Just about everyone loves hardwood floors AND just about everyone misses one important thing: Noise Mitigation! There are so many wood species, sizes and finishes to choose from. There is solid flooring and engineered flooring. Homeowners usually spend a lot of time with their architects and designers choosing just the right wood flooring for their homes.
All wood flooring has one common, rarely discussed and very real downside: NOISE. Architects, designers and wood installers should really pay attention to these important, though admittedly less “sexy” building products.
The right floor underlayments can significantly reduce sound from so-called foot fall and ambient sound transmission. These products tend to be extruded nylon or rubber membrane type underlayments– today made mostly recycled tires. Even more specialized soundproofing underlayments are available (proflex 90MSC-Soundproofcow). Its proper installation can further reduce sound transmission from cracks in the subfloor as well as reduce cracking noise from the finished floor.
Noise is a well-understood contributor to stress. It’s well worth spending the extra money to create peaceful and calm rooms in your home.
Sadly, as a result of architects’ and designers’ neglect of flooring underlayment most homeowners wind up immediately covering up their beautiful hardwood floors with area rugs. After all who wants to have a room in which the noise is such that you cannot have a normal conversation with friends and family?! If they had only known there is a better way….
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