If you’re installing acoustic flooring in your home, what should you look out for?
Where is Acoustic Flooring Used?
This type of flooring is used mainly in domestic homes, as part of refurbishment or new-build projects. It a legal requirement, and part of the UK Building Regulations that flooring has to meet certain regulations regarding noise emissions and how far the noise travels. As well as helpin to reduce everyday noise, such as voices, TV and footsteps, sound insulating flooring can also be used for home cinemas, or for music practice rooms.
What is the Purpose of Acoustic Flooring?
The main purpose of installing acoustic noise reducing flooring within a building is to reduce sound and the impact transmission of sound between floors, and between rooms. Soundproofing a home to create a quieter environment, is important, and ensures that those who occupy a building are not inconvenienced by the actions of others due to airborne or impact noise.
Floating Acoustic Flooring
Floating flooring mixes structural boards and overlay boards. It can be used over concrete or timber or directly over timber joists, and provides an excellent surface for the application of the final floor finish.
Flooring Battens and Cradles
Resilient Flooring Battens and Cradles enable the construction of service voids to reduce the impact of sound transmission between floors, ceiling and wall bars. These give excellent acoustic performance by virtually decoupling the ceiling from the existing joists and significantly reducing airborne sound transmission.
Accessories for Acoustic Flooring
To ensure that your sound reducing flooring performs everything that is expected of it, there are a range of flooring accessories to choose from which can ensure that your flooring is properly fitted. These accessories include perimeter sealing, flanking strips, panel adhesive, joist strips and fixing isolators for use at door thresholds, access hatches and stair treads.
What to Look for in an Acoustic Flooring Provider
When looking for an acoustic flooring provider, make sure you choose a company with experience in the design and manufacture of acoustic flooring for a similar project to yours. It may be worth asking for a list of client testimonials, so you can ensure that the company has the credentials to carry out the project to your satisfaction.
Before you hire a sound control flooring company for your new build, or refurbishment project, it is important to make sure that they are fully regulated by the relevant authorities and that their work complies with the necessary building regulations. The UK Building Regulations Part E is concerned with noise transmission in the home, and in the workplace.
Now you know more about the legal implications of not having soundproof flooring, and the benefits that a more sound-efficient home can bring, if you’re involved in building design, construction or refurbishment, isn’t it time that you gave acoustic flooring more thought?
