FLOORING IN HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS
AS UK housebuilders respond to rising density, apartment led schemes and increasing expectations around acoustic performance, the demand for integrated flooring solutions that support compliance, wellbeing and design continuity has never been greater.
Karndean Designflooring has announced the launch of its first glue-down collection with what it describes as enhanced acoustic performance.
Says the company: ‘Knight Tile Quiet has been developed to support wellbeing and create safer, calmer spaces in today’s shared residential environments by reducing disruptive noise that affects how people behave, perceive risk, and move through a space, making everyday environments easier to navigate.
‘Five bestselling Knight Tile designs; Lime Washed Oak, Grey Limed Oak, Dutch Limed Oak, Pale Limed Oak and Russet Character Oak, will be available for fast turnaround, with all existing Knight Tile designs available in the enhanced format with a minimum order quantity. This enables design continuity across large scale projects without compromising on acoustic performance.’
‘Noise has a profound impact on how people feel in their homes,’ says Richard Allen, VP of sales for retail and commercial at Karndean Commercial. ‘In shared residential environments, we know that excessive noise can affect wellbeing and overall mental health.
‘So, with quiet flooring fundamental to wellbeing, we have developed our Knight Tile Quiet collection specifically to meet the requirements of build to rent, purpose built student accommodation and multi residential developments. Knight Tile Quiet makes it easier for designers and contractors to meet acoustic standards while creating spaces that feel calm, comfortable and genuinely liveable.’
Today, acoustics matter more than ever in private rental developments, with noise consistently cited as a leading cause of tenant dissatisfaction, directly influencing retention and long term asset value.
In addition, the recently introduced Renters’ Rights Act 2025 has placed greater emphasis on housing quality and habitability, increasing scrutiny on how developments manage issues such as noise transfer.
Continues Karndean: ‘The new Knight Tile Quiet collection delivers impressive impact sound reduction, meeting the latest technical requirements effortlessly and invisibly, improving living conditions for residents and reducing the potential for complaints. ‘Manufactured with an integrated IXPE acoustic backing and independently tested to achieve up to 18dB sound reduction, the product exceeds building regulations Approved Document E sound reduction requirement of 17dB and helps projects meet BREEAM specifications.
‘By integrating an acoustic layer within the product, Knight Tile Quiet reduces the need for additional underlays or secondary subfloor treatments, delivering cost efficiency in high volume developments. Measuring 915mm x 152mm with a 3mm thickness and 0.3mm wearlayer, Knight Tile Quiet incorporates its enhanced acoustic benefits without additional bulk, providing the flexibility to specify Knight Tile standard or enhanced technical specifications interchangeably as required in each space.’
Adds Karndean: ‘Beyond acoustics, the new Knight Tile Quiet format retains the advantages that have made Karndean’s Knight Tile range a trusted choice where aesthetics, durability and affordability are equally important.
‘Offering a convenient range of on trend wood and stone designs with reliable, waterproof performance and easy maintenance for demanding environments, Knight Tile and Knight Tile Quiet are a versatile choice for design led, budget conscious residential projects.’
Concludes the company: ‘Backed by Karndean’s technical expertise, product warranties and comprehensive specification support, Knight Tile Quiet delivers quiet confidence for every floor, helping architects, designers and specifiers balance compliance, wellbeing and design appeal in the spaces people call home.’
www.karndean.com
