Can I install a wood floor and not bother the neighbour below?

chivsey

Hi everyone, looking for a bit of advice.

I recently bought a 1980s top floor flat. All rooms are carpeted, although the state of the carpet is poor and I'm looking to replace. I'd love to have real wood or some sort of panelled wood floor installed in the living room and hall, but I'd be concerned that the change of the flooring would result in noise for the downstairs neighbour (I know what it's like to have noisy neighbours).

The flooring underneath the carpet is boarding not floor boards. My question is, is there material you can put down on the floor before installing wood or panelled flooring so to stop both airborne and impact noise? If so what's best?

Many thanks in advance!

newlywed

We live in a ground floor flat, purpose built block, concrete floors… 
and can hear the second floor flat walking in their laminate floor in shoes, and hoovering…

we can tell exactly what room they are in when they wear shoes.

there is a whole other flat between us.

just saying.

bbat

Its nice you're thinking about noise. I honestly don't know about products. But does your lease say anything about flooring? Some state flats must have carpet. 
I've lived in flats for years, various construction/conversion. I can always hear neighbours. But lack of carpet always seems to make it worse. A downstairs neighbour moved in and removed their carpets and it seems to make their voices louder!

Norman_Castle

I'd investigate if putting soundproofing under the current boarding is possible before replacing the floor. This can often be done by removing part of the floor and would be beneficial regardless of flooring type. I lifted my laminate flooring in my bedroom to do the above and the original foam underlay had compressed to nothing where weight was on the floor. I replaced it with green fibre boards which I suspect has more sound insulation.

The biggest factor on noise transmission is your behaviour and the amount of noise you make.

victor2

We took the carpet up in one bedroom and polished the floorboards. The noise was horrendous downstairs. Soon put new carpet down!

mrschaucer

Google "sound attenuating/acoustic/soundproofing underlay".  Some modern flats have a requirement for this to be laid in the lease.

shiraz99

I know you can get special acoustic underlay but I've no personal experience with it so can't say if it's any good or not. All I can say is that the bedrooms upstairs in my dad's house has laminate and you can easily hear anyone moving about in the rooms from below.

another_casualty

Any flat other than ground floor should always be carpeted with decent underlay .
Except for kitchen and bathroom . Common sense and basic courtesy to neighbours below . 

Plus it is softer , more comfortable and less clinical . Noise may be heard from people below also should you have wooden flooring .

My sister used to have a dog in a small house with wooden floors . Dog was quiet, but it's nails sounded like tap dancing when it moved around .
just saying ...

jbainbridge

What does your lease say about flooring?

nofoollikeold

1. Take careful note of jbainbridge re. lease.
2. I own a flat in a modern block which says no hard flooring above ground floor.  Two lessees are currently being taken to court because they fitted wooden floors, their neighbours below complained of the noise, and they have refused to replace the floors.  The freehold owners have a duty to insist on adherence to the lease conditions, and can themselves be taken to court if they do not do so.  

Ectophile

Any flat other than ground floor should always be carpeted with decent underlay .
Except for kitchen and bathroom . Common sense and basic courtesy to neighbours below .

When I lived in a flat, I had carpet in the bathroom.  It was the hard wearing synthetic type that wasn't going to rot however much bath water got splashed on it.