Floor Soundproofing Ireland | How to Stop Noise Between Floors
Floor soundproofing in Ireland is one of the most common acoustic problems in homes and apartments. Whether it is footsteps from the floor above, a washing machine vibrating through the structure, or noise travelling between levels in an apartment block, the right products make a serious difference. This guide covers why floors let noise through, what type of floor you have, and exactly what to use to fix it.
Why Floor Soundproofing in Ireland Matters
Floors carry two types of noise and most people only think about one.
Impact noise is the thud of footsteps, furniture being dragged, or anything that creates vibration directly on the surface. This travels through the structure and is often the hardest to stop.
Airborne noise is sound that travels through the air and passes through the floor, like voices or music from the room below.
Most Irish homes were not built with acoustic performance in mind. Timber joist floors in older houses are particularly poor at blocking both types. Concrete floors in apartments handle airborne noise reasonably well but still transmit impact noise easily. Either way, the fix depends on knowing what type of floor you are dealing with.
Timber Joist Floors: The Right Approach
Timber floors are the most common in Irish houses built before the 2000s. The joist cavity between floors is the key to treating them properly. You need to address three things: the joist to board connection, the cavity itself, and the board layer.
Step 1: Isolate the joists. Every time a floorboard sits directly on a timber joist, it creates a direct path for vibration to travel. The fix is to put a resilient layer between them. The AM Resilient Roll is a self-adhesive 5mm closed-cell neoprene tape that sticks directly to the top of each joist before the boards go down. It acts as a shock absorber and eliminates floor squeaks at the same time. It is also resistant to oil and water so it will not break down over time.
Step 2: Fill the joist cavity. Rockwool RW3 Slab is a 60kg/m³ stone wool slab that friction-fits between joists with no adhesive needed. It reduces airborne sound transmission, adds thermal performance, and carries a Euroclass A1 fire rating. You can read more about Euroclass fire classifications on the European Commission construction products regulation page. Available in 40mm, 50mm, and 100mm thicknesses depending on your joist depth.
Step 3: Add a high-density board layer. Once the joists are isolated and the cavity is filled, adding a dense board layer on top locks in the performance. The AM Soundproofing Eco Board is made from 100% recycled composite card and delivers an airborne sound reduction of Rw 31dB and an impact sound reduction of 18dB. It is lightweight, easy to cut, and goes down over the resilient roll before your final floor finish.
For extra performance on timber floors you can also install AM EcoVinyl Mass Loaded Vinyl as an additional mass layer between the Eco Board and the final finish. The combination of joist tape, Rockwool, Eco Board, and MLV is as close to a professional acoustic floor build-up as you can get in a retrofit situation.
Concrete Floors: The Right Approach
Concrete floors are common in apartments and newer Irish homes. They handle airborne noise better than timber but impact noise is still a major issue. The solution here is decoupling the floor finish from the slab below.
Use a recycled rubber acoustic underlay. The AM Eco-Lay is a high-density rubber membrane made from 8.5 recycled end-of-life tyres per roll. It sits between the concrete slab and your floor finish, absorbing impact vibration before it can travel into the structure below. It is compatible with engineered hardwood, LVT, vinyl, ceramic, and natural stone.
It comes in three thicknesses: 2mm, 3mm, and 4.5mm. Thicker gives better performance. For apartments where impact noise is a serious issue, go with the 4.5mm. For lighter residential use the 2mm or 3mm is enough.
Installation requires the DISPERTEC AR-7329 adhesive for bonding to concrete. The subfloor must be clean, dry, and free from grease before laying. Do not use soap or detergent to clean it as this leaves a film that stops the adhesive bonding properly.
What Does Not Work
A few things people waste money on before finding the right solution.
Standard carpet underlay. Too soft and too thin. It compresses under foot traffic and stops performing within months.
Cork tiles. Better than foam but still nowhere near enough mass or resilience for serious impact noise problems.
A single extra layer of plywood or chipboard. Adds some mass but does nothing to decouple the floor from the structure. The vibration still travels straight through.
The key principle in floor soundproofing is always the same: decouple, fill, and add mass. Products that do not address at least one of these three things will not make a meaningful difference.
Shop Floor Soundproofing Products in Ireland
Acoustic Materials Ireland supply everything you need for a professional floor soundproofing build-up, with fast nationwide delivery.
Browse the full floor soundproofing range here.
For advice on the right products for your project, contact the team on sales@acousticmaterials.ie or call +353 1 201 5746.
