Sound Control Underlayment for Wood Floors

Underlayments are used under wood floors for two reasons.  One is to make the floor sound better inside the room by reducing the clicking sounds.  The Second and often the most important function is to reduce the Impact Sound of ‘Footfall Noises’ to the living space below.  There is a big problem however in that decisions about flooring materials are often made based on price – especially when large amounts are being purchased by builders and developers.  Even for home owners, price is understandably an important consideration.  But like nearly everything in life, you get what you pay for!  Sound Control Underlayments are no exception.

The first issue is that the underlayment is not seen so it’s deemed less important than the finished floor you see and walk on.  Fair enough, but the functionality and longevity of an underlayment is so important that if not considered carefully it can compromise the entire installation.  This can cause early floor failure and possible legal problems in the case of underlayments used in condominiums. 

The underlayments that are being offered today consist of: cork, felt, foam and rubber. 

Cork – is an old school underlay.  It has been used for so long it’s been ‘grandfathered’ into many specifications.  The issue with cork is that it is the bark of a tree and it dries out, crumbles and cracks over a short period of time.

Felt – does a reasonable job, but if there happens to be a spill of any kind, it will seep through the joints where the felt will wick it under greater areas the floor with disastrous results.

Foams– These are the real problem in the flooring choices today.  As this market is so ‘price driven’,the sellers of foams are happily offering up re-purposed packaging foam to be used as floor underlayment because they are so cheap.  Back to the ‘you get what you pay for’ – foam underlayments often crush out in a very short period of time compromising floor joints and the whole installation.  Along with the diminishing thickness, so goes any acoustic performance claim.  Foam underlayments are generally considered ‘temporary’. 

Rubber– This class of underlayment is currently the King-of-the-Hill as they offer the highest acoustic performance and unsurpassed life span.  These underlayments are manufactured from reclaimed tires and will never crush out under residential loads.  The ones manufactured with polyurethane and acrylic binders offer zero smell and zero off gassing.

Iso-Sep PM Sound Control Underlay is made right here in North America.  It is one of the highest performing and lowest cost underlayments made today.

Wilrep Ltd.  www.acoustiguard.com has been supporting its clients with Sound and Vibration Control Solutions for over 39 years. 

Need a Soundproofing Floor in Toronto Canada?

If you live in Toronto, Canada and need to add a soundproof floor to your home or business, AcoustiGuard has multiple solutions for you to choose from. Our soundproofing materials are easy DIY solutions; you just have to determine the one that best meets your needs. We have soundproofing floors that can be added to preexisting flooring, as well as soundproofing designed to be part of the original construction.

Floor-to-Floor Soundproofing Floors

If you live in a multi-story home or building, the noise of footsteps above head may be a bit of a nuisance. To help eliminate the sounds of kids playing, or high heeled shoes, and even the transfer of voices—add floor-to-floor soundproofing floors. This type of flooring is designed to be placed underneath flooring, but we have options for all types of flooring.

Freedom Step Panels

Our freedom step panels are ideal for athletic flooring. These dual purpose panels are not only designed as a soundproofing floor—but they also absorb shock. Freedom step floating subfloors are the flooring of choice for gyms, athletic centers, martial art studios, and dance schools. 

Soundproofing for Acoustics

If you will be adding a home recording studio, music room, home theater, dance club, etc., then soundproofing for acoustics must be considered. Our Iso-Sep PM Privacy Mats reduce noise by an average of 80%. This solution may not be needed for every room, but will make a world of difference in rooms that have a higher than average volume.

Not sure what you need? Our flooring services are designed to address a variety of sound control solutions. If you aren’t sure which type of soundproofing floor you need, just ask. We will gladly talk you through the differences, and help you to select the best solution for your individual needs.

 


 

Does your Gym need floating floors? Here's 3 reasons why.

Floating floors and sprung floors are the flooring of choice for many dance studios, martial arts studios, gyms, and other athletic businesses. If you are considering adding a floating floor, you might be wondering what the benefits may be. Below are the top 3 reasons to add a sprung or floating floor.

Improved Performance

Sprung floors do not need to be nailed or glued to the preexisting floor, making for easy installation and removal. They are a popular flooring choice for dance studios, martial arts studios, indoor gyms, or any other indoor sport and fitness centers. The flooring creates a softer and less jarring surface, which improves both comfort and performance. It also reduces the likelihood and severity of injury. While the floor is “sprung” it is a solid, even, and smooth landing and performance surface.

Soundproofing

Athletic endeavors require jumping, leaping, and sometimes rhythmic sounds—such as tap dancing. On top of that, treadmills and other fitness machines are noisy. This noise can be quite disruptive to your neighbors, especially those who operate on the floor beneath you. This is why you need a good noise barrier system. Adding a removable sprung floor will help to absorb much of the sound, keeping you in your neighbor’s good graces. It will even help to manage your internal sound control.

Shock Absorption

Athletes and dancers train hard, so you want to do what you can to ease the stress, strain, and shock placed on their bodies. Adding a sprung floor will absorb much of the shock when landing from acrobatic and aerobic activities. This is especially important if your business has cement, laminate, tile, or other jarring floors. However, floating floors are also of benefit when added to wood floors. Even if your sport of choice requires participants to wear shock-absorbing athletic shoes, your floating floor will further lessen the shock.

Easy-to-Install Floating Floors

While gyms and fitness centers are some of our top clients, our soundproof subfloors are ideal for multipurpose spaces. Floating floors are fairly easy to install, and only require a handful of tools—a mallet or hammer, plywood, and a wood block. In order to best meet your needs, we offer two different models of Freedom-Step Sub Floor Panels—standard and pro.

To learn more about our floating floors, or any of our other soundproof subflooring solutions, head over to the AcoustiGuard website to take a closer look.