To say no to wooden floors?

[Pud2]

I live in a downstairs flat. The upstairs flat is being sold and the new owners want to install wooden floors, and have this put into the lease. I really don't want wooden floors above me because of the potential noise but they are saying they will use 'floating' wooden floors and effective sound proofing. Does anyone know if that would equate to having carpets?

I can fully understand how frustrating that my well be. My upstairs neighbours have wooden flooring, and it was like a herd of elephants at mating season up there.

I resolved the issue by supergluing some egg carton's to my ceiling. Sadly the landlord was none too impressed with my DIY soundproofing. It made the place look like some sort of murder den or something...

He was being totally unreasonable about it all.

Before I met DP he had laminate floors installed and his downstairs neighbours insisted he get proper good soundproofing stuff. Cost him a fortune apparently. I recently found some of the flooring stuff in the loft and it was really thick black rubber and it weighed an absolute ton. DP said the rubber stuff also had some kind of felt underlay as well.

Last 2 sets of downstairs neighbours tell me that they hear very little, so must be effective (yes I'm paranoid now that i have DC and I've specifically asked). If it makes a difference though, this is a block of purpose-built flats with concrete between the levels.

I think it would be very different with a conversion because surely all the soundproof stuff would have to sit on beams?

I think it all depends on what your floors are made from.

I used to own a first floor maisonette, the first floor had wooden floorboards, so sound proofing was pretty poor. Laminate flooring was already laid when we moved in and we couldn't afford to replace it, so we had rugs down in bedrooms and hallway and eventually carpeted the living room and internal staircase leading up to the flat.

what does your lease say? Ours was written before the days of laminate/engineered wood, so there would have been nothing anyone could have done if we were causing a disturbance.

Oh gosh my upstairs neighbours have laminate and you can literally hear everything!! When they drop things it shatters throughout the whole house it's horrible.

My neighbours have laminate throughout and we hear everything through the walls of our two up two down terrace. I'd hate to be living underneath that kind of noise, it's hard going at times hearing them clattering about through the (cavity insulated) walls.

I get why people want hard floors nowadays but I think some level of consideration needs to be had for our neighbours, especially those who live in flats.

That's really useful to know. Apparently it has to specifically say wooden floors are allowed in the lease which it doesn't and they want it put in. The ball is in my court really as we share the freehold so I don't have to agree. I don't want to be completely obstructive though and the sale may fall through as a result which is why I wanted to find out if there was a solution. Just found out they are going to convert the bedroom above my bedroom into the kitchen which will also be more noisy!

Honestly, I wouldn't open yourself up to this potential nightmare. Yes they might put in soundproofing, and it might be fine. But it really might affect your life a lot if the noise is too much, and then it will be too late.

I would say no, and that is as the owner of a top floor flat! We had floorboards when we moved in, and put down noise reducing underlay and carpet, partially to block out downstairs - they have floorboards, the noise reverberates up!

I looked into all kinds of noise reducing insulation etc. None of it is particularly effective, and the stuff that is more so is super expensive.

Living in flats you expect to hear people around you. But if I could avoid a potentially big issue like this, I would.

Sorry bit of an essay!

We have wood floors throughout our house but also have some kind of "gold standard" super thick insulation under them. So you can't hear the kids walk/play etc in their rooms (this does not include launching themselves off beds, which makes the light fittings rattle) or other normal sounds at all. Be warned though that you won't be able to steal their wifi as it blocks the signals Having had a clothes moth infestation in our last house I now refuse to have carpets anywhere but the stairs.

Don't agree to any hard surfaced flooring.

Upstairs has just been sold as a rental and gone from carpets to laminate in the last fortnight and it has ruined our life.

We can hear them talking in bed ffs. Kids are being woken up and the cat is freaking out completely thinking the sky is falling. All privacy is gone and I don't know if we will be able to continue living here.

I genuinely think there should be a law against hard flooring above neighbours, it is a bloody selfish option.

I would say no aswell. I use to love where I live now I hate it. their kids even have wheelie toys that they ride up and down on, can't believe how inconsiderate some people are.

Don't agree-you will regret it!

I resolved the issue by supergluing some egg carton's to my ceiling

MN highlight of the week

I agree with all above, esp blackthumb. Don't do it.

I understand your concerns, but on the other hand we would never live in a place with carpets, we are all highly allergic to dust and DS2 is asthmatic, we resolve this by living in a detached house, but clearly not everybody can do this! just saying they may have reasons beyond the aesthetic that may make it very hard for them without the wooden floors

Are they purpose-built flats or a conversion? As nobody has carpets in my country so it's all wood or laminate but in purpose-built flats you don't really hear much but I imagine you would in a converted house.

I think the difference between those posting with issues and your situation is your neighbours are willing to sound proof and add floating floors. As such, I think that if you write in they wooden floors are permitted with both these factors only then you will be fine.

We were going to install floating insulation under our wooden floors (didn't buy that place in the end though, so only looked into it, didn't do it).

Basically, if the floors are on beams, then sound would travel along them and down your walls which makes cheap insulation a waste of time. Floating ones mean (from what I understand!) that the sound gets absorbed by the insulation and never reaches the walls.

The other type that's good is the thick black rubber stuff a PP mentioned. It's also expensive - and has to be properly laid or it won't work properly (i.e. Can't have nails through it willy nilly or they transfer sound through the isolation to the beans..and then you).

I would be inclined to either say no, or get some advice from someone who installs/lays the expensive stuff before agreeing (and only on the condition to that being laid).

Manners the fire risk!

We're a top floor flat and I worry about the noise for the people under us, I'm forever telling the DC to keep it down. But our place is a new build block of flats rather than a conversion so it's purpose built. In our old flat, we only ever heard noise if the mum was wearing heels inside or if their 2 year old was tantrumming!

I would like the idea of a kitchen above the bedroom with imperfect soundproofing though. What if they run the washing machine or dishwasher at night?

I've only ever lived in apartments that had hard flooring (floorboards, tile, laminate). Never had any noise issues.

If they soundproof it half decently it really shouldn't make a difference.

say no! as others have said even if there's sound insulation if it's not properly installed it doesn't work. a big risk for you to take.

i lived in a flat and the upstairs neighbours installed a wooden floor against the terms of the lease, but used insulation. it was a nightmare. i don't believe they used insulation at all, but if they had it definitely didn't work.

Say no! I'd also be raising concern about moving the kitchen. Would that need permission as I'm assuming they'd need to change all the plumbing?

Thanks everyone. Really helpful. It is a conversion so I think I need to stand my ground and say no. Is there any sort of hard flooring that can be effectively sound proofed for their kitchen? Lino? Tiles? Not sure what people do for upstairs kitchen as you wouldn't normally have carpet in a kitchen. Good point about the washing machine Heretoday!

Absolutely not.

Whilst it is possible to have nicely soundproofed wood floors, the potential for them to pick an ineffective type or to have a poor installation is too huge.

Once you vary the lease you'll be screwed.

Also I'd see what the lease says about moving the kitchen. Most don't let you do that. I wouldn't want the kitchen over my bedroom.

I can see a problem in that if you agree but insist on soundproofing/underlay then how so you know a) they actually put it in and b) it's good quality and fit for the job?

Do not agree to wooden floors or to them changing the lay out to put the kitchen over your bedroom! You will really regret it, you need to stop being so polite!!!!