I can't do this, can I?

[MoominFlaps]

First floor flat with no garden. Have messy toddler. Everywhere but the kitchen and bathroom is carpeted. I'm absolutely desperate to have laminate put down in the living room - we eat in there (no room in the kitchen) and the toddler's general messiness means our carpet is stained to fuck, it's gross.

We can't have laminate in a first floor flat, can we? We own it but I can't see anything forbidding us in the lease. But obviously we want to be considerate neighbours. Are there any other options short of putting down black bin bags?!

The flat was a stop gap to get us on the ladder but with Brexit who knows how long we'll be stuck here now.

You can get sound insulation that goes under solid flooring.

You could replace the current carpet with a polypropylene one - they are supposed to be easier to clean and some can even be cleaned with bleach, but as a first step get the living room carpet cleaned. What about some sort of wipeable plastic covering for under the table and where your toddler sits? Ikea do some plastic rugs which may suit. Then have a 'no food other than at the table' rule.

Could you lay a Lino/vinyl off cut under the table, over the carpet.

You can definitely get sound insulation and maybe cushion vinyl flooring rather than laminated flooring - less "clacky". Rug Doctor works miracles on carpets in the mean time. £25 well spent.

You could get vinyl that looks like wood. We've got in in our hall it's fab.

If you get a good quality thick one and put some underlay on it I don't think the flat below will hear anything!

Sound proof! We are doing that and refurbing the original floorboards.

However, we are actually replacing the existing horrible laminate which has been down for decades. I've owned the flat for nearly a year and never had a complaint.

Instead of laminate could you try a product like Karndean or Amtico? A friend has similar in her flat and it seems to work.

One of these under the table for a tenner? www.argos.co.uk/product/9264830

I have stain resistant carpet from SCS and it is amazing. You can clean with bleach.

polypropylene carpet and a carpet shampooing machine.

I was advised to get something called "heather twist"

heather means it is speckled or mottled so does not show drips or marks much; twist means the fibres are crimped and cut so they don't wear down in traffic paths.

You can clean it with bleach if necessary (I never tried). it does not seem to absorb spill stains into the fibre.

You can also have some kind of washable mat or rug in the messiest areas.

We put a plastic mat down but he can chuck stuff clear across the room!

I live in a semi detached property.
My neighbours property juts out front and back past my property.
I have leant some plastic parts of my new chicken house against the wall.
My neighbour is now demanding I move them. Stating they will cause damp.
This wall faces into my garden. I thought it was a party wall as the middle of the wall is shared by both of us. It is a piece of wall that sticks out about 8 feet.
If any thing the plastic is stopping water getting to it. Because of the curved shape it allows lots of air flow between the wall and the chicken house.
Can they demand they be moved.
I was going to hammer a couple of posts into the ground and then lean the chicken house aggainst them as a temporary solution. Till my garden renovations are completed.
Any advise please.

I suggest you report your own post and ask HQ to start a new thread with it rather than hijacking the OP's thread with something unrelated.

I got a textured vinyl recently for my newly fitted kitchen. It feels rough underfoot and seems to be very hardy so far. I would happily put similar vinyl down in other rooms.

Would vinyl not look really weird in a living room though?

Yes it would. We have engineered wood in a first floor flat and so does the 2nd floor flat above us. All installed by the builder and we hardly hear the people above. Get good sound insulation and you will be fine. Buy a cheap rug where you need one and a plastic sheet for under the table. Have a rule of no food and drink if not sitting in a chair at the table. No food in the lounge area. You have to make a start on this sometime!

I don't think it would look weird. It doesn't look much different to laminate. Feels different underfoot but the look of it is the same.

No food in the lounge area.

The lounge area is the room haha. It's a really small flat.

Vinyl's not what it used to be. Find a flooring showroom and they may have some ideas of flooring/underlay combinations. I have really quite cheap wood effect vinyl in my bathrooms, the estate agent glanced at it and said "solid wood floors?"
(unless that's estate agent smarm like saying "are you sisters" when you're out with your mum...)

We have a cork floor - sweepable, mopable (although you shouldn't leave water on it for a long time), quiet and warm under foot. Comes in lengths just like laminate.

Just one point - haven't read all the responses so apologies if its already been mentioned. Check the terms of your lease - you might have a covenant which says what you have to have on the floor.