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NOISE FROM BELOW 

Modern domestic houses and flats are built using the correct materials and should be insulated against normal noise nuisance from neighbours.  However, loud noise produced from stereo systems etc. will always be heard and is more of a nuisance at night when other daytime background noises have ceased.  

FLOATING FLOORS

If your flat has been built with a floating floor, airborne noise from below may not be such a problem.  For those of you that do not have a floating floor, there is a lot of room for improvement.  Flats that have been converted from large houses nearly always have timber suspended floors.  The best sound insulating results can be achieved if the floorboards are lifted to install 100mm of our Acoustic Mineral Wool (AMW100) between the joists.  The flooring is then replaced and screwed to the joists so as not to squeak when walked on before a floating floor can be installed.  Insulation between the joists and a floating floor is now required by Building Control for all new build and conversion projects for flats.  Our floating floor insulation is used by contractors to meet the regulations and so is the best option to achieve good separating floor sound insulation.  Acousticel R10 is loose laid over the base floor and a new t&g floor is placed on top.  For best results, our Quietboard can be used which is also used for new build separating floors.  This floating floor system also works well on concrete floors where a floating floor has not previously been installed.

Our Acousticel R10 and Quietboard pages give more information including application instructions.

Installation of a floating floor will entail an increase in floor height of approx. 29mm so all doors will have to be adjusted accordingly.

SOUND BARRIER MAT

Square edged floorboards are notorious for allowing sound leakage through their joints.  This can now be easily addressed by installing two layers of our SBM5 Sound Barrier Mat with the second layer overlapping the joints of the first.  No fixing is required.  The mats are heavy enough to lie flat without the aid of any mechanical fixings.  SBM5 is often used beneath both our Acousticel R10 floating floor insulation and Acoustic Underlays described below.

ACOUSTIC UNDERLAYS

If it is impractical to fit a floating floor, another option is to swop any existing carpet underlay for one of our Acoustic Underlays.  Our Acousticel A10 underlay is designed to reduce impact noise which will benefit the neighbours but will do little to reduce airborne noise nuisance.  To reduce airborne noise, an acoustic underlay incorporating sound barrier materials such as our Quietfloor should be used.  At only 12mm thick, this insulation is effective at reducing airborne noise in both directions therefore, benefitting yourself and the neighbours below.

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