It is a fact that wooden flooring makes more noise than carpets and some other floor coverings. This can be a big part of its appeal, but not if your wood flooring is making too much noise and is starting to bother your neighbours. This is of particular concern to people living in flats, as well as those in semi-detached houses.
If you have wood flooring and are concerned about noise, you need to work out whether the level of noise your floor is making is normal. More importantly, you need to determine whether it meets building regulations on sound insulation within residential properties.
Decibel testing
According to the regulations, the Impact Sound Insulation in purpose-built homes should be 62 decibels (dB) and 64 dB for properties that have been converted. This is around the decibel level of noise of a busy shop.
Before getting a hardwood floor, you should be asking both the manufacturer and fitter (if not the same company) about the sound insulation values of the product. Remember that underfloor issues, such as the underlay and sub-floor, may also affect sound levels. We can offer many sound deadening underlays to alleviate impact and airborne sound problems.
If you live in a flat or apartment, you should also check your lease agreement in case you are restricted in terms of flooring materials.