While noisy floors make it hard for your teens to sneak out without your notice, they can interrupt your sleep and prevent you from hitting nirvana.
When the footfall steps start bugging you, it might be time to invest in the best soundproof underlay for laminate flooring. They are great for blocking noise and regulating your room’s temperature.
Sadly, there are tons of them out there, and not all are perfect for your laminate flooring. In this post, I’ll reveal everything I know about soundproof underlay and recommend the 5 best options I’ve used to regain my peace and quiet.
Top 5 Soundproof Underlay for Laminate Flooring
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Floorlot Blue Flooring Underlayment | 3mm Thick |
| 2. | QuietWalk Soundproof Flooring Underlayment | Covers 360 Sq. Ft. |
| 3. | MP Global QW100LV QuietWalk Underlayment | Rectangular Shape |
| 4. | SoundStep XL Flooring Underlayment | Roll Shape |
| 5. | MP Global INSUL100 Insulayment Underlayment | R-value of .57 |
Is Soundproof Underlayment Worth It?
Soundproofing your laminate floor involves putting a sound barrier between the laminate flooring and the subfloor. There are a lot of benefits to including an extra layer of material on your floor.
For starters, it provides a more stable base for the laminate flooring, significantly improving your walking experience. Plus, they help protect your expensive floor from moisture.
Most importantly, this additional material layer absorbs the stomping noise and reverberation, allowing you to walk any time of the day without disturbing your sleep partner or downstairs neighbor.
However, there are different types of underlayment. Some are made of plywood, foam, cork, etc., to reduce sound transmission through your laminate flooring. But, not all underlayments are designed for soundproofing your floor like carpet underlays.
So, investing in the best soundproof underlay for laminate flooring is essential if you want to block out the footfall and structure-borne noise. They are waterproof, meaning you won’t have to deal with mold formation between your subfloor and laminate flooring. Underlays offer several benefits, especially if the stomping noises are starting to stir troubles.
Soundproof Underlay for Laminate Flooring Reviews
1. Floorlot Blue Flooring Underlayment for Laminate Floors
Floorlot Blue Flooring Underlayment is my number 1 choice for soundproofing your home’s laminate flooring. You don’t have to take my word for it; thousands of customers are pleased with it and recommend it over most options available.
This product has a vast 200 square feet of coverage, making it perfect for small and large homes. This best-selling sound barrier is 3 mm thick, effectively cutting down most of the structure and airborne noise. No more annoying footsteps or hollow noises waking up the whole neighborhood.
Another benefit of its 3 mm thickness is it helps create a smooth base for your laminate flooring. You don’t have to worry about your subfloor irregularities or unevenness.
Not just sound insulation, I find Floorlot Blue helpful with thermal regulation. This product is integrated with a moisture-blocking film, as should any best soundproof underlay for laminate flooring. This feature keeps moisture away from the subfloor. Plus, you don’t have to spend extra dough or go through the stress of finding high-quality films.
On top of that, the Floorlot Blue is a breeze to install, even for a novice do-it-yourself.; thanks to its strong adhesive peel-and-stick design. However, you might struggle to align this best soundproof underlayment for laminate flooring. It does not come with a grid pattern. So, you’ve to improvise with chalk and tape
Pros:
- It’s more affordable than its competitors
- Excellent vapor and moisture resistance for maximum subfloor protection
- It’s perfect for laminate, hardwood, and engineered flooring
- Easy to install with its peel-and-stick design
Cons:
- It can be challenging to cut into straight lines and align without the grid pattern.
2. QuietWalk Soundproof Laminate Flooring Underlayment
The QuietWalk Soundproof is one of the best underlayments for homeowners looking to dampen the noisy impact sound. This premium choice is made of high-quality felt, which makes it suitable for a wide range of applications – laminate, Vinyl Plank, floating engineering, etc.
It offers a superior impact noise reduction to protect other rooms from tramping noise. Also, it features a dense fiber structure that makes it super resistant to compression. This material holds up well regardless of how often you step on it.
I also love that this high-performing underlayment is made from recycled materials. You have absolutely no worries about awful chemical odors or VOCs.
Even better, it doubles nicely as a vapor barrier to protect your expensive overlying floors from damaging moisture. In addition to that, it helps with temperature management to safeguard your flooring cover from thermal shock.
What’s more?
QuietWalk Soundproof Underlayment covers up to 100 sq. ft., which allows you to complete the job quickly. Also, it bonds easily with adhesive to guarantee it stays in place for a stable, well-cushioned surface.
On the downside, this underlayment can be challenging to cut, unlike other options on this list. But considering its high 66 STC and 71 IIC value, this is the most reasonably-priced underlayment to protect your home from the structure and airborne noise.
