Sound Absorption Flooring
If you are looking to implement soundproofing in your home, there are many factors you may already be familiar with. Soundproofing walls, using heavy curtains and noise-absorbing wall panels and double-paned are all effective soundproofing methods, did you know selecting the correct flooring can also help to significantly reduce noise levels? Below we have included a guide to help you understand the important of soundproofing flooring material, how they can work in your space.
How Can Flooring Help with Sound Reduction
Sound travels in all direction, not just horizontally. In other words, sound can travel through floors just as easily as it can through walls. If you’ve ever lived in a downstair apartment, you understand just how difficult a loud neighbor can be when the floors are not properly sound proofed. In any given room, that are 6 primary surfaces that can affect the overall acoustics; floor, ceiling, and found walls. These surfaces can absorb, reflect, transmit or reverberate sounds. To properly implement soundproofing methods, you first have to identify the sound paths and frequencies, and then you can select the appropriate materials, and execute proper installation.
Soundproofing vs Sound Absorbing
Though similar, soundproofing and sound absorbing are not interchangeable. Although both can enhance the overall acoustic quality of a room, their approach to the problem varies. Sound is just energy, which is why it can be absorbed, reflected, or blocked, with each approach coming with their own challenges.
- Soundproofing: This is similar to building a dam to stop the flow of water. Soundproofing block sound from permeating from one room to another. Materials used for soundproofing and denser and heavier, so they are typically integrated within or used under surfaces to make them thicker, separate flooring layers, or dampen vibrations between sufaces.
- Sound Absorption: This approached is used more to refine the sound experience within a space by minimizing echo and reverberation. The materials used for sound absorption are typically softer and lighter and used to absorb sound verses minimizing it. They are typically adhered to surfaces or suspended in a room to help dissipate the sound.
What to Consider
Although it is usually assumed that noise bleeding may an issue most commonly attributed to older houses, new constructions can be vulnerable. If the builder cut corners or did not implement the correct materials, new homes may also need additional soundproofing measures. Many flooring options have already considered noise reduction in the construction of the flooring, but some are made with a higher focus on that aspect. There are a few factors to consider when selecting the appropriate flooring and noise reduction options.
- Is the space a home or a commercial building: These spaces are build very different. Commercial building are larger, have more windows and more foot traffic whereas residential building are smaller, have less surfaces for sound to bounce off of, and much less overall foot traffic. These factors are all important to consider when identifying what kind of soundproofing is best for your project.
- Do you have access to the subfloor?: The subfloor plays a large part in the overall soundproofing of a room.
- Concrete Subfloor: Concrete is dense and heavy and typically pretty good at soundproofing against airborne noise. However, they nearly as efficient at preventing impact noise
- Wood Subfloor: Typically have spaces between and underneath them. This makes it easy for both airborne and impact noise to penetrate.
These factors are important to consider when considering the best flooring option for your space. Choosing the best material with aide in creating the most acoustically pleasing environment for your environment.
Sound Proofing Solutions
- Acoustic Flooring Underlays: Usually a dense and durable material, like rubber. They are installed between the subfloor and the exterior plywood to help reduce impact noise, dampen vibrations and prevent noise transmission to other rooms.
- Acoustic Mats: Much like Underlays, acoustic mats are usually made of heavy, dense and flexible rubber designed for soundproofing. They are more commonly used in walls and ceilings, but can also be placed between the exterior plywood and final floor to provide sound insulation and reduce impact noise.
- Mass Loaded Vinyl: Made of dense, flexible and limp vinyl sheets that contain heavy additives like barium sulfate of calcium carbonate, to help increase their overall weight and help to improve sound insulation. MLV can be incorporated into the application of the flooring as a form of underlayment. Applied as a layer between the subfloor and the floating floor, or used to treat floor joists when impact noise is transmitted directly though the structure.
- Green Glue Compound: This is a popular noise-proofing agent. It is typically applied between layers of flooring material to help reduce the vibrations and sound transmission.
Sound Absorption in Flooring
These are flooring types that are less dense and designed to reduce echo and improve the overall quality of sound within your room.
- Foam or Felt Underlayment: A sound proofing underlayment is installed between the subfloor and the floating floor and can help to absorb impact noise. This would cut down the noise created when walking across the floor. It is important to consider that most vinyl plank options come with an attached underlayments to help with sound absorption and typically cannot have an additional underlayment installed for warranty purposes. It is essential that you review all warranty guidelines to ensure you do not lose your protection.
- Carpets & Rugs: These are some of the best options for sound reduction. They are thicker, and softer and can minimize both impact and airborne noise. Rooms with carpet or rugs typically have less of an echo as well.
- Vinyl Flooring with sound-absorbing backing: Most vinyl plank flooring may come with an integrated sound-absorbing layer attached directly to the backing. This layer offers many benefits, one of which is helping to reduce room echo. Flooring and the backing that comes with, are available in different thickness. Make sure to review all specifications of the flooring your are considering to ensure you make the best selection for your project.
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