Pre-renovation wobbles

Seol88

Hi all

Bought first flat in 2021. It's a first floor flat in a Victorian conversion. The conversion was in the 80s.

We've been talking about some improvements for a long time but have been spurred into action by noise from the flat above - footsteps, creaking floorboards, dragging furniture. I'm quite sure the flat above isn't meeting the lease requirements re: floor coverings but it's a shared freehold and there's only so much we can do without making it a dispute. So we decided to have our living room ceiling soundproofed with the GenieClip LB3 system which we expect will significantly dampen the noise. If it still bothering us then we can say we've done what we can.

Since taking down and replacing a ceiling is a big job, we want to also get other work done at the same time. We want to install an engineered wood floor (herringbone) in our living room, home office and hallway. Our soundproofing contractors will be laying 15mm soundproofing matting underneath (agreed with downstairs flat because we don't want them to have the same issues as us).

We'll also have our alcove units removed and new ones built, and full painting and decorating of the rooms worked on.

The soundproofing contractor is reputable and the rest of the work will be done by a company with good reviews. I'm happy with the quote received etc.

So what are the wobbles?

I just keep seeing potential disasters everywhere. I really don't like using beading covering the expansion gap so the soundproofing company said they could remove the skirting for us (which I've budgeted to replace). But some of the skirtings are original, on lath and plaster or plaster over brick walls. In some places the skirtings have been plastered in at the top. I just have visions of losing half a wall when the skirtings are pulled off. So much so that I'm thinking beading may not be such a bad idea.

Now that I type it out, I think really the skirtings are causing me the biggest wobble so any advice appreciated! 

Thanks

MikeJXE

Although beading doesn't look great especially if you're against it in the first place, to take the skirting off brings a whole world of problems up.

Whatever you do don't walk out of your home and come back when everything is done and say, I didn't mean like that or what a bloody mess

Regularly inspect, check in everyday as many time as you can there are lots of cowboys out there 

mi-key

Personally I would use the beading. It doesn't look the best, but is a load less work than removing all the skirting boards then getting the walls behind sorted out. Often the plaster can look ok until you start messing with it !

If you get the beading painted to match the skirting, it won't stand out as much and be as noticable

FFHillbilly

I would go and see what the flat above you has installed on their floor, you might be surprised to find they have soundproofing installed on the floor already. if you found that out would it affect your decision to install solid flooring yourself, and would you even bother spending loads on the GenieClip LB3 system? 

plumb1_2

If it’s got high ceilings and you can afford to lower them. I’d go with a MF ceiling. Put 250 mm insulation above it. As well as cutting noise it will reduce the heating cost.

Chickereeeee

plumb1_2 said:

If it’s got high ceilings and you can afford to lower them. I’d go with a MF ceiling. Put 250 mm insulation above it. As well as cutting noise it will reduce the heating cost.

And increase it for them upstairs!

Chickereeeee

mi-key said:

Personally I would use the beading. It doesn't look the best, but is a load less work than removing all the skirting boards then getting the walls behind sorted out. Often the plaster can look ok until you start messing with it !

If you get the beading painted to match the skirting, it won't stand out as much and be as noticable

A lot of people seem to really dislike the beading, but personally I don't even notice it (in other people's houses, or in our last house) once it's done. We moved a few years ago, and I had to really struggle to remember what the beading looked like.

I think its one of those things you can obsess over, and spend a lot to get 'right', when actually it's very low down on the 'important things to get right'  list.

Seol88

FFHillbilly said:

I would go and see what the flat above you has installed on their floor, you might be surprised to find they have soundproofing installed on the floor already. if you found that out would it affect your decision to install solid flooring yourself, and would you even bother spending loads on the GenieClip LB3 system? 

Our flat has previously had laminate flooring with an acoustic mat underneath. I've spoken at length with the downstairs neighbour and he's happy with what we're doing as it will be no different (better in fact) than when the flat ahd laminate and he didn't have a problem. Even if upstairs had soundproofing we would go ahead with the ceiling but I can almost guarantee they don't. It's either exposed boards or a poorly fitted hardwood.

MikeJXE said:

Although beading doesn't look great especially if you're against it in the first place, to take the skirting off brings a whole world of problems up.

Whatever you do don't walk out of your home and come back when everything is done and say, I didn't mean like that or what a bloody mess

Regularly inspect, check in everyday as many time as you can there are lots of cowboys out there 

Thanks, yeah I'll be watching them!

mi-key said:

Personally I would use the beading. It doesn't look the best, but is a load less work than removing all the skirting boards then getting the walls behind sorted out. Often the plaster can look ok until you start messing with it !

If you get the beading painted to match the skirting, it won't stand out as much and be as noticable

That was the plan if we did go that way. I think I may take the boards off in the hallway as they're more recent -probably less damage - and the room is narrower so if rather not have beading.

plumb1_2 said:

If it’s got high ceilings and you can afford to lower them. I’d go with a MF ceiling. Put 250 mm insulation above it. As well as cutting noise it will reduce the heating cost.

The ceiling we've gone for is suspended from resilient joist clips and includes filling between the joists with mineral wool.

Chickereeeee said:

A lot of people seem to really dislike the beading, but personally I don't even notice it (in other people's houses, or in our last house) once it's done. We moved a few years ago, and I had to really struggle to remember what the beading looked like.

I think its one of those things you can obsess over, and spend a lot to get 'right', when actually it's very low down on the 'important things to get right'  list.

I think you're probably right. I can't remember what the beading in my last rented flat looked like. 

TELLIT01

As long as beading is done well there is no reason it should look unsightly and I suspect you would quickly forget it is there.  The concerns about the potential knock on effect of trying to remove the skirting are well founded.  There may be little or no damage, or large sections of plaster could come down (extremes of possibility) or anything in between.

mi-key

One of my friends decided to strip the wallpaper in the hallway in the old house she had bought. Turns out the 8 layers of wallpaper were the only thing keeping the plaster on the wall, and pretty much all of it came off !