Attic conversion, how to sound proof floor?

themadchef

Quick question, my sister is planning to have her attic done and she was wondering whats the best way to go about sound proofing the floor (on what will be upstairs). Any tips?

Nothing worse than hearing pounding of footsteps upstairs.

Thanks

10-10-20

This thread may assist you...
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055177951

GreeBo

I assume she will be getting heating installed up there and the rafters insulated?
The more insulation on the floor the less heat that will get up there...

themadchef

GreeBo wrote: »

I assume she will be getting heating installed up there and the rafters insulated?
The more insulation on the floor the less heat that will get up there...

Hi GreeBo, thanks for reply. She calls it the attic, but really its a whole floor (there's no up stairs) if you know what i mean. So yes heating in all rooms. Plans on putting 3 en suite bedrooms up there. Only concern is the noise level through the floor. The joists etc when house was being built were put in strong enough with a view to development upstairs when she and her husband started a family. AFAIK they have chip board down on the floor to use space for storage at the moment and you can hear every tap is someone goes up there. ...so basically we were both wondering how to go about sound proofing without it costing the earth, thanks.

GreeBo

ok that should be fine heatwise as long as you then insulate between the rafters (otherwise you are heating the sky), but as mentionned in the other thread you are going to have severe noise coming down the wood work unless you find some way of maybe suspending the floor.

witzky

if u build up the floor as normal, use rubber supports, place battens on them, put ur desired flooring on that. its a 'sub floor' kinda thing.

Mellor

witzky wrote: »

if u build up the floor as normal, use rubber supports, place battens on them, put ur desired flooring on that. its a 'sub floor' kinda thing.

Prety much the same as my reccomendation in the other thread link to my 10-10-20

Mellor wrote: »

Opps, missed this.

A floating floor where the flooring material (OSB, Ply, T&G etc) is not fixed directly to the joists but to batons that sit on pads on the joists or on a sub-layer of flooring (more osb or similar. The Sheets act act additional bracing creating a more rigid floor, and the pads buffer the impact sound between the two rooms. This is one form of sound the other being airbourne.
Impact is the stamping of kids feet, air bourne is the shouting as they do it.

Maglight

We used black wool insulation around and between the joists. It has worked really well to deaden the noise. It also has very good thermal insulation properties. Wooden floors throughout and two small kids

sesswhat

If she's not averse to carpets, then a good thick underlay will be very effective to dampen the noise of footsteps.