If you decide on floating wood flooring, it’s essential to install acoustic underlay for wood flooring as it will limit the transmission of noise and impacts from one room or floor to another. Indeed, floating wood flooring is laid on an air gap which amplifies noise and resonance. To find out how to lay acoustic underlay under your wood flooring, follow the guide!
Prepare the floor the underlay will be installed on
- Before starting to install acoustic underlay, it’s important to make sure the floor is clean and free of irregularities. Vacuum and use a levelling compound if necessary, to remove uneven spots and create a clean, smooth surface.
- For floating installation, it’s essential to install a vapour barrier film beforehand to protect your future wood flooring from damp. Some acoustic underlays come already fitted with this film, which makes the work easier. For glued installation, a polyane film isn’t needed, but a cork underlay that provides effective sound insulation can be used.
>> See the different underlays for floating wood floors <<
Laying the acoustic underlay
Most of the time, the underlay comes in rolls.
- Unroll the underlay on the floor in the direction perpendicular to the floorboards;
- Raise the underlay by at least 1 cm on the walls: don't be afraid to go a little higher, it's always better to have an underlay that’s too high rather than too low. You can always cut off the excess afterwards.
- Carry on over the entire floor, making sure the strips overlap. Fix them together using aluminium adhesive tape to seal and prevent air leakage.