Soundproof the Floor.  Combat Foot Noise.

Most common floor/ceiling assembly systems are built with a single framing structure that separates upstairs from down, but connects the rooms structurally.  As people walk, talk, work and thrive upstairs, their noise bleeds to the rooms down below via structure born vibrations, which passes energy through, and creates an unfriendly environment.  Foot noise is often the biggest culprit, as people walk the floors upstairs, their noise easily seeps to the rooms below. This creates disturbance as privacy, comfort and protection are compromised. Wondering how to soundproof floors? Quiet is just one call away. Welcome to your soundproofing floors solution.

Questions?   Call 1-800-638-9355

Floor Soundproofing:  Q&A

How do you soundproof a new floor?

The goal with building a new floor from scratch is to lift and separate the finished flooring from the structure of the building that supports the floor. Often called a floating floor, a soundproof floor can be produced by layering a membrane beneath the finished surfaces to help lift and separate the finished flooring surface from the structure below it. See our Floorfighter to learn more about soundproofing floors.

How do I block footnoise from upstairs?

The structural points between rooms include the joists that support both the upstairs flooring substrate and the downstairs drywall finished ceiling. The joists, or cement slab, are connecting the rooms together structurally and delivering vibrations back and forth in a common floor ceiling assembly. Foot noise is impact noise that travels along this vibration path. To properly soundproof a floor, the finished surface must be lifted up and away from the structure to force a collapse in the transmitting vibration.

How do I soundproof my floor upstairs?

Like a string pulled tight between two coffee cans, sound waves will carry along common contact points before becoming airborne at the other end of the path. The same holds true for common floor or ceiling assembly noise. The energy is transmitted structurally by vibrating through the floor joists or cement slab. It’s then released as airborne noise to the adjoining space. Special care must be taken when attempting floor soundproofing to produce the necessary structural separation that forces the collapse of the sound wave.  The goal is separation.   Either with a floor underlayment upstairs, or an isolated clip system on the ceiling down below.

Does soundproofing a floor work?

Underlayments are ideal for soundproofing floors. They serve to lift the finished surface up and away from the structure that connects the rooms together. By forcing the disconnection, the floor underlayment will decouple foot noise by absorbing its impact, thus minimizing the strength of the vibration.  The finished floor will then “float” up and off the substructure of the floor, separated by the floor underlayment, which in turn will absorb and decouple the structure born vibrations.

How Do You Treat a Finished Floor for Noise Bleeding?

If your floor is carpet or laminate, you can temporarily remove the flooring surface and layer a sound barrier beneath it. The underlayment is called Floorfighter. If you are unable to remove your existing floor surface, your only option is to soundproof the ceiling as illustrated in our Ceiling Soundproofing section.

What is a floor underlayment?

A floor underlayment is a sound barrier membrane that’s layered beneath your flooring surface to help deaden foot noise and other noise that could spread into the room below. When soundproofing the floor of any given room, it’s ideal to have access to the subfloor, except for those with finished flooring surfaces. The material ships in 4×25’ rolls and measures .25” thick. For questions related to soundproofing, contact our help desk at 1-800-638-9355.

How to install a floor underlayment?

The sound barrier underlayment simply rolls out onto your subfloor and free floats. You’ll then add your finished flooring surface on top of it. Note that if you are putting down a glued floor, we will need to know in advance, so that we ship you the version of Floorfighter that can take the adhesive. Also note, if you are putting down a tongue in a groove wooden floor, the Floorfighter should be placed underneath your subfloor, not on top of it, so that you are nailing the flooring directly into the subfloor. For questions related to your floor soundproofing installation, call our help desk at 1-800-638-9355.

What Are the Benefits in Using Floorfighter Under My Flooring Surface?

Noise exposure levels that bleed from the upstairs to the downstairs can effectively be blocked with the layering treatment called FloorFighter. The sound barrier membrane will deaden noise levels in most any commercial or residential setting, if you have access to the subfloor and are able to get the membrane properly installed beneath your finished flooring surface.