Tapping coming from inside the solid wall

[pawel_]

Hello everyone,

Hope you're all well!

I've signed up to this forum to look for an advise. I've searched the interned to and fro but couldn't find anything similar.

My partner and I live in an old mid-terrace house (build 1867) and since we moved in (a year ago) we've been having problems with sleeping due to a weird rhythmic tapping coming from one of our bedroom's walls. It usually happens early in the morning (today it was 4:40am) but sometimes at night too. The tapping happens randomly at different times and with different intervals.

The tapper reacts to sound so we've looked for signs of mice or other living creatures in the attic but couldn't find any.

The bedroom is situated on the first floor. The walls are solid brick on both sides (no cavity walls), and we can hear our neighbours when they argue or when their kids play. Also in the bedroom located is a chimney leading to a space where a fireplace used to be.

Here's the video with the tapping I took this morning:

If you have any idea what it might be, please help! We both sleep with earplugs but they tend to fall out when I sleep. Any advise would be highly appreciated!

All the best,
Pawel

 

[ktuludays]

Can't help with the tapping but if you put the ear plugs in fat end first they are less likely to fall out

 

[HERTS P&D]

Water hammer?

Andy

 

[bernardgreen]

The tapper reacts to sound so we've looked for signs of mice or other living creatures in the attic but couldn't find any.

That would exclude the normal causes of tapping such as expanding pipes when the heating comes on.

The sounds you make may be embarrassing your neighbours causing them to stop making their noise.

 

[StephenStephen]

I'm wondering about heating or hot water pipes, or the sounds of birds on the roof, coming down the chimney.
If you've not done so, try having the heating and any hot water heating off at night for a few nights
This is potentially a useful opportunity for you and your neighbours to get curious about something together - take the video round and see if they have a similar tapping coming from the wall. If it is the sound of their bed moving, you might find that they are as mystified as you, but the sound stops happening soon after the conversation.
...another approach is to change your relationship with it - it is your home telling you how pleased it is that you're taking care of it (my house creaks, groans, taps, scuttles and moans, depending on birds, animals, heating, the weather etc)

 

[Mottie]

Let me out!

 

[Lower]

Is there a chimney breast in the room? We get similar sounds for birds walking around on the chimney pot and the sound travelling down the chimney into our bedroom.