Soundproof floors come in handy when living in noisy neighbourhoods. They can be installed even on ground floors since the flooring deadens the vibrations before they reach the wall. Although concrete floors may not carry too much noise from movement, noise vibrations from heavy objects or footsteps may be created. On the other hand, the timber flooring is poor at absorbing vibrations or noise, thus requiring more soundproof than the concrete floors – buy flooring. Floor soundproofing treats two types of noise; airborne noise and impact noise. The process of soundproofing has to begin with a subfloor which is then complemented by a soundproofing material
Simple Ways to Reduce Sound Transfer on the Floors
1. Get a carpet
Thick carpets provide cushioning for the timber which dampens the vibrations. This results in less noise in case of movement. An effective soundproofing rug has to be dense to absorb and dampen most of the waves
2. Using Acoustic Underlay
A thick underlay can be used in instances where you already have a carpet, but your floors are still loud. They should be compressed and dense to add to the insulation and the dampening of levels.
Soundproofing Timber Floors
The noise from timber floors is as a result of cavities under them where sound vibrates and quickly travels under the rug. To soundproof the wooden floors, you can install a floating floor, create acoustic insulation under the floorboard or install am acoustic grade underlay.
Fitting an Acoustic Insulation
To install it acoustic insulation underlay acoustic mineral wool insulation is needed. The floorboards need to be lifted to measure the distance between the floorboard and the floor joists. The floorboard needs to be cut to fit the space measured then installed.
Floating Floors
A floating floor is not in contact with your subfloor. It floats freely leaving space for vibration to be absorbed as well as movement to take place. The deck sits on absorption pads; hence, there is no need of screwing or nailing which ensures there is no transferring of vibrations through the joists. To install a floating floor, you may use three different ways.
1. Wooden basket style weave
2. 2. Using acoustic foams or absorbent pads- the most uncomplicated method
3. Using metal springs- commonly used in gym flooring
Using Acoustic Grade Underlay
This involves using a Thicker and denser acoustic underlay. The method absorbs more vibrations than a standard underlay. The floor becomes spongier and softer. The feeling is not a firm underfoot making the floors last longer. Heat gets prevented from escaping through levels, and the airflow is reduced; thus, dust particles have low chances of getting into the house. The vibrations get dampened. The acoustic underlays should be put in areas where there will be a lot of movement, for example, under a treadmill.
Concrete Floors
These are easy to soundproof since only a soundproof layer needs to be added at the top such as an underlay or carpet needs to be dense enough to absorb all the vibrations.
