![\"lights](\"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/lights-off-resized.png\")
<\/p>\nWe all hear bumps in the night. But while it could be the restless souls of departed spirits, or the tell-tale noises of the monsters under the bed, in most cases there\u2019s more likely to be a far more mundane explanation. Here\u2019s how to work out what\u2019s causing those haunted happenings, and some quick easy fixes so that you can get a decent night\u2019s sleep!<\/p>\n
For centuries, scratching or knocking sounds have been associated with the idea of the dead trying to communicate, especially at meetings like s\u00e9ances. However, unless you\u2019re specifically holding a s\u00e9ance, it\u2019s far more likely that the sounds within your walls are the signs of some far more unwelcome and far more tangible little guests. Pests like mice or rats are an increasingly likely possibility now that the weather has turned chillier, and they\u2019re more likely to try and move to make a warmer nest indoors.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t underestimate their ability to cause serious hygiene problems. Even if you don\u2019t find them snuffling around for food, they\u2019ve been known to get trapped and die within walls or under floors, which is hugely unpleasant when trying to root out the source of the consequent smell.<\/p>\n
Luckily, the solutions are relatively simple. It\u2019s mostly just a matter of laying down some traps (preferably humane ones), or calling in a professional to deal with the issue for you. Resist the temptation to take an axe to the walls, Jack Nicholson-style.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This can be particularly unnerving if you\u2019re in the middle of eating or watching television, but don\u2019t worry. It\u2019s almost certainly not the actions of a vengeful spirit about to wreak merry havoc (probably). There are a huge number of reasons why the lights might suddenly go off, but amongst the most common are:<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an overloaded amp<\/strong><\/p>\n This is one of the most frequent explanations for family homes. If too many electrical devices are trying to draw power at once, it will trip the circuit breaker, which usually affects outlets in multiple rooms. Make sure you identify and remedy what caused the trip before you reset the circuit breaker, otherwise it\u2019s likely to simply trip again in a few minutes\u2019 time!<\/p>\n It\u2019s a high-watt bulb<\/strong><\/p>\n On a similar note, sometimes individual light fixtures can suddenly fail because someone has \u2018overlamped\u2019 it with a higher-wattage bulb than it\u2019s rated for. Essentially, this overheats the fixture and its wiring, which can cause it to fail quite suddenly (and sometimes quite dramatically). Again, the fix is fairly straightforward; just replace the fried fixture, and replace the bulb with an appropriate wattage.<\/p>\n The house has aluminium wiring<\/strong><\/p>\n Aluminium wiring was most used for houses built around the 1970s. It\u2019s notorious for thermal expansion in cold and wintry conditions, and can sometimes abruptly cause issues with lighting when the weather turns chillier. Unless you\u2019re actually qualified with the relevant skills, it\u2019s best to get a qualified electrician to check the connections, and if necessary replace the wiring entirely.<\/p>\n Loud or sustained thumping at night can be particularly scary if you don\u2019t know the source, and can\u2019t think of a possible explanation. Thankfully, you\u2019ll be pleased to know that it\u2019s unlikely to herald an imminent Arrival From The Next Dimension. If the sound is indeed coming from the walls, it\u2019s far more likely that it\u2019s a \u2018pressure hammer\u2019 \u2013 in other words, the sound of air pressure being pushed through the water pipes.<\/p>\n The sound can be particularly loud of pronounced after someone flushes a toilet or turns on a faucet, and can easily travel all throughout the house. That means if someone pays a visit to the bathroom or gets themselves a glass of water at 3am, you might hear a massive noise upstairs in your bedroom. Before you call the plumber, it\u2019s worth turning the water off at the main, and then draining all the lines. This will reset the water in the pipes, eliminating the hammering sound.<\/p>\n Alternatively, if the sound is coming from the radiators, you might have condensed steam built up in the system. (Most people spot these issues around this time of year, now that everyone\u2019s turning the heating back on again!) Bleeding the radiators is an often underestimated, but effective fix to the problem.<\/p>\n This one\u2019s a spooky issue that\u2019s not limited to the nighttime or oak internal doors<\/a>. At any time of day you might spot an internal door that\u2019s swinging eerily ajar \u2013 or worse, suddenly springing open in your face! Again, don\u2019t automatically assume it\u2019s a vengeful poltergeist. There are several possible causes. Here are two of the most common:<\/p>\n The hinges are incorrectly positioned<\/strong><\/p>\n If the hinges aren\u2019t aligned correctly, the net result is that the door is often straining to re-open. Sometimes, the mechanism gives, which is when it can suddenly spring open. Fixing it is often just a matter of \u2018packing\u2019 the hinges.<\/p>\n To do that, start by removing the screws of one hinge<\/a> and prise it out of its recess, so that it pivots over and out of the way. Then, place a piece of flat cardboard in the space underneath it, then pivot the hinge back over to its original position. Replace the screws, and then that should fix the problem. If not, try adjusting the amount of cardboard before you start looking at other solutions.<\/p>\n There\u2019s not enough clearance at the bottom<\/strong><\/p>\n Essentially, this involves your door jamming against the floor or carpet because it doesn\u2019t have clearance, which results in a pressure that gradually forces it out of position. Simple problem, simple solution; just plane a little excess wood off the bottom of the door, so that it\u2019s able to move back into its proper place.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not the only issue that can occur with your internal doors<\/a>, although thankfully, some of the others aren\u2019t quite as creepy! It might be worth checking out our previous blog on how to fix a stuck internal door<\/a>. Or, if your doors are past their prime, you can always shop for a replacement at any one of our DIY stores<\/a> across the North West in Preston, Blackpool or Wigan. Don\u2019t forget, while you\u2019re there, our friendly experts are always on hand to lend a word or two of advice. We\u2019re here to help!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We all hear bumps in the night. But while it could be the restless souls of departed spirits, or the tell-tale noises of the monsters under the bed, in most cases there\u2019s more likely to be a far more mundane explanation. Here\u2019s how to work out what\u2019s causing those haunted happenings, and some quick easy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":2451,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2,3],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n3. Furious banging in the night<\/h2>\n
![\"banging](\"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/banging-in-the-night-resized.png\")
<\/p>\n4. Oak internal doors with a life of their own<\/h2>\n
![\"doors](\"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/doors-opening-resized.png\")
<\/p>\n