Acoustic matting for floors to deaden sound

Acoustic matting for floors can deaden sound and reduce impact vibrations disturbing you. Acoustic matting can come in various forms and it’s important to understand which material you need before purchasing matting. Acoustical underlayment can be used to reduce airborne noise traveling through floors, or, to reduce impact vibrations from footfall. As you may expect, different materials can resolve these problems, so you may require a layered build up.

Is acoustic matting good for floor soundproofing?

Yes, acoustic matting is very good for floor soundproofing and can be used to reduce airborne and impact noise. However, it is always best to check you are getting the right material for your noise issue and consider a system. As you will see further on, different types of acoustic mats are needed for airborne and impact noise. Furthermore, noises can be made worse by existing features in your building, such as empty cavities between joists and severe flanking transmission from fixtures and fittings.

Best acoustic matting for sound deadening

The best acoustic matting for sound deadening is the MuteMat 3 as this has two layers of airborne resistance and an isolation layer for impact. The two layers of mass loaded vinyl each reflect different frequencies of sound and will give you the best resistance against airborne noise if you are only willing to lay matting. The middle section, closed-cell foam, does not bottom out under compression which isolates impact instead of transferring it to the building structure.

The best way to deaden floor noise

The best way to deaden floor noise is to use a multi-layered acoustic underlay, a layer of Tecsound, isolation joist strips, and acoustic mineral wool. This system will protect you from impact and airborne noise better than one material alone can. While the best acoustic matting, MuteMat 3, is a top-performing mat, using multiple materials will always work best.

Often the cavities between floor joists are left empty, which is a big weakness for floor soundproofing. Without filling these spaces with acoustic mineral wool, the sound will reverberate and be amplified. This is why footsteps can appear so loud in the room below and voices are amplified.

Where to use acoustic matting

You should use acoustic matting underneath your floor finish (carpet, floorboards etc). Acoustic matting is an underlay and there are different mats to suit any type of flooring. Acoustic matting can be used in areas of high traffic to help reduce impact from footfall, or, to reduce the transference of airborne noise.

As you may expect, acoustic matting works very well in flats where there are multiple floors and occupants. In flats, acoustic matting can also be installed in corridors to help mitigate noises from communal areas. Often, floor soundproofing is needed not only for impact but also for airborne noise. Two different materials are needed to achieve this and products like the MuteMats can be useful as they combine different layers to reduce both types of noise.

Best acoustic matting for carpet

The best acoustic matting for carpet is the MuteMat 3, which compresses enough for comfort but will not bottom out and transfer impact noise. The underlayment has two different layers of mass-loaded vinyl to reflect airborne noises and the carpet can be fitted directly over this underlay. If desired, an additional layer of underlay can be installed before the carpet, but it isn’t required.

As a slightly cheaper acoustic underlay option for carpet, without losing too much performance, the MuteMat 2 could also be used. Once again, a carpet is ready to lay directly over the top of this matting and it provides comfort underfoot to relinquish the need for normal underlay.

Best acoustic matting for wooden floors

The best acoustic matting for wooden floors is the MuteMat 3 combined with Tecsound. This would provide two layers of airborne resistance and two layers of impact resistance. Tecsound is a viscous-elastic membrane that is built to dissipate vibration energy and isolate materials. As a hardwood floor is a rigid surface, the additional layer of isolation is particularly useful and will provide effective results.

Acoustic matting for LVT flooring

Acoustic matting for LVT flooring needs to either be specially formulated (like the MuteMat LVT series), or have a layer of ply over the top. Without the correct underlay and treatment, your LVT may be subjected to too much compression and be damaged.

Our MuteMat LVT Click and MuteMat lVT 650 have both been designed to acoustically treat your floor and have LVT laid directly over. Both of these underlayments reduce impact noise transference, however, if you also need airborne reduction then it will be best to use the MuteMat 3 with a finishing layer of ply or similar for support.

How to install acoustic matting

To install acoustic matting, begin by removing your current floor finish and underlay. While the joists are exposed, check if they are filled with acoustic mineral wool, if not, this should be done to improve results.

• If using Tecsound, lay this first by using its self adhesive side.
• Should air bubbles occur, these should be forced to the edges and released by making a small cut.
• Cover your floor, matching each roll of Tecsound edge to edge.
• If laying carpet, stick self-adhesive gripper strips around the perimeter but leave a 2-5mm gap between them and the wall.
• Fill this gap with acoustic sealant.
• MuteMat acoustic underlay can be loose laid or glued down as desired.
• Lay your chosen acoustic matting over this, staggering the joins like brickwork.
• Cover the joins with cloth tape.
• Fit the gripper rods to the gripper strip, if laying carpet.

Acoustic matting to reduce impact noise

Acoustic matting used to reduce impact noise should have the ability to flex without completely compressing and ‘bottoming out’. This is why we use a closed-cell foam, which has the ability to isolate compressions and prevent direct contact with the supporting surface. Regular open cell foam underlays do not have this ability hence they bottom out and transfer impact noise.

Underlay which reduces airborne noise is often very slim and will not significantly add to the floor build up. However, if you have a persistent airborne noise issue, you should check the joist cavities. It is likely these have not been filled with insulation and this contributes to ‘the drum effect’. Empty spaces can cause sound to bounce around which amplifies the noise and makes everything worse. Simply filling the space with the correct insulation will prevent the drum effect and improve the performance of your acoustic matting.

Acoustic matting for airborne noise

Acoustic matting for airborne noise has a high mass which will reflect the sound. We use mass-loaded vinyl to deflect airborne sound as it’s slim and highly effective. These materials can be installed as a single sheet, however, if you also have an impact noise issue then it is better to use one of the MuteMats.

Our mass-loaded vinyl for underlay comes in two different weights; 5kg and 10kg. We would not recommend using the 5kg option by itself, as it will not provide a sufficient reduction without other materials. However, the 10kg mass-loaded vinyl roll will provide a meaningful reduction alone should you only want to reduce airborne interruptions.

Is acoustic matting underlayment?

Acoustic matting is used in place of regular underlayment. It is important to check your acoustic matting is compatible with your flooring finish as not all acoustical underlayments are compatible with engineered wood or LVT without an additional layer of rigidity. Some acoustic underlay is used in conjunction with ordinary matting because the material is blocking airborne noises, not impact.

Can I use acoustic matting on stairs?

You can use pieces of acoustic matting on stairs to cushion steps and reduce impact. The acoustic matting will need to be cut into pieces the same size as your treads, because acoustic underlayment is not designed to flow around angles. Using a high performance acoustic mat, like MuteMat 3, would be best for absorbing impact vibrations.

You should also consider some staircase care and maintenance to help reduce creaking noises. This will improve the performance of your acoustic underlayment and help resolve the issue at the source. If you want to use acoustic matting to soundproof your stairs, then check out our full guide to reduce stairs creaking.