Flooring and Acoustics: The Impact of Carpets, Vinyl, and Laminate

When it comes to designing a home or commercial premises, the flooring you choose can make a big difference to the acoustics of the room. Different flooring materials can affect how sound travels, the clarity of speaking voices, and the loud ambient noise levels. Carpets, vinyl flooring and laminate floors can all affect acoustics, so let’s explore the positives and negatives of each flooring type.

Sound-Absorbing Carpets

Carpet is often rated as the best flooring for sound absorption because its soft, fibrous structure acts like a sponge, soaks up sound waves and reduces the reflection and echo off surfaces. This makes carpet especially effective in minimising impact noise like footsteps, dropped items or airborne sounds like music or loud voices. Carpets are often the best option for bedrooms and living rooms or places such as libraries or open plan offices where noise reduction is important.

The thickness of the carpet also needs to be considered because the thicker and denser the carpet, the better it will be at absorbing sound. However, while carpets do absorb higher-frequency sounds effectively, they may not be as good at absorbing lower frequency noises. If you need a very quiet space, you may need to combine the carpet with other sound absorbing elements such as ceiling tiles, wall hangings, furniture and soft furnishings.

Is Vinyl Flooring Good for Acoustics?

Vinyl flooring is averagely rated for acoustic properties because while it is not as effective at absorbing sound as carpet, it performs better than hard surfaces like tiles. How quiet vinyl flooring can make your surroundings also depends on what it is made of and how it has been installed. Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) or vinyl planks often come with an underlay that can help reduce the impact of noise on other rooms. There are also specially designed vinyl floors that are supposed to be quieter and that can absorb more sound.

Can Laminate be a Quiet Choice?

Laminate flooring can be challenging when it comes to acoustics. As it is a harder surface, it reflects more sound than carpet or vinyl, making sounds feel more echoey and loud. As with vinyl, installing the laminate is important because using a high quality underlay can help reduce any impact noise and the movement of sounds between floors. If you want the look of a wooden floor, adding a good underlay can be a compromise between style and sound reduction.