What is the best soundproof base for impact noise? To reduce impact noise, the best carpet base is the MuteMat 2, which combines a high-mass vinyl layer with a closed-cell absorbent foam layer. The foam will compress slightly under pressure to absorb impact noise. When choosing new types of flooring, whether they are laminate, vinyl, carpet or any other type, the first thing we think about is probably not the first thing we think about making sure that the chosen floor finish does not create annoying noises in the house or adjacent properties.. When choosing a base layer for soundproofing, it is important to consider the type of floor with which you are going to use it..
Some materials are more compatible with certain types of floors than others, so it's important to select a lower one. You'll be forgiven for not realizing that there are a lot of soundproofed floor base products available.. When buying new floor coverings, especially from one of the largest national retailers, your coating options are likely to be determined by factors other than their soundproofing capacity.. The thickness of the base layer is also an important factor to consider.. Thicker lower layers will provide better soundproofing than thinner ones.
However, they can also be more expensive and difficult to install.. When advertising a base for carpets, major retailers usually offer a range of products based largely on different levels of comfort: the more you pay, the more luxurious the carpet will feel. Sound insulation is often mentioned with the most premium carpet base types, but it's not usually the key factor.. In the case of floor coverings, such as laminate or artificial wood, soundproofing is likely to be a more important factor when choosing the base, largely due to the possibility of transmission of impact sound, such as that of steps on hard floors..
However, the standard options offered by retailers and many flooring suppliers are unlikely to offer levels of sound insulation far beyond the relatively basic ones.. But it's not just these types of floors that can benefit from an improved acoustic base layer.. The impact sound often occurs when someone walks on the floor surface, especially hard surfaces such as tile, laminate and wood, but it is also due to moving furniture or falling or throwing objects on the floor. The result is that sound waves are transmitted through the material of the floor surface, the subfloor (whether they are concrete or wooden boards) and the ceiling, until they reach the lower room..
The best performing base for vinyl floors is an acoustic felt, such as the one purposefully designed by our product team. This type of material is perfect for vinyl, as it is thinner and less dense, so it revives much of the “rebound” you would experience with other materials when using vinyl.. This is a big question: can a base layer be used when placing tiles? Luxury vinyl tiles require a thin base layer due to the nature of the way the tiles are connected and the material from which they are made.. Problems can occur when the soil being worked on is not properly prepared and even the use of a thick base layer can be a problem due to the expansion and contraction of the LVT..
If the surface you're installing on is level and prepared correctly, you can consider a thin acoustic felt base to facilitate sound transmission.. Most manufacturers of acoustic products design complete soundproofing solutions called systems.. These are specific materials that, when combined, can provide a better result with test data to demonstrate that they meet building regulations.. For engineered wood floors, we recommend Super Gold.
This will provide excellent impact noise reduction and the designed wooden floor is heavy enough to hold the base in place.. The FloorMuffler UltraSeal is the soundproofed subfloor without compromise. Although it is thinner (2 mm) than its competitors, it has better sound-absorbing properties. For example, the entire rating exceeds that of your competitor.
The Delta IIC of 25 is great. It also includes a vapor barrier.. There are no real drawbacks with this material. The last soundproof pillar of our review is the economic option..
This material has almost all the qualities of its competitor.. It has an IIC of 64 (no delta IIC communicates even after asking the manufacturer) and is easy to cut and install. 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.
Secondly, choose one of the following acoustic bases or soundproof mats for wooden floors, depending on the level and type of noise. Roberts Super Felt Premium has the sound-absorbing properties you would expect from an acoustic base (Delta IIC 2). The MuteMat 3 is the best acoustic base that helps you to comply with the construction regulations of part E without any other material.. The soundproofing qualities of the lower layers of carpets are also not soundproofed, in the same way as mats and soundproof mats.. You'll find in the underlayment market that many companies claim that their base products completely block airborne sounds..
All of the above acoustic bases and sound mats can easily place a rug directly on them.. You could be forgiven for not realizing that there are a lot of soundproofed floor base products available.. This, together with the MuteMat range, provides the combination of highest-performing acoustic bases and, at the same time, keeps the build-up as thin as possible.. The sound-insulated floor base options available from specialized manufacturers offer a major advance over standard products..
By having several layers of different thicknesses and densities, you can smooth out this drop in performance and achieve the best soundproofing with your acoustic base layer. Beware of an important trick, according to which companies that sell a carpet base because it has soundproofing qualities quote a figure in dB, but this only shows how much airborne noise is blocked on a concrete floor, of which the carpet base represents only 5%.
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