The base provides the necessary cushioning to reduce foot fatigue and the dimensional stability needed to install the floor over small subsurface imperfections. This is because not all underlying layers are created the same way, so one 5 mm base layer cannot be assumed to have the same performance as another. Marvel hybrid floors can be installed almost anywhere, as they have the highest acoustic certification without needing an additional base layer. However, there may be exceptions where it is necessary to glue the base layer to the subfloor before gluing the nose, tread and riser of the ladder to the base. Silentstep Premium is a new generation of acoustic base for carpets, composed of a flexible barrier loaded in mass and fused over a base layer of high-quality high-density foam.
In these situations, it is almost always necessary to use an acoustic floor layer to meet these standards. The base layer (with floor covering) must be acoustically tested to show how much impact noise it reduces. The base layer of gold EPE foam is 3 mm thick and offers slightly higher acoustic protection than the general silver option. The only purpose of an acoustic floor base is to reduce the amount of impact noise that travels through the floor due to falling objects, footsteps and the movement of furniture on hard surface finishes in any type of building. For example, FloorVenue has a Marvel SPC hybrid floor, which comes pre-installed with a 6-star acoustic base.
Acoustic subfloors (for hard surface floors) and carpet cushions (for soft surface floors) are essential to meet these strict codes. However, in other places, there are no requirements or local legislation, making it a pleasure to have an acoustic base for floors. The acoustic subfloor for vinyl floors must have the necessary dimensional stability to avoid crevices and the thickness needed to absorb sound. An acoustic subfloor made of cork, rubber or foam can further dampen noise and prevent sound transmission. You can work with your flooring contractor to choose the best acoustic paving system for your application, including the floor itself, its subfloor and installation accessories.
