urgent flooring prob - having 2nd thoughts about vinyl flooring in kitchen/eating area and hall, but carpet???? WWYD

[ErnesttheBavarian]

Having work done on top floor flat. We're not allowed wood in lease terms due to noise. We didn't want carpet in open plan kitchen/eating/sitting room doe to (semi feral) kids trashing it, spilling food, knackering up carpet. I haven't had any carpet for over 10 years so am used to and like being able to just sweep and mop.

So when we couldn't have wood, we opted for vinyl (an expensive wood effect one)

Spoke to a couple of the workers who looked concerned about the noise and asked about special underlay.

I phone flooring man who's told me their isn't any underlay, and it will be noisy, and suggested I retrain the kids!

We stayed a while back in the flat (currently thin old manly carpets) and the kids were like bloody elephants, and I must have moaned at them 1000 times about walking more quietly, not thudding etc.

So, dilema, I don't want to be telling the kids off constantly about walking too noisily. Am concerned I will piss off my new neighbours and be constantly stressed about the noisy.

OTOH, don't want to shell out loads on new carpet just for it to be looking trashed and filthy in no time, but at least it will be quiet and dirty.

Can't see an obvious way to have vinyl just in the kitchen bit and under the table.

So WWYD, what should I do?

aside from having carpet in the kitchen - to which I would always say DON'T DO IT! - could you not have carpet in the lounge/diner, and put a large playmat or the like under the table that you could wipe clean? or have vinyl but lots of rugs (with non-slip underlay, which you can get cheap rolls of from IKEA)?

but 1st of all, I would go back to the flooring person and say you need underlay, and without it the deal's off. or get a bloody good reason from him why you can't have underlay!

Yes, I really don't want carpet in kitchen. He said the underlay was in 1m wide strips and therefore v. quickly the joins would show through and look crap. I've only had tiles or wood before, never vinyl, so don't know.

Really seems to be a choice of noisy vinyl with no underlay, or carpet :( Don't want either really.

what about laminate with underlay? or cork tiles? my parents have cork flooring in their hall, and it's really quiet. not sure how easy that is though. it needs treating once a year or so, but is really hardwearing.

laminate not allowed. cork hadn't thought of. thanks. will investigate.

really late in day for this issue to arise. poo

I agree that cork might be good, or how about Marmoleum?

I'm just looking into cork myself for bathrooms at the moment, as some relatives have it in their (gorgeous, contemporary, architect-designed) house and it was very warm underfoot as well as looking smart.

Marmoleum will be the same as vinyl, no underlay and therefore noisy.

In no way an expert but rubber flooring occurs to me. Have seen it on tv a few times.

what do people in flats in old buildings do? I can't be the only bloody one who doesn't like carpets who has noise issues

Can you put softboarding under lino or vinyl?

Cork flooring is great, I had it in a rented house. It comes in many forms so I am sure that you could put soundproofing underlay beneath it, so you can relax and enjoy your new home.

with kids who are bloody elephants, I would attack samples of any cork, vinyl or rubber flooring you are considering, to see how easily they can be damaged. I was sold on the rubber flooring until I tried this.

spoke to flooring man who told me there wouldn't be much difference ban the vinyl and the cork.

Think I'm going to have to stick to the vinyl and hope for the best. Can't do carpet in kitchen/dining room.

thanks for suggestions. I must say I'm impressed with the pictures of cork I've seen. If I'd known, I might have gone for it. How much is it roughly, just out of interest?