Wooden floor restriction in apartments?

catch88

Hi i thought i read here once that there was some sort of restriction on having hardwood flooring in apartments.

I was looking at apartments recently and they all had hard wood or laminate flooring.

Id imagine it would be pretty noisy!

Does anyone have the relevant link?

Hennybug

It depends on the development. Some title deeds have restrictions in them against wooden floors, satellite dishes etc. Each case is individual though, I don't think there's any universal rule

Paulw

It will differ from development to development.

Ours doesn't have that restriction (concrete floor and sounding under all material).

The development beside us does have that restriction, but they don't have solid concrete floors between units.

Noise could certainly be an issue.

athtrasna

Ask for a copy of the lease conditions, it should be detailed there. You are buying (?). If it's renting then it's your landlord's problem but if you're buying an apartment that is over other apartments and a wooden floor is fitted in contravention to the lease then make sure it's sorted before you buy.

PCros

Paulw wrote: »

It will differ from development to development.

Ours doesn't have that restriction (concrete floor and sounding under all material).

The development beside us does have that restriction, but they don't have solid concrete floors between units.

Noise could certainly be an issue.

+1 Thats your answer there.

All depends on what separates you and your neighbour below, we have wooden floors and they cant hear us down stairs due to solid concrete between the floors.

whizzbang

We have wooden floors layer on concrete and we can hear every high heel step, ever dropped coin, every argument, ever toilet visit. Don't think it is all to do with the floors though. We jump everytime the neighbours flip a plug socket switch as it sounds like it is in our living room.

SoupyNorman

whizzbang wrote: »

We have wooden floors layer on concrete and we can hear every high heel step, ever dropped coin, every argument, ever toilet visit. Don't think it is all to do with the floors though. We jump everytime the neighbours flip a plug socket switch as it sounds like it is in our living room.

Do you happen to live in my block lol...

bobbysands81

catch88 wrote: »

Hi i thought i read here once that there was some sort of restriction on having hardwood flooring in apartments.

I was looking at apartments recently and they all had hard wood or laminate flooring.

Id imagine it would be pretty noisy!

Does anyone have the relevant link?

Check your lease...

Some leases don't say anything about wooden flooring but talk about flooring that causes "a nuisance" to a neighbour, this does not specify that the floor has to be wooden.

If the floor above your unit causes a nuisance then it might have to be replaced by your neighbour. However, if the unit fails a "Sound Test" then it is the fault of the builder as your unit does not pass the Building Regs.

There are companies that carry out sound tests which will determine whether or not your unit was built to the required standard. Two such companies are EJ Dalton and Cuinas - if you google them you will get details (I have no links to either company).

You may also contact your local authority who will have a person that deals with Building Standards (Building Standards or Building Enforcement Officer) - they might even come out to your unit and arrange such a test. The Dept of the Environment has a Building Standards Section and as far as I know Building Standards are under review at the moment.

I know there were regs on this in 1997 but don't know if they were updated.

This link will be helpful, "Part E" relates to Sound.

http://www.environ.ie/en/TGD/

I know that some new builds get a sound test carried out (there are two tests to be done) but I don't know if these are mandatory.

If the build fails these tests then the house is not built to standard and the builder is 100% liable to rectify this.

whizzbang

SoupyNorman wrote: »

Do you happen to live in my block lol...

Is so, TAKE THE HEELS OFF!

PCros

whizzbang wrote: »

We have wooden floors layer on concrete and we can hear every high heel step, ever dropped coin, every argument, ever toilet visit. Don't think it is all to do with the floors though. We jump everytime the neighbours flip a plug socket switch as it sounds like it is in our living room.

How do you manage to hear them flip on a socket thats attached to a wall? Are you sure these noises aren't from the same floor or next door?

In our building we can hear the neighbours heels across the way on the same floor because the proofing is so good on the floor that the sound actually travels across the same floor as opposed to going downwards.

RATM

Its gas the wooden floors in apartments problem. When I was younger I lived in Sweden for a bit- they always take off their shoes at home (as do the Japanese and several other cultures) and I got into the habit of doing so too and still do to this day. I even do it in friends houses if I know Im staying a while.

It would probably help solve a good bit of grief in apartment blocks if people here just walked on their wooden floors in their socks.

