Hard floor finishes can transmit substantially more footfall and impact noise than carpet. Lease clauses are intended to protect neighbouring flats and may require the replacement floor to achieve acoustic performance comparable with the original carpet finish.

No. Some leases only require a suitable acoustic underlay, while others specify a named product, minimum test result, acoustic consultant’s approval or post-installation sound testing. Check the exact wording and any licence-to-alter requirements before ordering.

dB Matting is a dense recycled-rubber acoustic flooring layer designed to reduce impact vibration and support airborne sound insulation when installed as part of a suitable floor system.

The 15mm version is thicker and heavier, having around 2 decibel better performance on both impact and airborne noise reduction. The 12mm product keeps the floor build-up lower and is often the standard leasehold option where door and threshold heights are restricted.

Many compatible floating laminate floors can be installed directly over dB Matting where the subfloor is level, dry and structurally suitable. Always confirm compatibility with the flooring manufacturer.

Compatible floating engineered timber may be installed directly above the mat. Maintain the required expansion gap and avoid fixings that pass through the acoustic layer into the structural floor.

Yes, but LVT normally requires a rigid load-distribution surface. Use dB Matting with an approved overlay such as Jumpax Dual Overlay Board or a suitable tongue-and-groove MDF system.

Yes. It can be used over suitable concrete and screeded floors, provided the substrate is level, clean, dry and ready to receive the acoustic layer and final floor finish.

Yes, provided the floorboards are secure, level enough for the chosen floor finish and structurally sound. Loose boards, protruding fixings and significant gaps should be corrected first.

dB Matting has been used within tested floor constructions that achieve strong acoustic results. Compliance applies to the complete separating floor and ceiling system, not to the mat alone.

The impact result is expressed as L_nT,w, where a lower number indicates better impact insulation. The airborne result is expressed as D_nT,w + C_tr, where a higher number indicates better airborne insulation.

No acoustic underlay can guarantee complete silence. The aim is to reduce vibration and make footsteps and other impacts less intrusive. Results depend on the whole floor and ceiling construction and any flanking sound paths.

Both the 12mm and 15mm sheets cover 1.25m². Divide the room area by 1.25 and round up to the next complete sheet, then add a sensible allowance for cutting waste.

A 4m by 3m room measures 12m². Dividing 12 by 1.25 gives 9.6, so at least 10 sheets are required before adding any extra allowance for waste.

The installation method depends on the final floor finish and complete system. Floating timber and laminate installations may be loose laid, or, the matting can be glued down with Mapei Ultrabond Eco Plus VS90. A 15kg tub covers around 45 sqm when spread with a 3mm notched trowel. If the hardwood floor beeds to be glued down, we recommend contacting the floor finish manyfacturer for thier glue recommendation (to keep in line with your warrantly). Carpet finishes may also require a specified adhesive if carpeting directly.

The sheets should be butted tightly together without any air gaps at the joints. We hardly suggest using tape o rubber crumb as it doesn't adhere very well. We suggest running a bead of Mapei Ultrabond Eco Plus VS90 on the edges, or use acoustic sealant to fill any air gaps. The subfloor should be levelled and even to avoid uneven joints.

With rubber underlays, we suggest leaving a 5mm expansion gap around the perimeter and infilling this with acoustic sealant over using the dB RD Flanking Strip. This stops sound from flanking down the walls, acting as a decoupling agent.

Avoid using rigid fixings at all costs! We recommend using adhesive to tack the matting down as fixings will create sound bridges that allow impact noise and vibration to bypass the resilient layer.

Heavy fixed units will need their own structural support or plinth. This avoids putting excessive point loading onto the acoustic underlay which can cause deflection. The matting should go under units which have access via legs, the legs should use wooden plinths to buildup the floor creating the same build up throughout.

Not without the use of a tile backer or cement particle overlay board. Tiles require a rigid and stable substrate. Use Acoustilay Tilemat instead - this is a desnser acoustic underlay specifically designed to have stone, porcelain or ceramic tile finish laid directly onto it. We also recommend using a flexible tile adhesive for better impact noise reduction performance.

At the time this content was prepared, the product holds a five-star customer rating; check the live product page for the latest information.

Send the lease wording, room dimensions, existing floor construction, ceiling type below, proposed floor finish and any required acoustic target. Photographs and drawings are also useful where available.