Create a Serene Space: Noise Reducing Flooring

For many homeowners, an open floor plan with tremendous space and a wide view of your entire living area is a dream come true! In an active home, this same luxurious feel can also contribute to higher noise levels. Many types of flooring can enhance this unwanted effect by echoing and amplifying the sounds of everyday life, resulting in a somewhat noisy environment.

Even if you don’t have an open floor plan, we can all use more peace and quiet. Luckily, there are flooring options which are better suited to noise absorption than others! If you have an active household, keep reading for tips and tricks to bring some serenity to your chaos.

Carpet

The most sound absorptive flooring option is carpet, especially wall-to-wall carpeting. This plush, soft surface naturally helps cushion the sound of foot traffic, and when combined with a premium carpet cushion underneath, can lessen the amount of echoing noise that you may hear in the home. Since not all carpet constructions offer the same level of sound absorption, make sure to talk with a professional who will explain which types work the best if you are looking to maximize this quality.

Area Rugs

If you have hard surface flooring, that doesn’t mean you will have a loud household! Second to wall-to-wall carpet when it comes to dampening the sounds of traffic, area rugs cover the portion of busy areas wherever you choose. When used in conjunction with quality area rug pads, these attractive additions help absorb sounds that would otherwise carry throughout your living space. This is especially helpful in areas such as hallways and entryways, which see a lot of foot traffic in a narrow area. Area rugs can even be layered over existing wall-to-wall carpets as accent pieces that enhance certain spaces and set them apart.

Underlayment

If you are considering having a new hard surface flooring option such as hardwood, vinyl flooring, or laminate flooring installed in your living space, you will want to look into the sound absorptive qualities of underlayment. An underlayment goes over your subfloor before your new flooring is installed. It can help insulate your home in regard to sound, but also temperature. As with carpet pads, there are different qualities of underlayment. If noise is a concern, make sure you choose one that offers some soundproofing, and mention your concerns about that to your flooring professional.

Speaking of flooring professionals, when you are ready to talk about changing up your flooring, be sure to visit our knowledgeable staff at Specialty Flooring. Whether you want to add or upgrade flooring, we can help talk you through the process and make great recommendations that will fit your lifestyle and budget. We can even suggest specific products that can help dampen the noise in your home, to add more peace and quiet to your life!