While soundproofing an attic floor may seem like a very difficult process, it’s really not as hard as you might think. It’s very similar to soundproofing any other floor in your house or apartment.
Also, the process depends on what type of noise you’re trying to prevent. If you’re having problems with airborne noise (like talking, echoes, music, etc.) the best thing to do is add some density to your floors; for instance, by adding mineral wool between joists. On the other hand, if impactful noise (such as footsteps, objects dropping, the beating of drums) is a problem, it’ll take more effort and time to eliminate those vibrations.
Fortunately, within this article, you’ll be able to find a solution to either problem and soundproof your attic floor within a matter of days. So let’s get started!
How to Soundproof an Attic Floor
1. Place Floor Floaters Underneath the Joists
This method is quite effective, but it can’t really be used for other soundproofing projects, due to the floaters’ special construction. When it comes to soundproofing attic floors, though, I can guarantee that these floaters will do a pretty decent job.
Floor floaters are made from strong rubber; they provide additional support to an attic floor, and they’ll also prevent your joists from vibrating or otherwise moving in an undesirable manner. These floaters will effectively block the disturbing vibrations, drum noises and loud bass sounds that can ruin your peace. Installing these is considered one of the best solutions when it comes to impact noise.
The installation process is quite easy, and you’ll be able to complete it in a few hours by yourself. Just remember to place the floaters correctly beneath the joists, making sure that there are 16 to 24 inches of space between each floater for the best results possible (check out the current price of floor floaters online).
2. Soundproof the Space Between the Joists
When it comes to noise passing through, the space between your floor’s joists typically plays a big role, and the standard material that’s used for solving this problem is a set of mineral wool batts.
Mineral wool batts are a superb soundproofing material that will help you deal with both airborne and impact noise. It’s available at a density of up to 2.5 pounds per cubic foot, and with just about 2 inches of this soundproofing material, even the loudest noises you normally hear should be blocked.
To properly add this material to your attic floor, you can use a utility knife to cut the batts to size, and then place them between the joists until there’s no empty space left.
This can be a really cheap solution to your problem, but it all depends on the size of your floor. If you need help with the installation process, you can also check out this tutorial video:
3. Use Soundproofing Tape
Before you install the subfloor, I highly recommend taping the top of the joists with some soundproofing green glue noiseproofing joist tape. This is a very affordable way to prevent noise, and it’ll certainly deaden the noise produced between the subfloor and the joists while you’re walking.
To get a better understanding of how to complete this step, check out this YouTube video:
4. Install a Subfloor
Installing a subfloor can be time-consuming and expensive, but I’m sure it’s the most effective way to soundproof your attic floor.
A subfloor is a floor layer installed under the visible floor, as the name implies. It must be attached firmly to the joists with screws or nails. There are only a few high-quality materials that should be used for a subfloor. For example, you can use plywood, oriented strand board (OSB) or medium-density fibreboard (MDF) panels.
These panels will increase the amount of insulation in your floor, as well as reducing both impactful and airborne noise.
MDF provides the best insulation, but if you’re on a budget, then you should go with the cheaper solution which is the plywood. All of these materials are available at Home Depot and various other hardware stores. You can use some green glue, and any of the three materials should work just fine. This method is probably the safest yet most effective way to achieve desirable results!
5. Use Green Glue on the Subfloor
If you want to get as much as you can out of the soundproofing process, then it’s best to use green glue to reduce the noise. It’s an amazing impact noise blocker and can make a big difference when it’s used between the subfloor and the second layer. Using green glue on the subfloor will actually prevent vibration from occurring.
Installing this material is quite easy, as all you’ll need to do is spread it across the subfloor. Once you’re finished, you can use some panels to cover the area, but you must make sure that you screw or nail the second layer on properly.
7. Place Soft Material on the Floor
If your goal is to prevent all unwanted noise from being present in your attic, then the best thing you can do is cover the floor with thick or soft material. You can get some soft rugs like this one or interlocking floor tiles.
Both are great echo deadeners, but rugs are typically more popular. It all depends on your preferences, because both materials are equally effective at protecting hardwood floors and providing both sound and thermal insulation.
I think that installing interlocking tiles is much easier, as they’re like puzzles—the simplest puzzles I’ve ever seen!
With either material, for the best result possible, you’ll have to cover as much of your floor’s surface area as possible. The more you cover, the less echo and footstep noises you’ll hear. Once you’re done covering your floor with the material of your choice, you’ll be all set.
Additional Tips
Measure Your Floor First
The smartest and safest thing to do is measure your floor correctly before you even consider buying soundproofing material. You don’t have to have precise measurements, though, because most soundproofing materials tend to be sold in bulk. All you’ll need is a good estimate of how much material you’ll have to use to get the job done.
Have a Budget in Mind
You should always have a clear budget in mind whenever you’re planning on starting a project. When it comes to budgeting, I always think about the worst-case scenario as well.
In my own experience, it’s better to find out that I’ve managed to save some money than to get carried away and get stuck halfway through a project, while trying to accumulate missing funds.
Ask Someone to Help You Out
When doing any major soundproofing projects, it’s always best to have a helping hand. This will make the work much easier, especially since you’ll have two brains on board instead of one.
Conclusion
If you take the time to follow all these steps thoroughly, you’ll be able to give yourself the most effective noise reduction possible when it comes to your attic floor. You may find some of the steps unnecessary, but for optimum results, you’re going to need to put in quite a bit of effort and make an investment.
If I was on a tight budget, but found it necessary to soundproof my attic floor, the first things on my list would be the floor floaters, the subfloor and the green glue for installation. Also, let’s not forget about the soft rug or interlocking floor tiles!
For more soundproofing advice, you can also check out my other guides, such as Do Soundproof Curtains Work?. if you have any questions, feel free to let us know by leaving a comment down below. We wish you the best on your soundproofing journey.
image: Pixabay