How do our floor soundproofing solutions work?
Our floor soundproofing solutions work by combining different acoustic materials to reduce sound travelling between floors. Depending on the system, this can include acoustic boards, acoustic membranes, barrier mats, resilient layers, acoustic mineral wool and perimeter isolation products.
Each material has a specific purpose. Dense acoustic materials help block airborne noise, such as voices, TV and music. Resilient layers help reduce impact noise, such as footsteps, movement and dropped items. Acoustic insulation helps absorb sound energy within the floor cavity and reduce resonance between joists.
Some floor soundproofing systems are designed to be installed over the existing floor deck, making them useful when you do not want to lift the floorboards. Other systems include acoustic mineral wool between the joists for a more complete floor build-up, especially where airborne noise is also a concern.
Our floor soundproofing solutions can be used in a wide range of residential and commercial settings, including flats, bedrooms, home offices, studios, treatment rooms, rental properties, shared buildings and high-traffic areas.
To make ordering easier, our floor soundproofing systems can be calculated based on your room dimensions. This helps you choose the right products, quantities and upgrades for your floor type, noise issue and budget.
What are the benefits of floor soundproofing?
Floor soundproofing offers several benefits for homes, flats, apartments and commercial spaces. The main benefit is reducing unwanted noise travelling between levels of a building, helping to create a quieter and more comfortable environment.
For homes and flats, floor soundproofing can help reduce footstep noise, movement noise, voices, TV sound, music and general disturbance between floors. For commercial spaces, it can help improve privacy, reduce distractions and make rooms more suitable for work, meetings, treatments or specialist use.
- Reduced impact noise: Helps reduce footsteps, dropped items, furniture movement and general vibration through the floor.
- Improved airborne sound reduction: Helps reduce voices, TV, music and general noise passing between floors.
- Better privacy: Makes it harder for sound to travel between rooms and levels.
- Improved comfort: A quieter floor can make bedrooms, living spaces and offices more relaxing and usable.
- Useful for flats and shared buildings: Floor soundproofing can help reduce disturbance between neighbouring properties.
- Flexible system options: Different solutions are available depending on floor type, access, floor finish and performance requirements.
The best results usually come from choosing a system that matches the type of noise you are dealing with, the existing floor construction and the final floor finish.
What should you consider when choosing a floor soundproofing solution?
When choosing a floor soundproofing solution, the first thing to consider is the type of noise you need to reduce. Impact noise and airborne noise are different problems, and they often require different acoustic materials.
Impact noise is caused by direct contact with the floor. This includes footsteps, movement, dropped objects and furniture being moved. To reduce impact noise, the floor usually needs a resilient acoustic layer that can absorb vibration before it passes into the structure below.
Airborne noise includes voices, TV, music and general sound travelling through the floor. To reduce airborne noise, the floor system usually needs more acoustic mass, better sealing and, where possible, acoustic insulation within the floor cavity.
You should also consider whether the floorboards can be lifted. If you can access the space between the joists, acoustic mineral wool can be installed to improve the performance of the floor. If the floor cannot be lifted, an over-floor system may be more suitable.
The final floor finish is also important. Carpet and underlay can help with impact noise, while hard flooring normally needs a suitable acoustic layer underneath to reduce footfall and vibration transfer.
Finally, think about the depth of the system, installation requirements and budget. Some floor soundproofing solutions are simpler to install, while others provide a more complete acoustic build-up for higher performance.
How do you soundproof a floor?
Soundproofing a floor usually involves combining several acoustic methods together. The right method depends on whether you are treating impact noise, airborne noise or both.
The steps below explain the main principles used in effective floor soundproofing.
1. Identify the type of noise
Before choosing a system, it is important to identify whether the problem is impact noise, airborne noise or a combination of both. Footsteps and movement usually require resilient layers, while voices, TV and music usually require mass and insulation.
2. Add acoustic mass
Dense materials help block airborne sound. Acoustic boards and soundproofing membranes can be used to increase the mass of the floor structure, making it harder for sound to pass between levels.
3. Use resilient floor layers
Resilient mats and barrier layers help reduce impact vibration from footsteps and movement. These layers create a softer acoustic break between the floor finish and the structure below.
4. Add acoustic insulation between joists
Where the floor cavity can be accessed, acoustic mineral wool can be installed between the joists. This helps absorb sound energy inside the void and improves airborne noise reduction through the floor.
5. Seal gaps and weak points
Small gaps between floorboards, around edges or where pipes and services pass through can allow sound to leak through. Sealing these weak points helps the full floor soundproofing system perform more effectively.
6. Reduce flanking noise
Sound does not always travel directly through the centre of the floor. It can also travel around the edges, through walls, joists, skirting areas and connected structures. Resilient tape, careful edge detailing and proper sealing can help reduce these flanking paths.
7. Choose the right floor finish
The floor finish can affect the final performance. Carpet and underlay are usually better for impact noise than hard flooring. If you are installing hard flooring, it is important to use a suitable acoustic layer underneath.
If you are unsure which option is right for your project, our team can help you compare the available floor soundproofing solutions and choose a system that suits your floor type, noise problem, budget and installation requirements.
