A luxury, but more frequently a legal need, is soundproofing your property. This is particularly true if you reside in flats or townhomes where strict board or strata laws governing noise levels are in place.

Installing flooring in violation of strata regulations might have highly expensive consequences, forcing you to tear out every floor and install the proper underlay. Do checkout: acoustic underlay

What Purpose Does Flooring Underlay Serve?

The main method for reducing flooring noise is to utilize an acoustic underlay. The subfloor must first have a roll or sheet of underlayment laid over it before floating floorboards can be affixed on top. Consider underlay as a foam or rubber layer that absorbs impacts and muffles loud noises.

Acoustic engineers test flooring underlay against sounds to assess how well it absorbs sound. Although underlays are generally made to reduce noise, they can be used for a variety of purposes, including:

• Impact Noise includes noises produced by dragging furniture, pounding, and direct footfalls.
• Ambient Transmission: Chatter, television audio, and other unintentional airborne noise.
• Moisture Barrier: This can operate as a barrier against moisture to safeguard your wood flooring.

Insulation may help keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer by providing thermal insulation.

• Comfort: By making each stride feel less empty, one may boost comfort while walking.
• Subfloor leveling: In some situations, using a thicker underlayment can help level out uneven subfloors.

Available Flooring Underlayment Types

There are several underlay types and acoustic protection levels available on the market. The AAAC star rating scale ranges from 1 star, which is the lowest, to 6 stars, which is the most. The National Construction Code establishes requirements for flooring acoustics.

If an acoustic underlay is needed, it will have a rating of at least 4 stars. The majority of apartments, condos, and townhomes want a five-star rating.

The choice that is by far the most popular is silver EPE foam underlay. The waterproof coating and 2mm foam composition serve to protect your flooring from moisture and movement, although they provide little if any “acoustic” protection.

The acoustic protection by the 3mm thick golden EPE foam layer is somewhat higher than that of the standard silver choice. This non-acoustic underlay is regarded as the ‘Level 2’ variant, providing superior performance.

The most basic choice for noise reduction is the “EveQuiet Green Acoustic” underlay. They provide four-star acoustic protection and work effectively in major flats and units.

Underlayment Cost

The main concern is whether the price of underlay will have a substantial influence on your flooring project. The higher the AAAC rating that an underlayment receives, the higher its cost per square meter will typically be. The priciest options for underlayment for flooring can cost as much as $100 per square meter, although these are relatively unusual needs. Rest assured that most flooring underlay requirements won’t cost more than $15 per square meter, so you won’t likely break the bank.