Noise can be a major issue in any home or office, and it's essential to take steps to reduce it. The best way to do this is to use an underlayment that is specifically designed to absorb sound. The MuteMat 2 is a great option, as it combines a high-mass vinyl layer with a closed-cell absorbent foam layer. This foam will compress slightly under pressure to absorb impact noise.
The SoundMat 3 Plus is another excellent sound-absorbing mat that is designed to reduce unwanted impacts and airborne noise, and is especially suitable for final carpet floor finishes. For those looking for the ultimate in soundproofing, the FloorMuffler UltraSeal is the way to go. Although it is thinner than its competitors (2 mm), it has better sound-absorbing properties. Its entire rating exceeds that of its competitors, with a Delta IIC of 25. It also includes a vapor barrier. Two of our bases offer drum noise isolation: the Quickstep Unisound Combiflor (19 dB) and the Quickstep Silent Walk (17 dB). They can be used with laminate or engineering floors and are ideal for sneaking around for a midnight snack.
For vinyl floors, an acoustic felt is the best option, such as the one our product team purposely designed. This type of material is perfect for vinyl, as it is thinner and less dense, so it largely recovers the “rebound” that occurs with other materials when using vinyl. To ensure maximum comfort and protection of the carpet, it's important to treat the floor cavity with acoustic mineral wool and add the P8 insulation strip to the top of the beams whenever possible. Problems can occur if the soil being worked on is not properly prepared and even if a thick base layer is used it can be a problem due to the expansion and contraction of the LVT. For those who are too concerned about the soundproof performance of their WPC and need to stick with it, adding a base layer may be necessary. In this case, you would need a 12 mm hardwood layer over the bottom soundproofing layer before placing the floor tiles. It's important to know if the floor to which the acoustic base is going to be added is made of wood or concrete and what type of final finishes will be used on the floor.
By having several layers of varying thicknesses and densities, you can smooth out any drop in performance and achieve the best soundproofing with your acoustic base layer. Taking steps to soundproof the floor and carefully considering the type of base to be used in the planning phase can make a big difference in the overall result, especially when separating floors. Companies that sell carpet coverings for their soundproofing qualities often quote a figure in dB, but this only indicates how much noise emitted by the air is blocked on a concrete floor, of which the base layer of carpet represents only 5%.For a concrete construction, you will use a different base layer than you would for a wooden construction because of the mass and density of the build-up. As one of the last laminated base layers on the market, it benefits from a unique foam structure called AeroFoam.
