Floor Soundproofing

Soundproofing Solutions for floors in Bristol, Bath, Wales and the South West

When it comes to soundproofing your floor, it is important to establish what you are trying to achieve. Are you trying to stop airborne noise from below reaching you, or are you trying to eradicate your impact noise passing down to your neighbours?

In practice, most people are soundproofing between floors aiming at reducing the airborne sounds from below travelling upwards or reducing the impact noise you make from passing through the floor below. Many products on the market boast great soundproofing credentials (particularly rubber mats or underlayment solutions) but the figures quoted are almost always referring to a reduction in impact sound and are of very little use in reducing the airborne sound being generated.

Impact noise is normally shown as a dB rating and the lower the reading the better the performance of the product. Building regulations say the acceptable minimum level for impact noise within a conversion (Flat normally) is 64dB. When a product shows a rating of below 64dB then this, when used in conjunction with underlay and carpet will be sufficient to pass an impact sound test.

We recommend insulating below the floorboards at every opportunity as this will fill the void between the joist, reducing the reverberation between the floor and ceiling and is your first line of defence to airborne noise reduction. When reducing the impact noise there are various systems that can be laid over the existing subfloor soundproof floor system you will need to look at the existing walls too as noise will flank up stud walls or down structural walls dependent on how the existing flooring is installed. The final floor covering should always be considered before specifying any soundproof floor system.

When soundproofing a floors, it is necessary to improve three basic components:

1 – The mass of the floor — This is achieved by adding layers of acoustic membrane (optional) plasterboard and high-density products.

2 – The Resilience of the floor — This is the springiness of the soundproof floor system, without this, the addition of the mass will have very little effect. The resilience is added by installing Resilient Strip to joist’s or adding an acoustic membrane within the floor system.

 

3 – The sound “absorbency” of the floor– Installing sound absorbing insulation within the floor void reduced the ‘echo chamber’ effect, by doing this the sound is trapped more easily within the floor; here we prescribe 60kg/m3 acoustic mineral wool. The mineral wool that is specified has an equivalent or better UV value than most insulation specified to only improve the thermal performance which will make your place warmer and save energy costs in the long run.This is a great way to the first steps of net zero

Bristol Sound Proofing provide soundproofing floor solutions in Residential,  Commercial, leisure,  School, and Office environments. 

Please contact our team today to discuss how we can help you reduce noise transfer and create a quieter environment 
📞 0117 462 4444 or email: Sales@BristolSoundProofing.com for more information.

Solve your acoustic problems today and get a free no-obligation quote.

Possible Solutions

Option 1 - Impact Barrier Mat (above floor system)

Barrier Mats are the best option for reducing impact noise transfer and when combined with an acoustic membrane and hard flooring above generate fantastic results, this is achieved by increasing floor mass and resilience (springiness).

From an impact sound perspective, this excellent soundproofing under carpet product delivers very good results and can be used in conjunction with Building Regulations Part ‘E’.

Option 2 - DBX board (above floor system)

DBX Boards are our most effective sound insulation between floors solution when looking for ease of fit (no need to lift floorboards).

They are effective in :

1 – Blocking airborne noise rising from below (and from your room to the room below) – be aware they are far more effective than rubber mat solutions for this purpose which typically only offer only 5-7dB airborne protection

2 – Decrease the impact sound experienced to the room below with underfloor soundproofing.(not as good as rubber mat solution).

The DBX board is sand-filled cardboard and hardboard faced board that works more effectively than just simply adding more mass to the floor. Conventional wisdom states that as you increase the mass of the dividing structure you improve the soundproofing between floors. However, simply adding more mass runs into the law of diminishing returns. The beauty of the DBX board is that the material in the core is loose and arranged in an irregular fashion. This irregularity and looseness disrupt the passage of sound more effectively than the dead mass of rubber or solid boards.

Option 3 - Acoustic Barrier Mat 15 (above floorboards) with 100mm acoustic mineral wool (below floorboard)

When we met you stated you wanted to improve the soundproofing of your floor, with particular reference to impact sound, Acoustic Barrier mats are a good choice as they are designed to reduce impact and airborne sound specifically.

From an impact sound perspective, this is an excellent product and delivers very good results in high-traffic areas such as hallways and stairs.

The Acoustic Barrier 15 mat weighs 15kg /m2 it acts to reduce airborne sound by increasing floor mass and resilience (springiness). In addition, by adding acoustic mineral wool & sealing the gaps in the floorboards you are enhancing the airborne performance uplift by approx. 7 -11db.

Our Projects and Customer Feedback

We are proud of the work we produce for our clients throughout the South West and want you to be proud of it too. Using some of the most modern sound proofing products and ensuring a high level of finish on every job, watch our latest customer testimonials to see why you should choose Bristol Sound Proofing for a noise nuisance you have.

 

Solve your acoustic problems today and get a free no-obligation quote.

David, Local Business Owner

Floor Soundproofing 

Soundproofing a floor for this client to stop excess noise from being heard downstairs.

A very neat and tidy job which will make a HUGE difference in this home.

If your property could benefit from an upgrade in soundproofing, get in touch with us.

Staircase Soundproofing

Staircases are a common area of concern when it comes to noise.
We’ve been working on this property recently to soundproof the staircase and hallway, reducing noise but up to 90% and ensuring a much more peaceful experience for all living here.
Have a chat with us about a quote.

Floor Soundproofing 

We often show a lot of the work we do on ceilings but we can also make improvements to the flooring above said ceiling to improve soundproofing.
Here’s an example of AbsorbalayFlooring we installed for impact noise reduction.
If you have a similar project, have a chat with us about a quote.