I am fortunate enough to live in a top floor unit, carpeted throughout except for kitchen, laundry and bathrooms. I have no wish for a wooden floor – my 1940s childhood on the Far North Coast left me with a perception that wooden floors meant you couldn’t afford lino. I think it is outrageous that the marketers of wooden floors claim that their insulation meets the standards of ‘Strata’ and wave various numerical readings to support their claims. The only requirement of ‘Strata’ is the subjective one, expressed in the Model By-law (unless an individual Scheme has introduced its own by-law to supersede it), “that all floor space within the lot is covered or otherwise treated to an extent sufficient to prevent the transmission from the floor space of noise likely to disturb the peaceful enjoyment of the owner or occupier of another lot.” In other words, never mind the decibels, it’s the effect on others’ lives that matters. I just wish this could be enshrined more explicitly in the law, and that various tribunals would be more ready to support it. Indeed, the ACCC could do worse than review possible misleading behaviour on the part of the wooden floor industry.