Can hardwood flooring reduce sound better than carpet?
| Client: | Block of apartments in Kensington |
| Duration: | The Total Refurbishment lasted approx. 4 months |
| Location: | Kensington, London |
| Region: | South England |
| Sector: | Residential |
Before and After Sound Testing carried out within an existing block of apartments in Kensington, London with a proposed change in floor finishes from carpet to a hard wood floor. The tenant’s lease of the building dictates that a change in floor finish is not permitted due to potential sound transmission problems to connected properties.
The change in floor finish was accepted when a suitable acoustic resilient layer with added mass and resilience was introduced in line with Building Regulations: Approved Document E: 2003 to reduce sound transmission typically associated with timber floors.
Hush Mat 15 was introduced to decouple the hard wood floor from the existing floor structure. Floor Construction: Hardwood floor finish 15mm, Hush Mat 15 acoustic underlay, existing timber structural deck and existing ceiling.
The following test data highlights the impact performance improvement before and after the introduction of hard wood floor and acoustic layer. An increase in Airborne Performance was also noted.
Acoustic Achievements
An improvement in acoustic performance was achieved by introducing the Hush Mat 15. The before and after test results shown in this case study detail the improvement in acoustic performance achieved by using the Hush Mat 15 under the engineered floor.
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