to accept that with that kind of a job.

[Jim Matthews]

I would ask my neighbors.

My neighbors let their dog, who is probably about as loud as a router, each day at 7:30. After a brief conversation they let him out at 9 now.
Their daughters love our dog. Go figure.

+1 on this.

If it's really loud, ask when they'll be away.
If they're uncooperative, call the zoning board.

They'll likely have a spec on what's legal.

Better to have tolerant neighbors, than ones that dislike you.

[ray hampton]

if they work nights or if someone is so sick that they are confine to the house then tell them in advance so that they can prepare for the noise

[Earl McLain]

This thread really makes me appreciate living in the middle of a cornfield!!
Earl

[Myk Rian]

Ask the new neighbors, and introduce yourself. It will show you care about being a respectful neighbor.
Best answer all day.

[Jesse Busenitz]

This thread really makes me appreciate living in the middle of a cornfield!!
Earl

Can't agree more.... I'm reading this thread and just chuckling at it One, because my nearest neighbor is a mile away, two because there ain't a soul in bed after 7 a'clock on a weekend let alone weekdays.... but different strokes for different folks. Oh and speaking of cornfields, i just finished trucking corn for the night at 9 so it comes with its pros and cons.

[Harold Burrell]

Ask the new neighbors, and introduce yourself. It will show you care about being a respectful neighbor.

+1

That is your answer right there.

[Ellen Benkin]

It always astounds me when someone asks this kind of question on a public website rather than talking to their neighbors. GO ASK THEM! Maybe they get up at 6 am to get kids to school and then go to work and maybe they sleep until 10 am and maybe it depends on the day of the week. Either way, try to accommodate them. Running a loud router next door is more than very annoying so try to work it out with them. Then you can expect the same neighborly concern if they are planning something loud that might bother you.

[Keith Hankins]

This thread really makes me appreciate living in the middle of a cornfield!!
Earl

You said it!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm headed back to the hills as soon as this gig is up (if i survive another 4 years in yankee land) :)

[Frank Drew]

I work late, not getting home until midnight or a bit later, and not in bed until 1230-100; I'd be ok with 9 am starts if I'm not working, 8 would be fine on a work day. These are personal preferences, not something I'd go to war over. (My brand new next door neighbors woke me at 4 am this morning, banging around, slamming doors, etc. WTHeck were they doing at that hour, since they quieted down about a half hour later?)

Be considerate is the rule.

[Rich Engelhardt]

It always astounds me when someone asks this kind of question on a public website rather than talking to their neighbors. GO ASK THEM!Well, one thing about asking here is that nearly everyone will know how loud the high pitched wail of a router can be.
I'm not real sure the new neighbors would even know what a router or lunch box planer was until they heard one or the other being used.

[John Grace]

While I agree with most of the above I'd also offer the answer is relative to the tool. Woodturning and hand tool work is relatively quiet and can be done earlier than let's say running your router in the driveway. I'd say 9:00am is 'safe' for any day of the week save Sunday and then I'd go with 10:00am.

[Mark Blatter]

'This thread really makes me appreciate living in the middle of a cornfield!!'

When I lived in Helena, MT my nearest neighbor was about 1/2 mile away. I loved never worrying about how much noise I made.

I think anything after 8 a.m. should be fine. Yet I have to wonder, why did your old neighbors move? Just kidding.

[Jim German]

Guess I'm in the minority here, but I try not to do anything loud outside before 10am on weekends.

[Pat Barry]

The router is likely the single most annoying power tool ever invented. Using it outside for any length of time is really going to get old quick for the neighbors. Why don't you do it in the garage with the doors closed?

[Jason Roehl]

The router is likely the single most annoying power tool ever invented. Using it outside for any length of time is really going to get old quick for the neighbors. Why don't you do it in the garage with the doors closed?

I don't know...I'd have to say that the cacophony of leaf blowers running all day in the fall drives me batty, especially because with a good leaf rake I can out-work a blower any day. I've seen people spend 6 hours blowing leaves off a lawn that would have taken me 2 or less with a rake. No noise or exhaust, and I get some exercise.

Routers tend to just get used in short spurts of annoying noise.

[Mel Fulks]

I agree with Jason, I was wondering when leaf blowers would be mentioned. They make a router seem like music.
We see guys on both sides of the street ...blowing leaves into the street! Extremely irritating ,and even hazardous to those trying to drive a car.

[Jerry Olexa]

9 sounds fair to me.