As the focus on wellbeing continues at pace, awareness of the impact of noise on mental health is at an all-time high. However, hard flooring is still the popular option for all-round use in homes and apartments and so installers are increasingly facing questions over what can be done to reduce walking noise and the sound transferred between floors. For those occasions, installers can turn to the numerous options in the wood, laminate and LVT underlay collection from floorwise for a quieter solution at all price points.
Richard Bailey, Managing Director, floorwise, said: “Many underlay suppliers solely focus on impact noise as the stand-out acoustic feature, but it’s the ability of an underlay to deal with both types of sound – impact (noise transference between floors) and airborne (noise within the room) – that marks it out as a true star. An underlay that deals with both types of sound ensures a quieter home from within the room and beneath the room.”
The rubber sponge constructions of floorwise Acoustica underlays are capable of absorbing airborne as well as impact sound, something particularly true of the range-topping Acoustica Gold Supreme. Using a high-density rubber crumb construction, this 3.5mm thick product not only delivers impressive impact and airborne noise reduction, but also provides a lasting solution to supporting click joints and coping with subfloor irregularities. With a built-in moisture barrier, this really is a supreme quality wood and laminate underlay that’s ready to take on the toughest challenge.
For more cost-conscious installations, the Whisper collection provides some great options, including Whisper Gold, a 5mm high-density PE underlay packed with features including 21dB impact sound, absorption of minor subfloor irregularities, cushioned support and a built-in water vapour barrier. Even Whisper basic foam underlay provides 18dB of impact noise reduction, meaning that whatever the budget, you can have a quieter wood or laminate floor with floorwise.
Luxury vinyl tiles are certainly a popular choice throughout the home, but they aren’t without noise issues too. That’s where Acoustica LVT steps in. Providing 18dB of impact sound insulation and with excellent airborne noise absorption, it’s specifically designed for the demands of LVT flooring, with its ultra-high density 1.5mm thick construction soaking up minor subfloor imperfections without compromising joint stability.
The floorwise wood, laminate and LVT underlay collection is available at your local floorwise stockist across the UK and Ireland.
