#14115
Whale
Flatchatter

    Nixie,

    I don’t know what your Scheme’s Special By-Law requires with regard to hard-surface flooring, but it should be no more prescriptive than to specify the achievement of a minimum Ln,w+C1 (the Australian equivalent of the US Impact Test) that at least complies with the Building Codes of Australia standard for multi-storey buildings.

    Our Plan takes the view that how Proprietors propose to meet our minimum standard of “50” is a matter between them and their installers, and thus far and with only one exception, everyone’s done exactly what you and your ground floor neighbour did by using “some of the best available sound cushioning underlay” and  ‘the best available acoustic underlay”; there are ample products available.

    Apart from that “test case” where the Proprietor (our then E/C Chairman and Franchisee of a local carpet outlet) had agreed to rectify any problems if they arose, we’ve only had that single problem in five authorised installations, where the purchaser of a Unit received an allowance at Settlement to cover her costs to take-up an unauthorised floating floor, which as it eventuated had no acoustic underlay at all.

    So I don’t really see what your issue is with regard to compliance with relevant By-Laws, because as I see it both you and your ground floor neighbour have complied (and in your case it appears that you would have notwithstanding any requirement to do so), and that’'s precisely why neither of you have experienced any subsequent noise complaints.