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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To get wooden floor down in flat?

37 replies

PenApple · 17/04/2018 12:26

Obviously immediate reaction is going to be yes - but hear me out, sorry it’s longwinded
..

Split big Victorian house, we have upstairs. We’ve not long moved in and the living room carpet is horrendous, think 70’s bold pattern that will give you a migraine. I’d love rid of it asap but we have dc inc a baby, who all eat in there so new carpet might not be a great idea just now and wooden floor would be much better for cleaning up spills etc. Shoe free home.

Below us lives a lovely man in his late 50’s, who spends half his time at his partners house. When we moved in he gave a tour of his house and pointed out where noise travels - the room below our living is a room which he says he doesn’t use - he even said don’t worry about noise at that side of the house as I’m not in there.

So in this case would be ok? He’s lived there for nearly 30 years and doesn’t plan to move out - so I don’t think we’ll have anyone new move under us who we will disturb...

OP posts:
GorgeousJaws · 17/04/2018 12:29

Under those circumstances, I'd go for it.

PrettyLittIeThing · 17/04/2018 12:30

It really shouldn't be allowed tbh. You have children that poor man is going to suffer!

GuildedLily · 17/04/2018 12:31

You can get acoustic underlay. Is ££ but will mean the noise from the wooden floors does not carry. I personally wouldn't do wooden floor upstairs in victorian conversion without it. What someone thinks in theory can change once the experience noise in practice.

BonsaiBear · 17/04/2018 12:33

Ask your neighbour. Smile

BalloonFlowers · 17/04/2018 12:35

If you put it in as a floating floor, with excellent acoustic underlay, you are only being slightly unreasonable.
To do anything else it totally, totally unreasonable.

BrightYellowDaffodil · 17/04/2018 12:36

Neighbour might have pointed out where sound travels and that he doesn't use those areas but I suspect he might have assumed the noise levels would stay the same (i.e. you won't have wooden floors fitted and that some noise is muffled by carpet). What if he starts to use that room? Or the noise is worse than you/he imagined? Or if he sells the house and you have new neighbours?

Unless you can put some sort of noise-muffling underlay that will guarantee there'll be no additional noise downstairs, I wouldn't do it. It's not worth falling out with neighbours over, or finding out that you've inadvertently fallen foul of leasehold conditions which say you mustn't cause a noise disturbance etc.

I'd go for an inexpensive carpet that you can afford to rip up and throw away once the spillages are reduced.

RulaLenskasHair · 17/04/2018 12:39

Noise may not travel currently, with the carpet. Don't underestimate how noisy wood floor will make it. You can't predict if that man will stay there and how long floor.

It can really make people's lives hell. Please don't do it. I say this as a person who has always lived in a top floor flat, I put in carpet in our last one as I felt so bad for downstairs, and we don't wear shoes or have DC.

echt · 17/04/2018 12:41

It doesn't matter about the personal circumstances of your neighbour, or your speculation about the future. You should not lay wood floors. Your neighbour will suffer and you will be put to further expense to rectify it.

Randomuser789 · 17/04/2018 12:41

Definitely unreasonable.

What if he split from his partner and was there 24/7? What if God forbid he died tomorrow and you got new neighbours? Get darker carpet where spills won’t show, or buy a big cheap rug to lay over the nice carpet but please don’t get wood flooring. You wouldn’t believe the noise it can make to flats underneath without realising.

Mightymucks · 17/04/2018 12:41

Nope. Because if you put wooden floors down the noise will start travelling to where he is in the house. This is a really bad plan. Especially as he is obviously bothered if he can hear noise by pointing out where the best place for it was.

I inherited them in an upstairs flat and it’s not worth the hassle.

Pinga · 17/04/2018 12:44

You current neighbour may not mind a wooden floor but he may move........ He may in fact move because of your wooden floor!
Yes kids can be a bit messy but its not impossible to cope with. Use wipe clean plastic mats for under the highchair or table when they are eating/painting/playing with something yucky. Clean up after them as you would anyway. We lived in a two bed flat when ours where first born to four years old and the carpet survived and thats despite multiple upchuckings and lactose intolerance - ie both ends Grin Ive lived in a flat underneath someone with a wooden floor, we heard every footstep, every chair scrape, their conversations (muted but louder than when they had carpet)

Also yes kids can make a mess that ends up on the floor but they also can make a mess that ends up on the wall...... break your best plates/vase/lamp. Get paint/makeup/vomit/poop on the walls/your favourite bedspread etc. Impossible to prepare for every eventuality.

Carpet is also so so much warmer. We have wooden floors downstairs in our current rented house and its sooooo cold. We have covered them in rugs as much as possible but I really really miss wall to wall carpets.

Original poster
PenApple · 17/04/2018 12:46

Ok - no leasehold etc so no issues there’s. The main issue is not being a burden to neighbour as it’s not worth a fall out. To the op who says ask him, that’s exactly what I should do. I’d worry though as he is so lovely he’d say it was fine, but it might not be...

Like I said the chances of him moving are slim, although obviously not impossible, we will probably be here for around 10 years.

He has said on several occasions the only room he is in is his living room (at other end of house) unless he’s sleeping. I genuinely don’t think it would be an issue for him, we actually have 2 floors and upstairs is laminate - as we don’t wear shoes there are no footsteps etc so no noise. However even If he said he wouldn’t mind, I’d be wary something might change so I guess carpet is the way to go....

Thanks for replies!

OP posts:
Weezol · 17/04/2018 12:47

No. The only time it's ok to have wooden flooring in a flat is in a ground floor property. If I was ground floor I'd def have some wood floors.

May also be having a look at your deeds - some have clauses in them about this.

BlankTimes · 17/04/2018 12:48

No, it will be acoustic hell for the person below.

Weezol · 17/04/2018 12:48

Arrgh! X post re: lease

Scentofwater · 17/04/2018 12:49

Would a compromise with something like a soft lino be an option? Still easily cleaned but not so noisy? I know they’re not very cool at the moment but you must be able to find something better than the carpet you have now.

jamoncrumpets · 17/04/2018 12:49

What if he sells up though? YABU.

PrimalLass · 17/04/2018 12:52

Is it at all possible to lay a floating floor on top of the carpet? Not sure if that would work better than the think foam underlay.

Cantspell2 · 17/04/2018 12:54

Wooden floors are never a good idea in a flat.
If you are worried about spills buy a mat for under the high chair or buy a cheap carpet to last whilst the children are young and replace with better once you are past the messy stage.

Fintress · 17/04/2018 12:55

Definitely not a good idea. Shoes or not, young children can fair thump when they are running about. Not to mention dropping noisy toys.

PrimalLass · 17/04/2018 12:55

The internet is divided on the issue of laminate over carpet it seems.

Original poster
PenApple · 17/04/2018 13:03

Ok ok it appears IABU. We’ll get a cheap or dark etc carpet.

So what’s reasonable flooring for kitchen then? At the moment it’s carpet tiles which is the worst idea ever - unless it’s just me that drops messy bowls and spoons on it daily...

OP posts:
Weezol · 17/04/2018 13:06

Cushion floor in the kitchen. I've never understood carpet or carpet tile in a kitchen/bathroom. Unhygenic.

NoSquirrels · 17/04/2018 13:07

Can't you go for wood-effect Karndean or similar, with a good sub-floor underlay?

AwkwardPaws27 · 17/04/2018 13:10

No leasehold? On a flat, that's quite unusual... If you have share of freehold you'll still need permission from the other freeholder(s).

I'd personally he consent and a really good underlay as I wouldn't want to have to rip it all up again.

You could look at luxury vinyl (eg Karndean etc) as it may be quieter.