ACOUSTIC UNDERLAY

Acoustic underlay function is to reduce the amount of impact noise travelling through a floor from objects dropping, footsteps and furniture movement on hard surface floor finishes in any type of building. It is used to soundproof floors in homes to reduce general household noises or to create a floating floor for music studios and home cinema rooms. This absorbing material provides high levels of sound insulation either for timber or concrete floors, reducing impact and airborne sound transfer. Installation of soundproofing underlay can be carried out by anybody that feels they are a competent DIYer. Paired with carpet, hardwood or laminate flooring, it will successfully reduce impact and airborne noises – creating a quieter, more peaceful environment. The main advantage of acoustic underlay is that it demonstrates excellent acoustic properties. Typically made from PU foam or wool felt, it absorbs sound vibrations – minimising unwanted echoes and impact noises within the room and reducing their transfer throughout the building. Aside from its acoustic properties, soundproof underlay also has a number of other benefits. For example, it often improves the underfoot comfort of the flooring. Thanks to its thick construction, it adds an additional layer of insulation and offers superior thermal protection. Acoustic underlay is essentially a rubber resilient layer that is traditionally installed underneath the final floor finish isolating / decoupling the flooring from the structure of the building. The resilient layer and flanking strip around the perimeter provide suspension and cushioning in the floor primarily reducing impact sound transference. Soundproofing underlays can be fitted with all types of floor finishes. The only caveat being that some finishes require a plywood base to be fitted prior to the soundproofing mats or underlay. All types of acoustic underlays are used within our soundproofing floor designs to help achieve the requirements of Part E of the Building Regulations. It comes in rolls, membranes, mats and boards in a selection of thicknesses depending on available floor height and what you’re trying to achieve.

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD QUALITY FLOOR ACOUSTIC UNDERLAY

Right underlay can reduce the noise in your home and soften the sound of your footsteps. The effectiveness of acoustic underlay is measured in decibels (dB). Ideally, you want something around the 40dB mark. A good acoustic flooring underlay will always come with a number of test reports. Checking the test reports is one of the most important elements when looking for products to buy, install or specify. Second to this would be the sustainability credentials of a product. Acoustic underlays are one of the most effective ways to improve our overall internal living environment and reduce noise intrusion from our neighbours, if selected and installed correctly.

ACOUSTIC UNDERLAY DIFFERENT NAMES

Acoustic Underlay can be called many things in different parts of the world including:

• Acoustical Underlayment
• Floor underlay
• Sound Mat
• Impact Mat
• Resilient Underlay
• Rubber Mat
• Soundproof Mat
• Sound Control Underlayment

TYPES OF ACOUSTIC UNDERLAY

There are many different types of acoustic underlay available depending on your needs, so we’ve gathered some of the major types together in one, convenient list:

FOAM UNDERLAYS

Foam underlay is ideal for use with laminate or wood flooring. Usually comes 2mm thick. This Poly foam underlay offers some sound reduction and thermal insulation. This underlay is ideally used over wood or chipboard subfloors.

ACOUSTIC CARPET UNDERLAY ROLL

Acoustic carpet underlay roll reduces impact noise by 48dB. It creates superb sound proofing properties and gives superb luxury underfoot. Suitable for all types of floors, wood and concrete.

HUSH UNDERLAY

Hush underlay consists of a fine granulate of recycled rubber with a cork and PU elastomer bonding agent. Has been developed to meet the current Building Regulations and is Document E Compliant. It combines minimum build height with permanent resilience. Hush Underlay for Vinyl Flooring is manufactured from waste rubber and cork which is mixed with Polymer Binder to form a purpose made resilient matting. 

APPLICATIONS

Acoustic underlayment is suitable for both domestic and commercial use. Paired with carpet, hardwood or laminate flooring, it will successfully reduce impact and airborne noises – creating a quieter, more peaceful environment. It can also be used anywhere that we expect a quiet environment and do not want to hear the activity of people located above us. In the UK acoustic underlay is predominantly used in multi-resident dwellings such as:

• Hotel or Serviced Apartments
• Hallway
• Hospitals
• Schools
• Universities
• Apartments
• Student Residences
• Retirement Homes
• Long Term Care Homes

Before you purchase underlay, it is really important to determine which room you are buying it for, especially when it comes to soundproofing. Although you should have underlay in every room in your house, you do not need soundproof underlay in every room. It is usually unnecessary to fit it in any rooms on the ground floor. Unless you have rooms below the ground floor, we wouldn’t recommend soundproofing because there is nowhere for the sound to travel to underneath. When it comes to the first floor of your home, it is still not necessary to soundproof every single room and it is down to the individual and their circumstances.