Special Subfloors: part I

THE SOUND OF SILENCE

ACOUSTICS: ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED

One of the most important requirements of a subfloor (whether it is fitted under a wooden floor, laminate, or any other type of flooring) is that it is ‘as quiet as possible’. A good subfloor should have an optimal acoustic effect. That’s why this article highlights a special subfloor which originates from France, the Dinachoc S801. We look for the secret of this producer’s silence. They achieve optimal acoustics in a product which fully complies with another hot issue these days, ecological awareness.

Airborne and impact sound

When you talk about sound, you can split it up into two sorts. On the one hand, there is the so called ‘airborne sound’ and, on the other hand, there is ‘impact sound’. The former consists of vibrations made by a source of sound in the air such as, for instance, a human voice, a radio, an engine in motion, etc. This ‘airborne sound’ travels via floors and walls to adjoining rooms and moves both from outside inwards and vice versa. Impact sound is completely different and is created between materials. Typical impact sounds in buildings include footsteps and chair movements.

When you fit a floor, you know that one of the most important criteria on both commercial and residential sites is as much acoustic comfort as possible. And so, professionals have to look for ideal materials to reduce risks to the barest minimum, and that starts by selecting the right subfloor. This acoustic comfort is part of a whole series of other factors which determine the indoor environment e.g. air quality, temperature, and brightness.

Dinachoc S801 caught our eye because it has a particularly strong USP, namely that it counters both impact and airborne sound. The product also suppresses sounds as they travel from one room to another so that they are less audible. Moreover, this subfloor muffles low tones effectively, and those are precisely the ones which are generally the most annoying.

Figures

You’re probably thinking: ‘Show me some plain figures and we’ll decide if it’s worth pursuing.’ You’re right to think that way. We will give some facts after we’ve pointed out via a number of certified systems/products that Dinachoc not only increases comfort with wooden floors, but also it works on concrete, support beams, wooden frames, in theatres, cinemas, discotheques, and on sports floors.

In our case the Dinachoc S801 acoustic subfloor (which can be fitted both floating and glued) stands out and the recorded decibels speak volumes. With values of ΔLw 19dB to ΔLw 22dB, you have to say that this is an exceptional performance. Moreover, tests have shown that not only is this subfloor suitable for all floor coverings, but also that it can be fitted on top of floor heating with both high and low temperatures. Also worth mentioning are an extremely high resistance to cracks (even with extreme temperatures from -40°C to + 110°C), remarkable immutability (it doesn’t shrink or swell), excellent pressure-resistance, and an unusually high rating in terms of health (classes A+ and E1 and also VOC-free). In addition, easy fitting and comfortable stepping are two nice benefits.

100% recycled rubber

The secret of this product lies in a unique composition, namely rubber which originates for the full 100% from used and recycled car tyres, something which provides extremely durable insulation. Whilst cork peels off and fades over the years and cardboard or foam sag in the course of time, Dinachoc S801 remains unchanged.

Moreover, this manner of working means that Dinachoc S801 fits in easily with the circular economy, since old rubber tyres are recovered and transformed to make an acoustic floor. This not only reduces waste, but also gives an existing, but discarded material a new lease of life. What makes it entirely circular is that even the ‘regained’ material can later be recycled in turn for the full 100%. You can’t get much more circular than that!

A specialist

Bona

BONA U300 This is a subfloor with sound insulation effect and is also suitable for laminate. Bona U300 is a subfloor of bound cork-rubber granules. It can be used as a subfloor for wooden floors, laminate, and other floorings. It is glued with a wooden floor: It reduces strains in the wooden floor and diverts them to the base. BONA U310 Bona U310 is a felt for glued wooden floors and for laminate floors which reduces strains. It solves problems with technically doubtful substrates. Thanks to its great strength, the felt reduces strains from the subfloor so that they cannot affect the top layer. It is easy to cut and fit, is damp-proof, breathes actively, and is only 1mm thick.