Soundproof flooring ideas for flats
Living in a flat comes with more soundproofing issues than a home. You have to deal with noise coming from above and below you, as well as from both sides.
From rickety floors to noisy neighbours, it can be difficult to block it all out. The good news is that you don’t have to deal with it. There are plenty of ways you can soundproof your floor to stop every sound from travelling through.
Today, we’ll share the best tips for soundproofing your floors so you can experience a more peaceful home.
Are you looking to upgrade your worn floors? We sell a range of high-quality flooring from a variety of well-known brands, like Kronospan and Amazonia.
Why should you soundproof flat floors?
Soundproofing your floors is one of the best ways to create a quiet, serene atmosphere in your home.
Living in a flat, you’ll know all of the struggles that come with it. Sounds like footsteps on wooden floors, dropped items, shouting, and general noise can travel to other flats, causing a ruckus for your neighbours.
And as you probably already know, it’s not fun to be on the other side of it. If your floors aren’t well insulated to block noise transfer, you’ll hear everything going on in the flat below.
Luckily, you can add mass, decoupling layers, and absorption under your floor to block out sound. We’ll get into that later.
Impact vs airborne noise
The noise you experience in flats falls into two categories: impact and airborne.
Impact noise comes from physical contact with floors, such as footfall, dropping objects, or furniture being moved around. You’ll hear a lot of thuds and vibrations travelling through your ceiling, or your floors will feel really hollow every time you move across them.
On the other hand, airborne noise travels through the air. So that includes sounds from talking and shouting, as well as TV and music from other rooms or flats. It’s best to identify whether you’re dealing with one or both of these issues before soundproofing your floors.
There's a good chance you’re dealing with both.
How to deal with different types of noise
Any solution should aim to add mass or damping to block vibrations for impact noise and add absorption or seals to block airborne sound.
Airborne noise
To prevent issues with airborne noise, you should opt for these solutions:
- Add acoustic insulation between joists: Adding acoustic mineral wool between joists is a great solution for suspended timber boards. Doing so adds mass and absorption to your floors, blocking out any airborne noise from travelling through.
- Extra mass above the subfloor: Dense layers help to block sound from travelling through. If you live in a flat, a heavy acoustic mat or an overlay board system can be laid over the floor before the subfloor, before the flooring goes on top.
- Seal any gaps: Noise can travel through small gaps in your floors, such as those along skirting boards, pipes, or between floorboards. Sealing these gaps, while only providing a small solution, will help to eliminate any potential issues.
Impact noise
Impact noise can still be an issue even in buildings with solid concrete floors. Here’s how to deal with it:
- Add resilient layers underneath the floor: Acoustic underlay provides a cushioning effect, blocking and absorbing vibrations before they travel through your floors. You should opt for a combination of materials that help to block both impact and airborne noise. For this, your best bet is to lay down thin but heavy, rubbery mats.
- Install floating floors: A floating floor provides a step up from underlay, reducing the direct connection between your floor's walking surface and the structure underneath. The break in contact provides a shield from vibration transfer, stopping impact noise from travelling through.
- Use high-quality carpet and underlay: Carpet is one of the simplest ways to reduce impact noise because it softens the contact point. If you’re allowed to install carpet under your lease, this is a great way to soften impact noise. If not, large rugs can help to block some sound.
Identify the construction of your floor
If you have a timber joist floor, impact and airborne noise tend to pass through easily. These floors are light and bouncy, designed with floorboards or chipboard on top and a plasterboard ceiling below.
That’s why timber floors need extra mass (like underlay or a floating floor) and often insulation between joists to muffle sound. Concrete floors, on the other hand, are naturally very heavy, so they block airborne sound quite well.
However, impact noise still causes some issues, so you’ll need to stock up on rubber underlay or acoustic mats to absorb shocks. We’ll dive a bit more into soundproofing each one next.
Practical tips for soundproofing timber joists and concrete floors
If you have a timber floor, there is usually some cavity (between the joists and the ceiling) that can be used. Some options include:
- Insulate between the joists: Use mineral wool or foam to add mass and absorption to your floors. Aim for at least 100mm of acoustic insulation to effectively block sound.
- Add an acoustic underlay or membrane: Place a soundproof underlay over your subfloor before installing your flooring. Specialist acoustic underlays, such as rubber, high-density foam, or mass-loaded vinyl layers, are great for noise reduction.
- Install a floating floor: Also known as decoupling, a floating floor is great for timber joists, as it prevents vibrations from reaching the structure. Interlocking acoustic floorboards are a great solution, as these can be laid over joists or boards.
For those who have concrete subfloors, try the following solutions:
- High-mass underlay or screed: One strategy is to add a high-mass layer on top. You can buy dry-screed boards that are combined with a resilient layer and are thick, helping to increase mass. A dense rubber or vinyl underlay can also help by adding weight and cushioning.
- Lay down an acoustic mat underlay: High-density acoustic mats work on concrete as well as timber joists. Underlay mats or soundproof membranes can be laid under a floating deck or under the final floor finish to absorb impact sounds.
- Install a floating floor: Again, floating floors are also a great solution for concrete floors. Just make sure you leave an expansion gap around the edges of your floor and use perimeter tape to prevent flanking noise.
Experience great noise insulation with Mersey Flooring
If you’re looking for an easy way to improve the noise insulation in your flat, then Mersey Flooring has just the solution.
You can browse a wide variety of high-quality underlays, from foam to Timbertech Excel, providing heat retention, sound reduction, and a waterproof layer. We also supply a range of beautiful floors, such as luxury vinyl and laminate, perfect for creating an eye-catching finish.