In homes, creaking, noises or amplified sounds are often heard. They mostly occur in old, poorly built houses or with wooden floors. There are several ways to muffle floor noises, depending on the characteristics of your building. These methods vary in cost and amount of work, so it's important to choose the right solution for you. Keep in mind, however, that most of the techniques you can use do not completely remove noise, but if the insulation is done correctly, it can partially soundproof your home. Read on to learn how to reduce floor noise.
Steps
Step 1. Reduce background noise from the upstairs apartment by asking neighbors to put padding, carpet or rug
Many tenants living on the lower floors report that televisions, stereos, washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers make excessive noise in their apartment. A sound absorbing mat or smaller anti-vibration pads, available online, can be installed under the appliance to muffle the noise.
- If you are renting, it may be wise to talk to the people upstairs and ask them to install the carpet if you are committed to buying it yourself. Even if it is an additional cost to you, in the end it is you who benefit from it. This can help prevent future disputes.
- While this method is very effective for background noise, be aware that vibrations are still transmitted through the walls of the apartment building.
Step 2. Purchase a rubber mat to reduce the noise of activities or sports cars in the house
You can find different products, such as sound absorbing mats in rolls that have a thickness between 5 and 9, 5 mm. These mats, when placed directly under an instrument such as a treadmill or aerobics room, dampen vibrations, reducing noise and impact.
Step 3. Install carpet with a thick mat to help reduce your background noise or floor noise for those living downstairs
The thicker the padding under the carpet, the more noise is reduced. This in particular helps to reduce sounds such as footsteps.
If you have a hardwood floor and are unable to install carpet, you can place a thick non-slip mat under the rugs. This reduces noise in high traffic areas and protects wooden floors
Step 4. Repair the floor to reduce the noise caused by loose screws and rafters
You will need to remove the floor to access the slab. You can decide to dent a part of the floor, or you can consider removing it entirely in order to access the entire subfloor.
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Identify and mark the areas of the floor that creak before removing the flooring. You need to focus on those areas during this process. If you are working on hardwood floors and have invested a lot of time in construction, you are probably familiar with very squeaky or weak areas.
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Insert 1 or 2 drywall screws into the joist of the area where the floor makes too much noise. This will help strengthen the support beam and stop the noise. You should do the same with the surrounding joists, while you have access to the subfloor.
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Locate any loose floor joists and tap the wood in the area to be placed. You can use a hammer or mallet to gently tap the shim back into place until you see it can't go any further. Saw any extra thickness of wood that sticks out of the joist. Drive a drywall screw or nail through the joist and into the shim to help it stay stable.
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Replace the flooring on the top of the subfloor and check the weak spots to make sure this solves the noise problem. If not, you can purchase a hardwood floor squeaking kit that you can find at flooring stores, hardware stores, or online.
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Step 5. Remove the floor and apply a sound absorbing compound and a strong underlay
You can evaluate cork, foam rubber, or rubber shavings. The most used sound-absorbing compound is a silicone product that must be interposed between two hard surfaces.
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Foam rubber is the cheapest solution while cork is quite expensive, although it provides good insulation. Rubber shavings are probably the most expensive material but the mass of material added is the one that provides the best solution to muffle the noise.
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Remove the existing floor. If the slab is a hard surface, you can apply the silicone product directly to it and cover this compound with MDF or cement fiber panels.
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Spread the foam rubber, cork or rubber directly over the MDF or the cement fiber. Then re-install the floor. You can use parquet, tile or laminate. All of this will help reduce background noise.
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Advice
- Always wear safety glasses when working with screws, saws, and hardwood.
- You can also put a sound absorbing mat to muffle the noise from windows and other areas of the house. Buy some large sheets of paper and cut them to the shape of the windows if you want to reduce the noise even more.
- Ask the clerk of a building or hardware store for information before making any changes to the floor. Go to the store with the floor and slab images so the staff can help you find the right tools and products to get the job done.
