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My upstairs neighbor is looking to replace a section of her carpeted/tile floor with Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP), and the community is asking for my input since I live right under her and already deal with a lot of noise transmission (walking and general noise).

After some quick research, I think I've come to the understanding that the ratings that matter here are STC and IIC ratings. I've found that the "WPC" flooring has much higher IIC and STC ratings, and people say they are quieter when walked on, which would be optimal for me.

Is this the type of flooring I should be pushing for? Are both floors able to have the same type of underlayment (rubber or cork)? My neighbor was saying something about the flooring being too soft for this kind of underlayment and how it may void the warranty, but I want to make sure I have all the right information available to advocate for myself. If any of you have any advice on what I should ask for, I'd appreciate it. Thank you everyone.

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  • If you hear walking on carpet floors, it seems more of quality of building problem than floor type problem. The building is probably structurally sound, but they cheeped out on quality, which should have reduced sound transmission between floors.
    – crip659
    Commented Apr 19 at 21:45

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Your apartment or condo should have regulations regarding the minimum IIC and/or STC rating for flooring in an upper level unit. You should know what that rating is prior to approving or disapproving flooring.

The WCP floor is a type of solid core vinyl flooring often referred to as LVP. There are many brands with varying specifications. Each brand of flooring can have a different IIC/ STC rating. LVP flooring can have a different acceptable underlayment specifications. (Some may approve installation over cork or felt or rubber, others may not.)

It is important to know the required minimal STC/ IIC rating and work off of that.( For example, 1/4 inch cork can have a STC rating of 50 combined with a flooring rating of 20 for a total STC rating of 70.) It would be prudent to consult an experienced flooring sales associate to get help in finding the correct combination of specifications to meet the necessary sound isolation rating. Only then will a fair and correct decision be made on how to proceed with a flooring choice.

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