--- title: "Good floors start with good questions." description: "Every Monkey Floors guide in one place: apartment and soundproof flooring, underlay by floor type, strata flooring rules by state and acoustic ratings." canonical: "https://monkeyfloors.com/guides" language: "en-AU" --- The flooring journal # Good floors start with good questions. Explore materials, sound and apartment living. Practical guides to help you choose well, plan carefully and understand the details. ## Apartment flooring Apartments ### [Best flooring for apartments: quiet, finish and fit](https://monkeyfloors.com/guides/best-flooring-for-apartments) Choose apartment flooring around sound, appearance, installation and scheme approval, with evidence to compare carpet, timber, laminate and hybrid. 25 min read Apartments ### [Replacing apartment carpet with hard floors](https://monkeyfloors.com/guides/replacing-carpet-with-hard-floors) Plan an apartment carpet replacement around approvals, acoustic evidence, floor height and installation details before choosing your hard floor. 3 min read ## Soundproof flooring Soundproof ### [Why floorboards creak, click or sound hollow](https://monkeyfloors.com/guides/why-floorboards-creak) Identify creaks, clicks and hollow sounds in a floating floor, record the symptoms, and prepare useful questions for an installer before arranging repairs. 4 min read Soundproof ### [Soundproof flooring: a quieter home, from the floor up](https://monkeyfloors.com/soundproof-flooring) Understand impact and airborne noise, compare evidence for flooring and underlay, and plan the right next step for a quieter Australian home. 17 min read ## Acoustic flooring Acoustic flooring ### [Floating floors: choosing the right floor for your home](https://monkeyfloors.com/floating-floors) Understand floating floors, compare hybrid, laminate and engineered timber, and plan the underlay, acoustic evidence and details that suit your home. 4 min read Acoustic flooring ### [Acoustic flooring: choosing a quieter floor](https://monkeyfloors.com/acoustic-flooring) Understand acoustic flooring as a complete system, compare test evidence and choose useful next questions about the floor, underlay and building. 15 min read Acoustic flooring ### [Acoustic hybrid flooring: beyond the star rating](https://monkeyfloors.com/acoustic-hybrid-flooring) Compare acoustic hybrid flooring by its complete test report, installation rules and strata requirements, with practical questions to ask before choosing. 6 min read Acoustic flooring ### [Floating-floor expansion gaps: a considered edge detail](https://monkeyfloors.com/guides/floating-floor-expansion-gaps) Plan floating-floor expansion gaps, skirtings and transitions without guessing a universal dimension or sacrificing the movement the floor requires. 3 min read Acoustic flooring ### [Floating vs glue-down flooring: sound and the finished detail](https://monkeyfloors.com/guides/floating-vs-glue-down-flooring) Compare floating and glue-down flooring by the complete construction, acoustic evidence, preparation and room details before deciding how to install. 3 min read Acoustic flooring ### [Can you lay hybrid flooring over tiles?](https://monkeyfloors.com/guides/hybrid-flooring-over-tiles) Check whether existing tiles can remain beneath hybrid flooring, including preparation, movement, finished height, moisture and apartment approval. 3 min read Acoustic flooring ### [Hybrid vs engineered timber: choosing for the whole room](https://monkeyfloors.com/guides/hybrid-vs-engineered-timber) Compare hybrid with engineered timber through appearance, installation, acoustic evidence and future care, without assuming one floor is always quieter. 3 min read Acoustic flooring ### [Hybrid vs laminate flooring: sound, finish and installation](https://monkeyfloors.com/guides/hybrid-vs-laminate-flooring) Compare hybrid and laminate flooring through the details that matter at home: backing, moisture, acoustic evidence, room transitions and installation. 3 min read Acoustic flooring ### [Hybrid vs vinyl flooring: start with the fixing method](https://monkeyfloors.com/guides/hybrid-vs-vinyl-flooring) Compare rigid-core hybrid with gluedown and loose-lay vinyl, including acoustic evidence, substrate preparation and the details that shape the finish. 3 min read ## Acoustic underlay Underlay ### [Acoustic underlay: the layer that deserves a closer look](https://monkeyfloors.com/acoustic-underlay) Choose acoustic underlay by floor type, installation method and test evidence. Check thickness, moisture, star claims and strata approval before work. 4 min read Underlay ### [Acoustic underlay for carpet: comfort with a clear specification](https://monkeyfloors.com/acoustic-underlay/carpet) Choose carpet underlay for comfort, intended use and acoustic evidence. Understand AS 4288 classes, carpet labels, backing, stairs and strata records. 