› Flat Chat Strata Forum › Hard floors and tough decisions › Hard floors in townhouses › Current Page
The lateral transmission of noise is not as obvious as the vertical but it can be an issue, especially if all the townhouses are on the same concrete slab.
Also, noise issues are as much behavioural as they are structural. E.g. anyone who wants a timber or tile floor and also wants their kids to run around on it, or plant a giant sub-woofer speaker on it, is asking for trouble.
That said, there are enough protections under the “peaceful enjoyment” provisions of strata law and by-laws that no owners corp should be unduly concerned about a properly insulated and installed hard floor – just as the owner should not be surprised if they are ordered to carpet over a cheaply installed hard floor and/or stop jumping around on it.
The strata committee is being over-cautious in my opinion and they should be made aware that the owner can take them to the Tribunal and seek section 232 orders compelling them to permit the flooring.
It would be better for them to get a binding agreement that the floor will be replaced if it proves noisy and that the stairs will always be carpeted. By the way, the stairs are a different issue because they are probably attached to a wall and that is a very different set of acoustic issues.