Comparative results of field impact isolation testing of numerous resilient underlayment systems for hard-surfaced flooring

Abstract

There is a strong ongoing interest in replacing carpet and pad flooring in existing multi-family residences and during apartment conversions to condominiums with hard surface flooring. Installing such flooring often results in a significant decrease in the impact isolation performance of the floor/ceiling assembly. Some municipalities and/or homeowners associations have enacted regulations requiring that floor/ceiling assemblies meet specific minimum laboratory and/or field acoustical performance standards. This paper presents published vendor data and field performance test results for two condominiums in a multi-family residential complex for which both the city and the homeowners association have such performance requirements. A series of field tests was undertaken to assist the homeowners in selecting qualifying underlayment systems for their preferred hard surface flooring replacement of their existing quality carpet and pad flooring. The test flooring systems were each installed by a flooring contractor. All aspects of these field tests were maintained as identical as possible, with the only variable being the different commercial resilient underlayment products. Published vendor data of certified laboratory IIC test results are compared with the FIIC field test results.