Hardwood floors not only add value to your home. They are also durable, beautiful and easy to clean. Despite these many benefits, they do come with one disadvantage and that is they can be noisy. Sound can literally bounce back when you walk across the floor; fortunately the knowledgeable experts at Mike’s Custom Flooring can take care of sound reduction during the installation phase while offering some advice to help diminish sound for preexisting wooden flooring.
How to Stop Hardwood Floors from Creaking; Soundproof During Installation & Tips for Existing Floors
Pre-Installation: If you are in the process of building a new home, you may want to consider taking care of sound reduction during the construction phase. Your Mike’s Custom Flooring Specialist may recommend installing an acoustical sound board beneath your subfloor to insulate sound vibrations. Underlays including mats made from vinyl, rubber or closed-cell foam can also provide additional protection to isolate sound. Keep in mind, the thicker the underlays, the greater the level of soundproofing. There are a wide range of products available, so be sure to ask your Mikes Custom flooring expert which will work best for your home.
Post-Installation: If you are already living in a home or operating a business with wood flooring, take a moment to consider some decorating options to help reduce sound. Placing furniture, particularly upholstered furniture such as sofas, and sectionals made from softer fabrics such as microfiber are great choices for absorbing noise. When it comes to your dining room, consider utilizing tablecloths, cushions and slip covers to help diminish the vibration of sounds throughout the room. Reducing sound caused by your flooring isn’t all about furniture; consider your walls and windows as well. A good quality area rug can absorb sound easily as can a well-placed wall covering. Draperies can also help absorb sounds that vibrate around your space providing you utilize heavy weight fabrics to allow for greater absorption.
Hardwood Flooring Inspection
If you are hearing unusual sounds coming from the flooring itself, contact your Mike’s Custom Flooring expert for a professional evaluation. The noise could be caused by the floorboards rubbing together due to spaces between the finished flooring and the subfloor, or spaces between the subfloors and the joist. All of these issues can produce sounds when you walk over the floor. Your Mikes Custom Flooring expert is trained to determine the exact cause. If the problem is between the finished floor and the subfloor, the flooring is best fixed from the finished side. Your flooring professional will begin by drilling a 3 ½ inch drywall screw through the subfloor and into a joist. Noises that occur when the space is between the subfloor and joist are typically fixed from below using a 3 ½-inch to 4-inch drywall screw, set at an angle into the areas where the joist and subfloor connect to secure the two together.
Hardwood Floor Installation & More in Charles Town & Eastern Panhandle of Berkeley & Jefferson Counties in WV | Winchester & Frederick County | Round Hill & Loudoun County | Berryville & Clarke County | Herndon & Fairfax County VA
For more information regarding Hardwood Flooring Installation, Repairs, Refinishing and more in your home, contact the knowledgeable experts at Mike’s Custom Flooring today.