Pros:
- It’s equipped with the breakthrough Dri-Wick technology for a moisture-free experience.
- Perfect choice for eliminating impact and airborne noise
- Excellent fiber construction to withstand everyday trampling without losing its shape
- Works well for laminate flooring and other floating floors.
Cons:
- Not suitable for nail-down or glue-down flooring
3. MP Global QW100LV QuietWalk Flooring Underlayment
The QuietWalk MP Global QW100LV is another great pick for homeowners looking to soundproof and protect their floors against moisture and mold.
Like my runner-up, this material features the revolutionary DriWick Technology to keep your subfloors free from moisture that can cause expensive damage. It prevents moisture from building up, thanks to its included vapor barrier.
Similarly, this underlay has been treated to ensure you don’t have to deal with mildew and mold growth on your home floors. It’s perfect for vinyl tile, rigid core vinyl planks, laminate flooring, and many more. Unlike the QuietWalk Soundproof Underlayment, this unit suits nail-down and glue-down installation methods.
You’d be impressed by its sound reduction and reflection. This fiber underlayment absorbs impact and airborne noise traveling through your home floor. Also, it offers ample coverage of 100 sq ft, which makes it quick to install.
Furthermore, this material performs incredibly well as a thermal insulator. It helps maintain your home’s warmth for more comfort. Also, it works well with radiant heat flooring systems.
Pros:
- Unmatched sound dampening and isolation results
- Efficient 360-degree moisture protection for zero damages
- It also doubles nicely as a thermal insulator
- It inhibits the growth of mold and mildew in your house
Cons:
- Powerful adhesive, which makes it challenging to correct the alignment if you make an error
4. SoundStep XL Flooring Underlayment Acoustical for Laminate
SoundStep LV is an economical option for homeowners looking to improve their laminate flooring performance by preventing moisture and unwanted noise from leaking into their homes.
This material comes with a high STC rating of 63 and an IIC rating of 74, which makes it an excellent choice for blocking out impact and airborne noise.
It also comes with a built-in moisture barrier that wicks away moisture more than twice its size. Most customers have expressed this underlay compatibility with solid wood and engineered wood floors.
Also, you can easily install this material using double glue down or floating it in high-trafficked areas. It’s compression-resistant, which means you don’t have to worry about this underlay losing shape.
Pros:
- It’s compatible with laminate, solid wood, and engineered wood flooring
- Boosts your finish flooring’s resilience
- A 10-year manufacturer warranty backs it
- Keeps your subfloor and finish flooring moisture-free
Cons:
- Its self-seal performance could be better
5. MP Global INSUL100 Insulayment Multi-Purpose Underlayment
Wrapping up my list of the best soundproof underlay for laminate flooring is the P Global INSUL100. This underlayment blocks airborne and structural noise in your apartments and condominiums.
While it has a lower STC and IIC rating than the best-selling Floorlot Blue, it does a decent job of keeping out unwanted noise. However, I’d only recommend this product for less trafficked areas daily.
Furthermore, you don’t get an integrated vapor barrier like Floorlot Blue. But the adhesion force on this product is much stronger.
This underlayment performs better with nail-down, ceramic tile, and glue-down wood flooring.
The best part is it comes with a whopping 15-year manufacturer warranty. This means the manufacturer is responsible for this underlay’s shortcomings, if any.
Pros:
- Perfect underlay for nail-down, glue-down, and ceramic tile flooring
- Strong adhesion for secure installation
- Excellent filler pad for your in-floor heated pad
- Cutting and installing is a breeze
- One of the best sound reduction and isolation
Cons:
- Poor quality control as some product has a low tear resistance
Carpet underlay Vs. Soundproofing underlay
Most homeowners assume both materials can be used interchangeably. Well, I hate to be the one to tell you that these two materials are different. While both options can add comfort to your house flooring, carpet underlays are not great at soundproofing.
Most manufacturers tout their carpet underlay as effective at attenuating migrating noise, but this is never the case. Carpet underlays are perfect for making your flooring fit and protecting it from quick, heavy wear.
But if you want to dampen the structure-borne noise in your home, then soundproof underlay is your best bet. Plus, you’ll still get all of the benefits of carpet underlays.
Also, purchasing the right soundproofing underlay is vital for the best result. Otherwise, you might still interrupt everyone with your late-night trips to the kitchen.
How to Shop for the Best Soundproof Underlay for Laminate Flooring
Material
This is the most critical factor to consider before making a choice. They are available in different material options. I’ll discuss the popular material choices – felt, cork, foams, and rubber.
