Acoustic Floor Insulation

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ROCKFLOOR

Noise pollution can be damaging to human health in various ways. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) research, it affects sleep, social productivity and may even lead to hearing loss1. 

Acoustic floor insulation significantly reduces the impact of noise on building occupants, by cutting sound transfer between neighbouring spaces. Installed on the first floor or intermediate floors of separating flats or offices in the same property, it creates a more comfortable living or working environment.

Find out more about the benefits and applications of ROCKWOOL acoustic flooring solutions today. 

Table of contents

  1. Why insulate the floor
  2. Calculator and savings
  3. Why choose ROCKWOOL solutions
  4. Installation
  5. Downloads and resources
  6. Financial support
  7. FAQ
  8. Other relevant applications
Find inspiration, guides and reports

Acoustic Floor Insulation Products

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Floor Solutions

Acoustic RockFloor®

With high-rise living and buildings with multiple-occupancy becoming increasingly common, acoustic performance of intermediate and separating floors is key in design criteria and specifications. Acoustic RockFloor® delivers robust impact sound protection.

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ROCKWOOL FLEXI®

ROCKWOOL FLEXI® has been designed as a multi-use, dual purpose acoustic and thermal stone wool insulation with a unique flexible edge along one side. It is suitable for use all over the home, in pitched roof rafters, framed external walls, internal partitions, intermediate floors, separating walls and floors, and timber suspended ground floors.

Why do we need Acoustic Floor Insulation?

Acoustics are an important consideration in all building designs, whether a new build or renovation. It is vital to limit the impact of outside disturbances, such as traffic, as well as ensuring that occupants’ activities do not affect neighbouring dwellings.

One in five people are exposed to sound levels at night that may seriously damage their health2. A good acoustic floor solution both dampens sound transfer leaving the room, and reduces noise entering it.

For example, with a floating screed system, resilient material placed under the dry laid or poured screed can greatly reduce impact and airborne transmission. 

 

Key benefits when installing stone wool products include:

  • Strong impact and airborne sound insulation
  • Fire resilience and thermal properties
  • Quick and easy installation
Relevant resources
Why stone wool? Acoustic Capabilities
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Acoustic Building Regulations
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Acoustic Calculator
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Calculator and savings

Floating floors have a high potential for reducing disturbance caused by impact and airborne noise in dwellings, as effective insulation greatly reduces vibration transmission through structures. 

 

The acoustic performance of an additive layer (floating floor and ceiling) is quantified in terms of:

  • Reduction of impact sound noise - ΔR expressed in dB.
  • Improvement of airborne sound insulation – ΔR expressed in dB. 

 

The amount of acoustic floor insulation required depends on the size of the floor where it is being installed. Measuring the surface provides the best indicator of how much is needed.

For under screed applications the stone wool resilient insulation layer can vary from 25 – 50mm depending on the slab, screed and load imposed on the floor. High density products are used for this.

In the case of timber or metal joist floors, slabs and rolls are used to fill the cavity (filling two-thirds or three-quarters of the cavity being common practice). Due to its absorption properties, stone wool reduces the cavity resonance – enhancing airborne sound insulation. Medium and low-density products are used for this application. 

The primary aim of this is to reduce noise transfer, which can help improve productivity by making the indoor living or working environment more comfortable. 

Due to their material properties, however, all ROCKWOOL products also boast strong thermal properties. These can improve the energy efficiency of a room – saving on heating and cooling costs.

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Why choose ROCKWOOL solutions?

A wide range of ROCKWOOL products are available for both new builds and renovations – ideal for low-rise, single family houses, high-rise properties, office blocks, schools and more. 

Acoustic ROCKFLOOR slabs and other products can be used to create acoustic floating screeds that reduce the sound transfer of both air and impact borne noises. Because of their resilience, ROCKWOOL products effectively disconnect the screed from the floor.

The lower the dynamic stiffness of the resilient material, the more effective the floating floor and the better the sound improvement. By increasing the thickness of the ROCKWOOL material used, the dynamic stiffness decreases.

ROCKWOOL products do not decrease in thickness under constant load, providing strong sound insulation performance over time.

Sound absorbing and noise attenuation capabilities improve both the airborne and impact sound insulating performance of most floor structures when ROCKWOOL products are installed above and between the joists. 

 

Benefits include3:

  • Acoustic blocking
  • Fire resilience
  • Robustness
  • Circularity
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Using ROCKWOOL products, you can reduce the perceived noise level coming from floor impacts above – like footsteps or furniture movements – up to a factor of eight.

Riccardo Gandolfi

ROCKWOOL Acoustic Knowledge Manager

Installation

The process for installing effective acoustic flooring solutions will depend on your chosen ROCKWOOL products – and the specifics of the room. 

Acoustic ROCKFLOOR boards offer the flexibility to be placed over or under slabs, as it absorbs any sub-floor imperfections. In floating screed applications ROCKWOOL slabs can be placed between the structural slab/sub-floor and screed.

Various other sound insulation slabs and rolls can be cut to size, installed and fitted around wires and cables.

Key tips4:

  • Measure the floor – for an accurate amount of insulation material, measure the floor’s surface area and allow for extra material where cutting is required. 
  • Use a professional installer – when using floating screed for an acoustic floor, expert installers will ensure proper installation. 
  • Cut to size – ROCKWOOL boards and slabs can be easily cut with a knife to the required size when fitting acoustic floor insulation between joints.

 

Installation guides for professionals

Good Growth, Quiet Buildings Report

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PDF
1.2 MB
25 Oct 2020

Good Growth, Quiet Buildings

Exploring the impact of noise in a growing city and solutions in the built environment

Downloads and resources

To be updated
PDF
1.2 MB

Good growth, Quiet Buildings Report

Download
To be updated
PDF
11.2 MB

ROCKWOOL Red Book

Download
To be updated
PDF
19.0 MB

Renovation Case Study Booklet

Download
To be updated
PDF
3.9 MB

ROCKFLOOR Datasheet

Download
To be updated
PDF
7.3 MB

FLEXI Datasheet

Download

Download our guides

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Product Documentation

Approved Document L 2021 Edition (England)

Approved Document L (Part L) 2021 came into force in England on 15 June 2022, bringing big changes to thermal regulations for both new and existing buildings. Download our new guide.

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Product Documentation

The ROCKWOOL Red Book

To help save specifiers’ time and make it easier to identify the correct insulation solutions for facades, walls, floors and roofs, ROCKWOOL has launched the new ROCKWOOL Red Book – a fully interactive guide which provides digital access to technical data, product certification and a wide range of specification support materials.

Financial support

Check the Energy Savings Trust website to see whether there are any financial support schemes available for acoustic floor insulation.

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FAQs

What floor solutions do ROCKWOOL Group offer?
What are the benefits of ROCKWOOL floor insulation?
Does the fibrous nature of your products help with soundproofing?

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Intermediate Floor Insulation

ROCKWOOL intermediate floor insulation improves the acoustic, thermal and fire performance of wooden and concrete separating floors.

[1] https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/66217

[2] https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/noise

[3] https://www.rockwool.com/group/why-stone-wool/

[4] https://www.rockwool.com/group/our-thinking/renovation/craftsmen-renovation/tips-and-tricks-installation/

[5]  https://www.rockwool.com/group/why-stone-wool/circularity/ 

ROCKWOOL Group