Donna Hannaway discusses the impact noise can have on those living and working in buildings and explains the solutions available to contractors.

Impact noise can have a negative effect on the physical and mental health of those living or working in buildings. With this in mind, reducing transmitted noise is key when your customer is looking to create spaces that prioritise the health and wellbeing of the end-user.

It’s long been known that increased or constant noise levels can have a detrimental effect on people’s physical and mental health. Whether it’s a chair scraping across the floor, people walking around a room or items being dropped onto the floor, impact sound can cause increased heart rates, heightened stress levels and impact negatively on the way a person experiences their work or living space.

With flooring being one of the largest surface areas in any project, acoustics are one aspect which contractors should consider when working with customers in the private rental, education or office sectors.

For example, carpet tiles, which have, as a result of their construction, good impact sound reduction qualities. The thicker the loop in a carpet tile, the better the sound reduction, coupled this with the variety of designs within carpet tile collections and they are an attractive solution.

However, there are more specialist floor coverings on the market, which can bring other benefits to the table. For example, luxury vinyl tiles (LVTs), which are a popular choice amongst many private rental sector and workspace design specifications, which combine style and aesthetic, with durability and cleanability.

Despite this, many LVT options require a separate underlay to be installed to ensure noise reduction levels are met, especially important if your customer is looking to achieve certain BREAAM ratings or other similar accreditations.

However, thanks to the latest technological advances in LVT manufacturing, there are now flooring solutions on the market that overcome these limitations.

For example, Forbo’s new Allura Click Flexcore collection, which features an integrated, flexible foam underlay that provides 20dB impact sound reduction. This negates the need for an underlay to be installed, saving time and materials onsite, perfect for refurbishments, with sustainable objectives. It’s available in a range of popular colourways from Forbo’s wider Allura portfolio. Plus, the Click construction means it can be installed adhesive-free across damaged subfloors, due to its flexibility, or even over existing firm flooring, saving time during the installation phase.


Forbo also offers its Allura Decibel collection, which combines beautiful floor design with excellent impact sound reduction (19 dB). Suitable for commercial or residential applications, the tiles and planks are light in weight, cost effective and easy to install, providing huge cost savings on many projects compared to conventional products with separate underlay systems.
www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/flexcore
Donna Hannaway is head of marketing UK and Ireland at Forbo Flooring Systems