A good quality floor base can be installed underneath all hard surface floor finishes, including laminate floors, vinyl floors, and hardwood floors, in addition to masonry finishes such as ceramic, porcelain, or marble. The acoustic subfloor for vinyl floors must have the necessary dimensional stability to avoid crevices and the thickness necessary to absorb sound. In general terms, felt, cork or foam would be good acoustic underlayment options. Rubber, while it might work functionally, is known to dye vinyl and is not recommended.
The Hush II, composed of cork and foam, is a good example of a patented underlayment system designed for luxury vinyl tile (LVT). When combined with compatible stretch flooring products, this system can reach between 50 and 70 IIC. Recycled rubber subfloors work well with most types of floors, from tile to hardwood, and can even be used as an excellent base for carpets. It's an economical option because you don't need to buy different materials for different rooms.
Acoustic countertops add enough mass and density to prevent the sounds of music, television, and conversations from disturbing those below. An acoustic subfloor made of cork, rubber or foam can further dampen noise and prevent sound transmission. In the case of carpets, you need a product that is soft but doesn't hit rock bottom, as is the case with most acoustic bases on the market. The MuteMat 3 is the best acoustic base that will help you comply with the building regulations of part E without using any other material.
Acoustic subfloors (for hard surface floors) and carpet cushions (for soft surface floors) are essential to meet these strict codes. Now that we have explained the basic aspects of the operation of subfloor products for soundproof floors, the time has come to decide which one is best for your acoustic treatment application. Knowing the different materials used to manufacture the acoustic base for floors will allow you to select a product that suits your type of floor, your performance requirements, your budget and your ecological credentials. If you are installing a new floor in your home or office, the building code will require the use of an acoustic subfloor.
This combination of acoustic bases allows you to get much better results with the thinnest soundproofing products. All subfloors offer some advantages in terms of reducing noise, but if there are people living below the floor, choosing a soundproof subfloor will help reduce sound transmission. Seal tightly against the wall: Place the acoustic base against the wall, place a washer on top of the mat and use the inside of the washing machine to draw a line along the mat by dragging the washer along the wall to get an exact replica of the shape and curve of the wall. There are far fewer manufacturers of recycled rubber acoustic bases, making it much easier to find a good quality product.
The MuteMat 3 is widely considered to be one of the best acoustic bases on its own as it helps reduce impact and airborne sound. By having several layers of different thicknesses and densities, you can smooth out this drop in performance and achieve optimal soundproofing with your acoustic base. Therefore, it is not normally recommended to specify or use a masonry tile floor over a layer of foam or other acoustic layer that is too soft.