Firetrap

The sound proofing in a lot of newer houses/apartments is shocking. I was recently in a house that at the peak of the boom was sold for about €300k. I could hear almost everything going on next door...the washing machine, toilet flushing, presses opening. By comparison, I live in a house built in the 70s and very little noise comes in from next door.

bobbysands81

Firetrap wrote: »

The sound proofing in a lot of newer houses/apartments is shocking. I was recently in a house that at the peak of the boom was sold for about €300k. I could hear almost everything going on next door...the washing machine, toilet flushing, presses opening. By comparison, I live in a house built in the 70s and very little noise comes in from next door.

That's why good old concrete is so good!

I'll never buy a timber frame gaff again.

bobbysands81

RATM wrote: »

Its gas the wooden floors in apartments problem. When I was younger I lived in Sweden for a bit- they always take off their shoes at home (as do the Japanese and several other cultures) and I got into the habit of doing so too and still do to this day. I even do it in friends houses if I know Im staying a while.

It would probably help solve a good bit of grief in apartment blocks if people here just walked on their wooden floors in their socks.

...or Builders could just build units to a decent standard that people can do something as normal as walking round their apartment in their shoes without their neighbours hearing them!

Paulw

bobbysands81 wrote: »

That's why good old concrete is so good!

My apt is only 3-4 years old, and has a concrete floor. It's brilliant. I hear almost nothing from the units around me, unless they are really really loud. You certainly don't hear daytime/normal activities.

The_Conductor

bobbysands81 wrote: »

That's why good old concrete is so good!

I'll never buy a timber frame gaff again.

Mine has concrete flooring- and cinderblock walls- and I can still hear every little detail of whats happening in the neighbours.......

Sound insulation is a combination of many factors- its not valid to simply say 'concrete built is better built' as the advertising slogan goes. Foam insulation/fibre glass etc- goes a long long way......

PCros

bobbysands81 wrote: »

...or Builders could just build units to a decent standard that people can do something as normal as walking round their apartment in their shoes without their neighbours hearing them!

That will be the day......I think they prefer spending around €40,000 on building one then selling it for €350,000.

Dandelion6

Paulw wrote: »

My apt is only 3-4 years old, and has a concrete floor. It's brilliant. I hear almost nothing from the units around me, unless they are really really loud. You certainly don't hear daytime/normal activities.

My apartment is about 3 years old. I never hear the people above me. Can sometimes hear noises from one of the neighbouring apartments, but not to a level of annoyance unless they're playing music really loud.

whizzbang

PCros wrote: »

How do you manage to hear them flip on a socket thats attached to a wall? Are you sure these noises aren't from the same floor or next door?

In our building we can hear the neighbours heels across the way on the same floor because the proofing is so good on the floor that the sound actually travels across the same floor as opposed to going downwards.

Socket flipping is a problem with neighbours who live beside us, not upstairs or downstairs.

We regularly have the lady upstairs come down complaining about such things as "Playing acoustic guitar" at 6pm in the evening, "Watching golf highlights" at 10 pm or my favourite "Laughing too loud" at lunchtime on a Saturday. but then again, she is a nut.

Eglinton

catch88 wrote: »

Hi i thought i read here once that there was some sort of restriction on having hardwood flooring in apartments.

This was an April Fools article on the front page of the Irish Times a few years ago. People were up in arms about it. Hilarious stuff.

bobbysands81

Eglinton wrote: »

This was an April Fools article on the front page of the Irish Times a few years ago. People were up in arms about it. Hilarious stuff.

Not true.

The overwhelming majority of apartments have restrictions on what flooring can be put down.

They mightn't specifically state "wooden floors", although many of them do, but might use a catch all term such as "No floor covering is permitted that causes a nuisance to any other unit owner".

whizzbang

bobbysands81 wrote: »

Not true.

The overwhelming majority of apartments have restrictions on what flooring can be put down.

They mightn't specifically state "wooden floors", although many of them do, but might use a catch all term such as "No floor covering is permitted that causes a nuisance to any other unit owner".

Says a lot for their confidence in the soundproofing.

The_Conductor

In my lease its: "All floors must be carpeted or have a rug covering over 80% of the floor area of a room. Kitchen and bathroom floors may not be tiled." Note: this is with concrete floors.......

Eglinton

bobbysands81 wrote: »

Not true.

It is true. The Irish Times reported that the Dept. of the Environment (or some Dept. anyway) was introducing legislation to ban wooden floors in Apartments. It had nothing to do with lease agreements although I definitely agree with Whizzbang, it says a lot about the soundproofing! Truth turns out to be stranger than fiction eh!