Soundproof Flooring Materials: Which are the Best? (STC & IIC Compared)
Sometimes you just wish that upstairs neighbor of yours isn’t so darn loud!
As if a stampede of elephants has just run through the house! Even the TV sounds as if it’s right there in your room, and you don't even have one.
For all those of you who got seriously tired of all the echoes and loud sounds and are looking for methods of noise reduction, I have prepared this guide on the best soundproof flooring materials.
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Even when there’s no upstairs, you still have that noise all around you. If you are an avid follower of my tips on soundproofing so far you have learned that anything can be treated for noise reduction.
So, my focus here will be on soundproofing floor using the best soundproof flooring materials there are.
Before I give you the list, let’s talk about soundproofing floors in general. There are two types of sound transmission - impact and airborne noise. Each of them is treated using different methods.
All that noise sound different when there are different floor types, such as:
Speaking of, each of these require a different type of underlayment, so pay attention to that when considering noise reduction. I shall list you the best acoustic underlayment materials and products I have found.
Types of Soundproof Flooring Materials
There are so many different materials which people use for soundproofing, and the choice depends on many factors.
Some people look for thermal insulation, some are looking for products which are effective in noise reduction and there are those who want to have both characteristics in one.
As soundproofing is my main concern, I shall list you few materials which are mainly used in floor soundproofing.
They are called resilient materials, and they do wonder with impact noise, such as footsteps, dragging furniture over the floor and drooped items. Here they are:
Cork
It has numerous positive characteristics, such as durability, appearance, and soundproofing properties. This combination puts it in the highest place when it comes to floor soundproofing. The most notable feature is certainly its sponginess.
The bark of a cork tree which grows in southern Europe is harvested every few years without damaging the tree. That makes cork eco-friendly and sustainable.
To point out how effective and the powerful cork is when it comes to soundproofing, I shall tell you that this is the material which recording companies use to eliminate background noise in studios.
Just so you know, you can use cork in many ways- as a floor, underneath it and as an accessory with sound dampening properties. Moreover, cork is cheap and effective.
Foam
It’s also a widely used material both for thermal and sound insulation as it is very effective and most affordable. Foam is a durable and lightweight material.
There are many different types of foam. If you want to get the best of them, I suggest you use foam in combination with some other materials, such as vinyl.
Even though it can be used as an underlayer, you will notice that more often people use it in form of floor mats, tiles and similar.
The most popular ones are interlocking foam tiles, which are installed within a few seconds.
Rubber
As a cost-effective solution, rubber is also a very popular material for floor soundproofing.
When you use it with ceramic tiles, for example, the rubber provides an excellent protection by reducing the tile breakage. It can also be used under hardwood and carpet.
This material is also highly durable and can be used as finished floor as well. It provides fantastic performance regarding noise control.
All the materials I mentioned here are very effective and affordable, which means you won’t have to spend a fortune in order to fix the problem of unwanted sounds.
As I said, what matters the most is that you precisely define noise type that bothers you and finds the material which is good for the occasion.
Moreover, mind how these materials for with different types of floors, as combining some of them which don’t go together won’t fix the problem.
Different methods of floor soundproofing
Even though you may think there are numerous products which can do the job, still there aren’t many which are indeed effective. Here are the most popular methods used for floor underlaying and sound dampening.
What to look for when soundproofing a floor?
Before the list comes, let’s take a look about three main parameters when soundproofing a floor. Here’s what you should look for, besides matching floor types and underlayment:
These parameters are of vital importance as they vary when different materials combine together.
When soundproofing floor, always have a wider picture. All the things are important, doors, windows, furniture, size and shape of the room, etc.
Top five soundproof flooring materials
Step by step, you are closer to finding the right solution for your problem with annoying sounds.
Now that you know what are the necessary factors to take into consideration when thinking about soundproofing floors, without further delay, here comes the list.
1) This Robert Super Felt Underlayment combines with laminate and engineered wood, providing cushioning over subfloors made of concrete and wood. With very good STC (66) as well as IIC (67), this one is a frequent choice by people dealing with unwanted sounds.
A bonus feature of this one is a film overlay which serves as a protection from moisture.
2) Another one from Roberts, this First Step Underlayment is an open-cell foam product, which allows the air to flow and circulate. That means no mold growth.
Like the previous one, this one has good STC (67) and IIC (68) values. You will get the best of it if you combine it with laminate or engineered wood planks.
3) With STC of 66 and IIC of 71, Quiet Walk Plus is also an excellent choice. It provides superior sound reduction as well as moisture protection. This one is environmentally safe, due to low chemical emission.
You can use it with laminate, luxury vinyl plank as well as on click-together floating engineered floors. Moreover, you can install it over wood and concrete subfloors.
4) Floor Muffler UltraSeal Underlayment is also a foam product but a closed cell polypropylene one. With very high STC (73) and IIC (74) values, this is an excellent choice for laminate and engineer wood products. This product provides excellent protection against moisture and mold.
Moreover, the VOC level is very low and you can recycle it 100%. It’s definitely a favorite choice by environmentally minded people.
5) 3in1 Silent Vapor Barrier is a good choice for those looking for a budget-friendly product, as it’s the cheapest among all above mentioned.
With STC of 65 and IIC of 64, this Vapor Barrier product is excellent for laminate and engineered floating floors. You can use it with wood and cement subfloors. It's a thick foam and it features a foil vapor barrier film, which makes it less prone to tearing.
The choice you will make depends on the type of the floor you have, the type of noise you want to dampen as well as your budget.
Have in mind that if you are looking for long-term solutions, it is better to invest a bit more money, because it will pay off later.
6 Tips for Floor Soundproofing Products
1. Use solid materials
For very loud and annoying sounds coming from the room under you, such as people's voices, it's best to use solid materials for sound insulation.
Oriented strand boards are the most common choice and the most suitable one for most situations.
They are quite inexpensive and easy to work with. Some of the other widely used materials in this category are Medium-density fiberboards and Cement boards.
I would recommend you to use damping compound in addition to any of these materials because you will improve sound reduction significantly if you do so.
You will achieve more by doing this than by adding multiple layers of boards.
It would be very useful for you to remember this when we start talking about all of the following options because this rule is applicable to pretty much all of them.
You will accomplish a higher level of sound insulation by adding multiple thinner layers of materials than adding fewer layers of flooring material that is very thick.
2. Put resilient materials
Resilient materials are the best choice for those of you who are having problems with impact noise such as footsteps or the sound of furniture being dragged on the floor.
Some of the materials that are the most suitable for this are rubber, foam, and fiber. There are many pads available for sale that are made of one of these materials or a combination of them.
You can put a resilient pad under your carpet for the best possible results. They are really not expensive and yet they are probably one of the best solutions for noise problems in this entire article.
For example, you could us