How To Perform Sound Insulation Under A Concrete Screed

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

Material selection
Laying rules
Arrangement technology
Foundation preparation
Isolation device
Filling the screed
Practical advice

Very often in residential buildings, you can encounter excessive audibility, noise transmission. It should be noted that most of these sounds come through the floor. The work in the apartment, the work of household appliances, walking, talking and much more can act as a source of noise. To avoid this, it is necessary to soundproof the floor under the screed. This stage in the construction and arrangement of premises is of great importance. He should be given maximum attention to achieve a positive result.

Material selection

Before starting work, you should select the required material. Not only quality will depend on it, but also the properties and qualities displayed during operation. There is a huge range of them on the market. It is very important to learn as much as possible about them.

Mineral wool. Possesses such qualities as low density, as well as compressive strength. Due to this, it has acquired a high level of sound and thermal insulation. It contains mineral fibers produced by melting.
Extruded polystyrene. It has a slightly higher density than classic foam. However, due to this, it cannot be used in a floating screed for a soundproofing layer.
Perlites. This is ordinary expanded clay and perlite itself. For its production, swelling of specific rocks is carried out. They are characterized by average sound insulation values. Mostly applicable for backfilling the base under the screed.
Styrofoam. Blocks of material are formed after heating the expanded polystyrene balls.
Foamed polyurethane.

Sound insulation under the floor screed

It does little to protect the room from impact noise. But at the same time it has excellent thermal insulation qualities.
Fiber plates.
Vermiculite. Possesses increased strength to destruction, due to which it can be easily pressed. It does not decay, it is able to withstand elevated temperatures.
Aerated concrete. It is rarely used. This is due to the sensitivity to high humidity, as well as the creation of a sufficient load on the floor slabs.

Laying rules

Before starting work, we decide on the material. Its main quality should be compressibility. It is characterized by the difference between the thickness of the slab and the thickness under load. The softer the material used, the better its sound insulation properties will be.

Noise will not propagate to other structures in the building. But it should not be too soft, since in this case the screed will sag.

When a structure is made in several layers, then softer mats for sound insulation should be placed on the base. Further, more compressive strengths are laid. We must not forget about the separation of the seams. Underlying seams should not be identical in location to overlying seams. They should overlap each other. The entire layer should eventually be covered with a polyethylene film to create a waterproofing layer.

The thickness of the future layer includes all elements, including the floor itself, the completed floor screed.

Arrangement technology

Considering the technology itself for creating sound insulation under the screed in an apartment, it is best to take into account such material as "Shumanet". All work can be done independently by any person. You will not need any experience. There is a sequence of actions of the technology, which includes the following stages:

Removing the floor screed. This allows you to subsequently arrange a high-quality floor structure. In addition, at this stage, you can find other surfaces that have defects and the entire layer.
Preparatory activities. It includes a sequence of actions, the necessary layers, processing with appropriate materials. It is worth noting that the soundproofing of the floor in the apartment under the Shumanet screed requires practically no measures and installation is carried out in the shortest possible time.
Mounting. To work, you only need to roll the material along the plates. Construction tape is used to connect the strips together. You should definitely overlap the walls according to the thickness of the future floor screed.

Sound insulation under the floor screed

Foundation preparation

This stage requires thoroughness and labor. After disassembling the floor to overlap, all existing debris, dirt, even dust is removed. If this is not done, then problems will begin to be created when laying the sound insulation layer. In addition, the service life will increase significantly if everything is done efficiently. In certain cases, additional leveling of the sub-floor can be arranged before the following measures. After that, a plastic film is laid on the surface. In no case should you feel sorry for her. Floor slabs must be completely covered with it without gaps. This will guarantee that moisture from the future screed will not get to the neighbors.

Isolation device

The work uses the material that is selected for sound insulation of dry screed. This layer is arranged over the laid out film. In this case, an additional layer of reinforcement is very important. It can be used as a special mesh made of metal or other modern means, such as fiber. It will not allow the poured screed to crack during the drying process.

You can purchase ready-made kits of materials for soundproofing floor screed in an apartment. It remains only to spread them over the surface in certain layers, each of which covers the next one at a measured distance.

There are several different ways to arrange a soundproofed screed. Everything will depend on the option and the desired result. This can be a floating concrete floor, dry floor screed, prefabricated floors. Each of them has features of a sound insulation layer.

Regardless of the process of installing the screed with sound insulation, the skirting boards, upon completion of the work, must be attached to only one surface. It could be a wall, a floor. A rubber gasket is placed under the skirting board. If you use nails, they can act as a conductor of sound.

Filling the screed

The final stage of the whole process is the pouring of the floor screed onto the substrate. For this, beacons are initially installed around the perimeter of the room. They will serve as the basis for high-quality filling of the finished solution. The lighthouses are best used on adjustable feet. Labor costs in this case will be minimized.

A place must be prepared for the solution. The environment must not be spoiled. It will not be superfluous to use a mechanized tool in the work or invite an assistant. Much will depend on the thickness of the screed. So that it does not crack quickly, it is best to choose a thickness of at least 50 mm. But in no case should you start using the floor until the moment when the filled solution is completely dry. In addition, after the screed cracks, the isolate will begin to be damaged. Extraneous noise and sounds will again penetrate into the room. That is, all the work will go to waste.

Practical advice

In order for the soundproofing of the floor under the dry screed to give the room silence, some very important tips must be followed. The technological process should not deviate in the sequence of actions and only high-quality material for work is used.

A better level of sound insulation results in a softer material. But very soft will contribute to the subsidence of the screed. An insulator should be chosen depending on the modulus of compressibility, which is indexed "CP". Under load for residential premises, it should not change in thickness by more than 5 mm. Otherwise, the screed will collapse and deform.

Stiffer materials are stacked when constructing a multi-layer structure. At the very bottom are soft products. At the same time, much depends on the floor slab, the choice of flooring. They also have an effect on the absorption of noise that may enter the room.

The screed over material such as rock wool is best done after the plywood sheet has been applied. At the same time, it must be waterproof. This is due to the great softness of the insulating material.

If you adhere to all these requirements for laying the soundproof layer under the screed layer, then in the end you will get a really high-quality structure. All that remains is to lay the flooring and enjoy the silence in the room.