5 min read Underlay ### [Acoustic underlay for hybrid flooring: getting the layers right](https://monkeyfloors.com/acoustic-underlay/hybrid) Check whether your hybrid floor permits extra underlay, how its backing was tested, and what to record for moisture, height and apartment approval. 4 min read Underlay ### [Acoustic underlay for laminate flooring](https://monkeyfloors.com/acoustic-underlay/laminate) Choose laminate underlay by board compatibility, moisture requirements and complete-system acoustic evidence, with practical checks before installation. 3 min read Underlay ### [Regupol vs Damtec: comparing the complete systems](https://monkeyfloors.com/acoustic-underlay/regupol-vs-damtec) Compare Regupol and Damtec proposals through the specified floor, test construction, compatibility and installation scope before choosing an underlay. 4 min read Underlay ### [Rubber acoustic underlay: choosing the right construction](https://monkeyfloors.com/acoustic-underlay/rubber) Compare rubber acoustic underlay with foam and cork through system compatibility, tested construction, finished height and practical installation checks. 4 min read Underlay ### [Acoustic underlay for tiles: sound, height and wet areas](https://monkeyfloors.com/acoustic-underlay/tile) Plan acoustic underlay beneath tiles with a complete floor detail. Check tile support, test evidence, waterproofing, thresholds and apartment approval. 5 min read Underlay ### [Acoustic underlay for timber: a complete floor specification](https://monkeyfloors.com/acoustic-underlay/timber) Choose acoustic underlay for floating or bonded timber by checking the full system, moisture, fixing details, floor height and apartment test evidence. 4 min read ## Strata flooring rules Strata rules ### [Strata flooring rules: a clear route to a considered floor](https://monkeyfloors.com/strata-flooring-rules) The NCC sets floor sound ratings for new buildings; your registered by-laws decide what you must do. Compare NSW, QLD and VIC rules and approval steps. 12 min read Strata rules ### [Choosing hard floors for an investment apartment](https://monkeyfloors.com/guides/landlord-hard-floors-investment-unit) Plan hard flooring for a rental apartment around strata approval, tenant access, repair needs and a clear installation record for your manager. 3 min read Strata rules ### [Strata flooring rules in NSW: approval before installation](https://monkeyfloors.com/strata-flooring-rules/nsw) In NSW, a hard floor is a minor renovation under s 110 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015. You need approval, and your by-laws set the acoustic rating. 13 min read Strata rules ### [Body corporate flooring rules in Queensland](https://monkeyfloors.com/strata-flooring-rules/qld) Queensland body corporate law sets no floor acoustic rating; your by-laws do. How approval works, what FIIC and L'nT,w mean, and what QCAT has decided. 14 min read Strata rules ### [Changing flooring in a South Australian unit](https://monkeyfloors.com/strata-flooring-rules/sa) Check South Australian strata or community title rules before changing a unit floor, with practical guidance on evidence, approval and disputes. 3 min read Strata rules ### [Owners corporation flooring rules in Victoria](https://monkeyfloors.com/strata-flooring-rules/vic) Victoria's model rules have no hard floor rule. Your owners corporation's registered rules set any acoustic standard, and VCAT decides disputes. 13 min read Strata rules ### [Changing flooring in a Western Australian strata home](https://monkeyfloors.com/strata-flooring-rules/wa) Plan a WA strata flooring change with your registered by-laws, lot boundaries, acoustic evidence and written approval requirements in view. 3 min read ## Acoustic ratings Ratings ### [Flooring acoustic ratings explained: read the whole result](https://monkeyfloors.com/acoustic-ratings-explained) Read flooring acoustic ratings with confidence: laboratory and field results, IIC, impact sound levels, AAAC stars and the evidence a by-law needs. 13 min read Ratings ### [What happens in a post-installation floor noise test?](https://monkeyfloors.com/guides/post-installation-acoustic-test) Prepare for an apartment floor acoustic test: agree the criterion, arrange access, identify the tested construction and understand the report. 4 min read