How to soundproof a floor? - Newspaper The North

Soundproofing a floor is a great way to improve the quality and comfort of your home. If you are starting a new renovation project, now is the perfect time to improve the soundproofing of your floors, and thus reduce unwanted noise from other floors.

Whether for a new construction, an existing construction or even an apartment unit, there are methods and products that can not only give your floors a beautiful appearance, but also participate in the soundproofing of your home.

In this guide, you will learn the basics of soundproofing a floor using the best materials to reduce unwanted and distracting noise caused by footsteps, music, voices, etc. Here's how to soundproof a floor.

Why soundproof a floor?

There are two types of noise that you will want to soundproof a room for, impact noise and airborne noise.

Impact noise is noise resulting from a force applied to the ground, such as footsteps. Impact noise can also come from moving chairs, furniture, and even appliances. These vibrations propagate through the floor, eventually emanating through the floor joists and into the room below. Impact noise is often the most difficult noise to eliminate.

Airborne noise comes from television, radio, toilets, people talking or some other source. Airborne noise can be a nuisance both in the original room and in rooms located in the basement.

How to Soundproof Hardwood Floors

Hardwood, in particular, can be a difficult flooring material to soundproof. This is due to its hard surface, which can amplify impact noise. Additionally, hardwood itself does not absorb sound very well, so even airborne noise can be more prominent with this type of flooring. So how can you soundproof a hardwood floor?

Start by laying down an impact protection underlay to help dampen sounds from footsteps. The underlayment helps create space between the subfloor and the hardwood floor you are installing, which means the hardwood floor floats above the subfloor, taking the pressure off when a force is applied.

Also consider how you install the hardwood floor. Although hardwood is usually nailed or glued, we strongly suggest choosing the latter option when it comes to soundproofing. This is mainly because the nails can transfer sound to the subfloor. This is especially important if you are using the rubber underlay.

How to soundproof a ceramic floor

As with hardwood floors, the key to soundproofing ceramic floors is the underlayment. However, unlike a more traditional underlayment that you would use for hardwood or laminate, it is essential to choose one that is designed to be placed under mortar when working with ceramic. A good underlay will help dampen sound. It will also help prevent cracking, which can be a problem with ceramic tile after installation.