Thickness is a key factor in improving room acoustics. Thicker floors absorb and dissipate sound waves, reducing echoes and noise transfers. This acoustic insulation is especially beneficial in multi-story buildings or shared accommodations. If the surface is level and prepared correctly, a thin base of acoustic felt can facilitate sound transmission.
To further enhance sound-reducing qualities, it can be used in combination with other acoustic products, such as acoustic cladding plates. Impact noise is often an issue in homes (hotels, residences, student accommodation, nursing homes, etc.) and this is where an underlying acoustic layer is usually installed. A carpet can be placed directly on top of all the acoustic layers and acoustic mats mentioned above. Because of how small and fragile floor tiles can be, it is not recommended to place them on soft, padded bases (as are acoustic bases), as this increases the chance of them cracking and breaking. Drop something on a tiled floor on a concrete structure without an acoustic base and its sound will be similar to that of previous recordings.
You don't have to worry about the effectiveness of laminate flooring when using an acoustic base. In most cases, these tests are performed for the design team to confirm that the base layer to be installed meets the acoustic criteria or brand requirements established for the project. Therefore, it's essential to remember that what works to control impact noise in heavy buildings doesn't have to work in lightweight buildings and that the performance of the underlying acoustic layer will differ from structure to structure. The sound-insulated floor base options available from specialized manufacturers are a major step forward compared to standard products. The type of building, or more specifically the material of which the floor structure is made, has a major impact on the performance of the underlying acoustic layer and on the level and nuisance of impact noise heard inside.
Knowing where and how the acoustic underlay is tested will help you understand its importance in your decision-making process. We have discussed the importance of knowing if the floor to which the acoustic base is going to be added is made of wood or concrete and the importance of the final finishes of the floor. The best thing is to use a trick: companies that sell carpet layers with soundproofing properties give a figure in dB. However, this only indicates how much noise emitted by the air is blocked on a concrete floor, of which the bottom layer of carpet represents only 5%.When it comes to improving room acoustics, thickness plays an important role. Thicker floors absorb and dissipate sound waves more effectively than thinner floors, reducing echoes and noise transfers.
This type of acoustic insulation is especially beneficial in multi-story buildings or shared accommodations. If the surface is level and prepared correctly, a thin base layer of acoustic felt can facilitate sound transmission. To further improve sound-reducing qualities, it can be used in combination with other acoustic products such as acoustic cladding plates. A carpet can then be placed directly on top of all the acoustic layers and mats mentioned above. You don't have to worry about the effectiveness of laminate flooring when using an acoustic base either.
In most cases, these tests are performed for the design team to confirm that the base layer meets the established acoustic criteria or brand requirements for the project. It's essential to remember that what works to control impact noise in heavy buildings doesn't have to work in lightweight buildings and that the performance of the underlying acoustic layer will differ from structure to structure. The sound-insulated floor base options available from specialized manufacturers are a major step forward compared to standard products. The type of building or more specifically the material of which the floor structure is made has a major impact on both the performance of the underlying acoustic layer and on the level and nuisance of impact noise heard inside.
Knowing where and how the acoustic underlay is tested will help you understand its importance when making your decision. We have discussed how important it is to know if your floor is made out of wood or concrete as well as how important it is for your final finishes to be taken into account when installing an acoustic underlay. The best thing you can do is use a trick: companies that sell carpet layers with soundproofing properties give a figure in dB. However, this only indicates how much noise emitted by air is blocked on a concrete floor - with only 5% being represented by its bottom layer.
