Guide to Fitting Noisestop F7+ Acoustic Underlay Mats
Floor soundproofing acoustic underlay mats for domestic and commercial floors
Guide to fitting Noisestop F7+ acoustic underlay mats to your floors. Noisestop F7+ is suitable for use in domestic and commercial applications. Reduce impact and airborne noise, conversation and TV noise transferring through timber subfloors. Part E compliant when installed as part of separating floor construction.
Fitting Noisestop F7+ Acoustic Underlay Mats
Lay acoustic underlay mats in a brick bond pattern on the floor. Don’t leave gaps between the mats when fitted; ensure the matting is tightly butted together.
Use a Stanley knife or sharp scissors to cut the soundproof matting to fit the shape of your room.
Fitting Noisestop F7+ below hard floor finishes
Install Noisestop F7+ below solid floor finishes like laminates, engineered flooring and tiled floors. If you are leaving an expansion gap for the floor finish, ensure the gap is sealed with a flexible acoustic sealant. Flooring that is 15mm or thicker should be fitted straight over the acoustic underlay. For less than 15mm flooring, we recommend adding a resilient layer of plywood or hardboard over the underlay. Use a 9mm resilient layer over the acoustic underlay.
Please check this with the flooring company that is supplying or fitting your floor finish. If you are laying carpet tiles and vinyl flooring, use the resilient layer below the floor finish. The resilient layer should be bonded to the acoustic underlay with Isobond adhesive.
Fitting Noisestop F7+ below carpet
Noisestop F7+ should be combined with perimeter edging strips around the room if you use a carpet underlay over the soundproof mat. If you are not using a carpet underlay and grippers, you will not need edging strips.
Nail or glue Perimeter strips to the floor before you install the gripper rods. You should then nail the gripper rods onto the perimeter strips. Lay the Noisestop F7+ in a brick bond pattern over the floor. Ensure that no gaps are left between the acoustic mats and the perimeter strips and between the acoustic matting sheets.
Fitting Noisestop F7+ to stairs
Fitting the Noisestop F7+ to the stairs should be combined with perimeter strips. The strips are nailed or glued in place before the gripper rods are attached. Once you have cut the mats to size, they should be glued in place with Isobond adhesive.
Complying with Building Regulations Part E
If you fit an acoustic underlay to comply with Building Regulations Part E, you will need to fix the mats with a floor-grade adhesive to the subfloor.
There is no requirement to fix this product to the subfloor if you carry out any other domestic or commercial applications. Unless you are carrying out work to comply with the Building Regulations, you do not need to fix the acoustic underlay to the floor.
Fitting Noisestop F7+ in kitchens and bathrooms
When installing an acoustic underlay in kitchens and bathrooms, the units should not be sat on the matting. To ensure the correct floor heights, the units should be set on plywood or MDF sheet. This will ensure the same floor height throughout. In kitchens, lay the acoustic mats up to the kitchen plinth; lay the underlay below the units to reduce airborne sound transfer. For bathrooms, ensure toilets and sinks are raised to ensure the correct floor height.
Please note
We would always recommend that you check with your flooring company to check the suitability of the final floor finish with an acoustic underlay. Due to the number of different floor finishes available, it is not always possible to check the product’s suitability with every floor finish.
Related Products
-
Noisestop F7 Plus Underlay 15mm x 1200mm x 1200mm
From £ 46.95 ex. VAT -
Noisestop F7 Underlay 9mm x 1200mm x 1200mm
From £ 29.55 ex. VAT -
Perimeter Isolation Tape 25m x 100mm x 5mm
From £ 11.70 ex. VAT -
Perimeter Edging Strips 9mm x 1200mm x 25mm
From £ 5.65 ex. VAT -
Isobond Adhesive 12kg
From £ 54.95 ex. VAT
Floor Soundproofing
Make sure you are getting the right soundproofing for your needs. Understanding the most common types of noise and how to stop them will help you decide the right solution.
Different Types of Sound
- Airborne sounds – Conversation, TV noise and radios are examples of airborne sound. The best way to stop airborne sounds is to add mass/density to the walls or ceilings.
- Impact/vibration sounds – Footfall and moving furniture across a floor are examples of impact sounds. The best way to reduce these sounds is to create separation.
In summary, the best way to reduce airborne sounds is by increasing the mass of the area you would like to soundproof. Reducing impact/vibration sounds is achieved by creating separation within the structure.
Reducing Impact and Airborne Sounds
By following some of these steps, you will ensure you get the best level of soundproofing for your room.
- Mass/Density – Increasing the mass and density of the area you are soundproofing will block airborne sounds from transferring between rooms. You will increase the mass of walls and ceilings using materials such as soundproof panels or high-density acoustic insulation slabs.
- Separation – Incorporating separation within the structure will reduce vibration and impact sounds transferring between rooms. Achieve separation by building independent stud walls and ceilings. If you don’t have the space in the room, you can use acoustic clips and resilient channels to decouple the wall and ceiling.
- Absorption – Use materials that are going to absorb sounds. Acoustic insulation is suitable for sound absorption as it converts the sound waves into heat as it passes through the insulation. Dense mass loaded barriers will also dampen and absorb sound.
