Pre-renovation wobbles

4 Posts

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
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
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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
If you get the beading painted to match the skirting, it won't stand out as much and be as noticable
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.
Thanks, yeah I'll be watching them!
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.
The ceiling we've gone for is suspended from resilient joist clips and includes filling between the joists with mineral wool.
I think you're probably right. I can't remember what the beading in my last rented flat looked like.