Floor Insulation Fitting &
Sound-Proofing

Refurbishment and Relaying: Creating a Lasting and Fresh Look

The refurbishment and relaying of a floor will produce a surface to last with a fresh, new look. It also provides a great Exquisite opportunity to increase comfort in the property by introducing insulation along with soundproofing. Where moisture is an issue, damp-proofing membranes are also a valuable addition to a wooden or concrete subfloor.

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Sound-Proofing Insulation

Plywood and chipboard are commonly used today where a major refurbishment requires the replacement of older subfloors. Chipboard sheeting comes in tongue-and-groove and provides a smooth and solid subfloor, similar to plywood.

Both materials offer limited soundproofing qualities. The additional fitting of rock wool insulation for properties with wooden subfloors will improve soundproofing.

The prevention of airborne and impact noise is possible with the installation of new floors, which will be laid over the appropriate underlay. Ask Sanding Wood Floors to demonstrate the choice of underlay available with increased soundproofing qualities – dependent on the nature of your subfloor, the type of flooring to be laid, and the budget.

A typical quality underlay will offer soundproofing of the airborne sound of up to 18-24 dB. Some underlays, however, will go beyond these limits. The most effective level of soundproofing comes with the double rubber E-Board product – an expensive but highly effective option.

Damp-Proofing Floor Insulation

Solid wood planks can contract in response to changes in environmental humidity and temperature. Damp-proofing is therefore vital for hardwood flooring installations.

Damp-proofing is carried out by applying a liquid or plastic film over the subfloor, before laying the new floor or underlay.

Many contemporary underlay products come with a built-in DPM membrane, which gives additional protection and assurance.

Draft Prevention And Thermal Floor Insulation

Over the years, in older properties with pine board floors, gaps appear as the boards shrink. This often results in two problems: draught and cold on ground floors and increased noise transmission with upper floors.

Rockwool insulation has the flexibility and volume to allow stuffing of the
insulation between the joists. This provides a modest degree of soundproofing between the floors – and will significantly help the thermal insulation.

The fitting of such underlay may be tricky on ground floors, where there are large gaps between the joists. Some holding support for the insulation may be required, to enable it to be laid and stay close to the wooden floor. Various methods include nets or metal strings over which the insulation is laid.

Fibreboard underlay is the common choice for laminate flooring installation over floorboards. The fibreboard will significantly increase the thermal insulation on such subfloors and help to deal with minor unevenness as well, with its ideal thickness of 5.5 mm.

Which Flooring Types Go With Which Insulation?

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Rockwool insulation for original pine floorboards.

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When installing hardwood floors, engineered wood flooring or laminate flooring – speak to Sanding Wood Floors for advice on the most suitable products

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If you are installing parquet flooring, you can still choose underlay if sound-proofing is essential. Parquet flooring blocks require a smooth, level subfloor – usually one covered with ply or chipboard.