Rubber
Most soundproofing materials are made of rubber – and for all the good reasons. Rubber is known for its impressive ability to suppress sound transmission. Another great benefit is their flexibility which makes installing them a breeze. Plus, they can be nailed to the floor.
Most soundproofing materials use rubber for its flexibility and ability to dampen migrating noise. It absorbs sound waves and vibration effectively and can be nailed to the floor. Also, rubber underlayments are water-resistant to protect your expensive laminate flooring further.
Foam
Another underlayment that’s highly sought after is foam. It’s an excellent choice to prevent impact and airborne noise from invading your space. More importantly, it’s used to eliminate annoying echoes when you walk. They can also be nailed down. But with this option, it’s best to consider one resistant to moisture.
Cork
If you want to remove sound energy from your home, cork underlayment is a decent choice. Its soundproofing performance is lacking, but it makes up for it with its antimicrobial properties. Also, it’s the best solution for uneven home floors. The downside to the cork underlayment is it offers no protection against moisture.
Felt
This is one of the best underlayments for moisture and noise control for home floors. They are mostly used for hardwood floors since they can be nailed down to muffle impact and airborne noise.
Density & Thickness
Before buying a soundproofing underlayment, it’s essential to consider how thick or dense the material is. The best underlayment to soundproof your laminate flooring should be thick and dense. Also, this shows that the manufacturer did not cut many corners.
It’s in your best interest to consider the thickest option for better noise isolation. I recommend underlayment made from cork, rubber, felt, or foam.
Also, you want to ensure the material can resist moisture or vapor to prevent exacerbating structure-borne noise. Thinner underlayment will come at a lower price and is definitely better than not using any soundproofing material at all. It will help cut down the structural vibration, but buy the thicker ones for the best results.
Soundproofing Capacity
There are two metrics that determine the efficiency of a soundproofing material – STC and IIC.
STC (Sound Transmission Class) Ratings
STC rating is a numerical value that tells about a product’s ability to reduce airborne noise.
So, a higher STC rating means better soundproofing performance. This measurement gives valuable insights into how well it stops airborne noise from leaking into your space. It won’t protect your home from structural vibrations. You might still hear your neighbors’ tramping even though you can’t hear them talking.
IIC (Impact Insulation Class) Rating
Unlike STC ratings, IIC measures how much resistance a material puts into a structural sound transmission path. When soundproofing a floor, minimizing the amount of noise that transmits through the floor is crucial. So, you want to focus on the IIC rating. The higher the value, the product’s ability to cut down structure-borne noise.
It’s important to note that no underlayment material can ultimately reduce structural noise. However, it can obstruct most of it, particularly between 500 and 2000 Hz frequencies.
Most floor joists allow more vibration to pass through them than your home laminate flooring. So, installing a higher IIC soundproof underlayment is essential to avoid excessive noise leaking into your space.
Type of Floor
I already mentioned that soundproof underlays are not created equal. The proper underlayment to buy depends on the type of home floor you have.
Hardwood
For a hardwood floor, cork material is your best bet. It’s rigid and excellent at absorbing unwanted sound. Another great choice is foam. It’s essential to use a thick and dense one for better results. However, it won’t last as long as cork underlayment.
Laminate
One big issue with laminate flooring is moisture. Therefore, the right underlayment should be moisture-resistant. Also, you can use cork as a barrier to soundproof your laminate flooring.
Carpet
Foam and rubber underlays are excellent choices for soundproofing carpet flooring. They are softer and more flexible than other options. Plus, they are great for eliminating structure-borne noise.
Tile
Tile flooring can be demanding. Only some options work with this type of flooring. It’s best to use rubber or cork. However, it’s important to use thick rubber underlay to dampen disturbing structural noise effectively.
Vinyl
If you are considering vinyl for your home floor, you don’t need to worry about our shopping for the right underlayment. The manufacturer often includes the right cork underlayment. Cork is the best underlayment material for vinyl flooring. You can use felt and foam for an extra sound barrier layer for improved performance. But rubber doesn’t work well, as it leaves annoying stains.
Conclusion
Choosing the best soundproof underlay for laminate flooring can be tricky if this is your first time. The critical factors to consider include the soundproofing rating, type of floor, underlay material, and budget.
There are many options, but I’ve expertly handpicked the top 5 best underlays to soundproof laminate flooring. I narrowed down the extensive search to increase your chances of purchasing the right underlay your home deserves. Now, it’s your turn to make a choice. You can’t go wrong with any of the points on my list.
The Floorlot Blue Flooring Underlayment is my top pick. It’s well-crafted to suppress annoying noise and protect your expensive finish flooring from damaging moisture. If you are looking for a product to improve your laminate flooring’s resilience and experience, buy the top-tier Floorlot Blue Flooring Underlayment.
