Hardboard + Laminate flooring = Well soundproofed??!!

[wilsarnie]

My upstairs neighbours are going to put hardboard down beneath laminate flooring when they re-decorate. At the moment we are living with just bare floorboards upstairs and the noise is terrible, scraping of chairs, voices, footsteps and even the vibration of their mobile phones.

I am desperate to have a quieter life downstairs and I can't help thinking that carpet would be the better option to absorb sound and to stop the scraping.

Can anyone give any advice? Would laying hardboard first go some way to soundproofing? Would carpet be a huge amoun better of just a little?

(Is a conversion and I don't think any proper soundproofing was installed when they converted in 20 years ago, hence why it sounds like your normal upstairs in a house!)

[buildersmate]

I think you will find it scarcely makes any difference. There are specialist products that absorb sound - hardboard isn't one of them.