Isolating Internal Noise & Vibration – Compact Timber Floating Floor

Just because a building is old and neighbours are close by, does not mean the health and disturbance impact of noise is any less. This project had cost and space constraints that required careful design and installation.

Our installation comprised of a lightweight, minimal depth floor to control energy from impact. Everyone has their comforts in life, to ensure that comforts are not sacrificed whilst pleasing everyone we were called in to help. The neighbours who had filed complaints from the noise levels being produced, but given the structure was old with little internal space, a novel design was required.

Working alongside CLC Contractors Ltd. we got to work installing our specialist EAFM floor to help. There was concern of losing too much space in the area and so additional joists were installed between the standard floor joists to allow both the ideal spacings for our isolators and to also lower the starting point of the floor.

Our team went into the project starting with the exposed joists and marked out the grid locations between, placing the mounts and then using shims to level them to a laser line level of precision. We placed British Gypsum MF5 channel on the top of the isolators to help distribute the weight and strengthen the floor. Mason NFS (Neoprene Foam Strip) was then used as a perimeter isolation material along the edges of all the walls.

Finally, we could start the satisfying process of laying the boards. This consisted of 1 layer of 18mm Class 2 Plywood and 1 layer of 18mm STS cement fibre board for increased mass. Each board was carefully cut and placed to follow the contours of the existing building as closely as possible whilst ensuring there is no hard contact that could cause an acoustic bridge.

In between the boards we rolled out a layer of water-based adhesive and then screwed the boards to secure them. To limit the amount of headspace consumed, we finished the floor with the STS boards and would be followed by the reinstating of the old floorboards and flooring as to minimise the impact on the finish.

Overall, the installation was a very interesting and enjoyable experience for us. We are so happy to have been given the opportunity to help and proud of the outcome. We reached out to the local council representatives handling the case recently to check on the impact we had made, and the feedback was amazing. The neighbours have reported to have had a significant reduction in disruption, hardly hearing anything anymore and more dramatically for them, “nothing shakes”. This was good to hear and is a great example of just how dramatic an impact these floors can make.

Mason UK will be pleased to support all jobs, regardless of size or prestige, treating them all with the same level of care and dedication.