Can soundproofing completely eliminate noise?

Not entirely — but with the right materials and installation methods, it can significantly reduce both airborne and impact noise.

What’s the most effective type of soundproofing?

A combination of blocking, absorption, sealing, and decoupling techniques gives the most effective results, especially when tailored to the specific noise issue and space.

How to Soundproof a Timber Joist Floor

(with expert insights from **West Sussex Soundproofing Ltd)

If you’re dealing with noise issues through a timber joist floor — footsteps, voices, bass from below or above — you’re far from alone. In this post we’ll dive into how to effectively soundproof a floor with timber joists, including the materials, acoustic performance, and a spotlight on local specialist West Sussex Soundproofing Ltd and their experience.

Why Timber Joist Floors Are Challenging

Floors constructed with timber joists are common in older homes and conversions. They pose specific acoustic challenges:

The joists themselves act as sound bridges, transmitting structure-borne vibration (e.g., footsteps) through the floor into rooms below.
The cavity between floorboards and ceiling (or sub‐floor) can act like a “drum” and amplify noise if not treated.
Lightweight floorboards, sub-flooring and finishes often lack mass and acoustic inertia, making airborne sound (voices, TV) easier to transmit.
Because joist systems flex slightly, impact noise (footsteps, furniture movement) is often more noticeable.

The good news: with the right materials and methods you can achieve meaningful improvements in both airborne and impact noise reduction.

Introducing West Sussex Soundproofing Ltd

Established and operating across Sussex, West Sussex Soundproofing Ltd has more than 20 years of experience in the acoustic / soundproofing field. westsussexsoundproofing.co.uk westsussexsoundproofing.co.uk

They specialise in walls, floors and ceilings (and studio conversions) with bespoke solutions. Key strengths:

Tailored solutions: they assess each space, check the build type, and recommend material systems rather than “one size fits all”. westsussexsoundproofing.co.uk
Local focus: serving Brighton, Hove, Worthing and surrounding areas; good for follow-up and local references. westsussexsoundproofing.co.uk
Material knowledge: their “What is Soundproofing?” page outlines the principles and familiarises you with mass, decoupling, damping. westsussexsoundproofing.co.uk

If you’re soundproofing a timber-joist floor in the Sussex area, they’re a credible partner.

Key Materials & Construction Principles for Timber Joist Floor Soundproofing

Here are the main materials to consider — and how they contribute to acoustic performance.

1. Mass / Barrier Materials

Adding mass helps reduce airborne sound transmission (speech, music) because heavier structures vibrate less. Examples:

Mass-loaded vinyl (MLV). westsussexsoundproofing.co.uk
Acoustic floor boards with added mass (e.g., chipboard, acoustic panels)
Heavy underlays or dual layer systems.

For instance: the product “SoundMat 3 Plus” for timber joist floors gives an airborne/impact performance (51 dB) with only 15 mm build-up.

2. Absorption / Cavity Fill

Once sound gets into the cavity (between joists, or floor/ceiling space) you’ll need absorption to prevent reverberation and resonance.

Use acoustic mineral wool slabs (e.g., ~100 mm depth, ~60 kg/m³) between joists.
Important because the joist cavity can otherwise act like a “drum” and amplify footsteps or voices.

3. Decoupling / Isolation

Breaking the structural link between the floor above and the ceiling/structure below is one of the most effective ways to reduce impact and structure-borne noise.

Joist isolation strips, acoustic joist tape.
Floating floors or floating overlays: e.g., acoustic deck panels mounted direct to joist but with resilient layer.
Resilient bars or resilient hangers on the ceiling underside — especially when access to the floor above is limited.

4. Sealing / Edges / Flanking Control

Even the best layers won’t perform well if gaps, flanking paths or air leaks are present.

Acoustic sealant around perimeter junctions.
Check that skirting boards, door thresholds, penetrations are sealed or isolated.
Be aware of flanking noise: sound bypassing the treated floor via walls, joists, pipes.

5. Finish Floor & Build-Up

Finally, the choice of floor covering (carpet, hard floor) and overall build-up matters for performance. Soft floor coverings + appropriate underlay will further reduce impact noise.

Typical Build‐Up for Timber Joist Floor Soundproofing

Here’s a sample build-up (from top → bottom) suitable for a timber joist floor where you can access the top and/or underside:

Finish floor covering (carpet, wood, etc)
Acoustic board or heavy overlay (e.g., 15 mm high-density acoustic board)
Resilient underlay or isolation mat
Floorboards / chipboard / overlay substrate
Joists (timber)
- Between joists: ~100 mm mineral wool (60 kg/m³)
- On top of joists: acoustic joist strips or isolation tape
Below joists (if working from underside): resilient bars + double-layer acoustic plasterboard + acoustic sealant
such a build can improve airborne and impact sound by ~19 dB or more for a timber joist mid-floor.

Also note: for direct to joist overlay solutions (with minimal height gain) there are systems that achieve airborne ~56 dB and impact ~53 dB in a 32 mm build-up.

Acoustic Performance: What to Expect

What kind of numbers should you aim for? Here are rough benchmarks:

Airborne sound reduction: In UK building regs (Part E), separating floors should target DnT,w + Ctr in the region of ~53 dB or higher (varies by context).
Impact sound reduction: LnT,w should be as low as possible; many retrofit systems aim for ~50–60 dB performance. For example: 15mm SoundLay + Plus: airborne 48 dB (DnT,w) & impact 55 dB (LnT,w) on timber joist floor.
In reality, many timber-joist floors without treatment might be in the low 30s/40s dB for airborne or high impact values (i.e., worse). So you might expect a 10-20 dB improvement with a good treatment.

It’s important to set realistic expectations: no retrofit will make the floor completely silent. But you can achieve a significantly quieter and more comfortable space — especially if the right combination of mass + absorption + decoupling + sealing is used (which West Sussex Soundproofing emphasises). westsussexsoundproofing.co.uk

Practical Tips for Working With West Sussex Soundproofing Ltd

If you engage them (or any specialist acoustic contractor) for a timber joist floor job:

Get a site survey: they will assess joist span/spacing, condition of floorboards, access (top/underside), presence of existing insulation, flanking paths.
Ask for acoustic test data: they should provide expected performance improvement (dB values) for the proposed solution.
Clarify build-up height: materials add thickness; if you’re constrained by head‐room (downstairs) or floor/ceiling height (upstairs) you’ll want a low‐height solution.
Ask about disruption: working on floors often means lifting boards or working from beneath; ask how they minimise mess, dust, disturbance.
Confirm warranty and performance guarantee: ensure they stand behind their work and give clear terms.
Use proper finishes: even the best acoustic solution can be undermined by cheap floor coverings or gaps at edges. Make sure every interface is well detailed.
Address flanking noise: They may offer to inspect other potential noise paths (walls, stairwell, ducts) — treating the floor alone may not solve everything.
Check compliance: For some properties (flats/converted spaces) you’ll want to ensure your solution meets UK’s building regulations (e.g., Part E) or any leasehold/noise covenants.

Hashtags & Keywords for Social / SEO

To help your blog gain visibility, you might include the following keywords and hashtags:
Keywords: timber joist floor soundproofing, acoustic performance timber floor, floor sound insulation UK, mineral wool joist cavity, floating floor timber joists, impact noise reduction floor.