Floating floors are typically specified to prevent noise from passing through a solid floor made from concrete and isolate noise and vibration. These qualities are why floating floors are used in studios, schools and fitness centres.

There are two main types of floating floor:

• Wooden floating floors: made from a floated wood structure with interconnecting tongue and groove planks. The boards are not fixed to the floor. The subfloor needs to comply with building regulations in terms of moisture levels.
• Concrete floating floors: made from poured concrete with steel reinforcement and rubber or spring isolators to create an air gap. The air gap between the poured concrete and subfloor isolates noise and vibration.

Floating Floor Advantages

There are four main advantages to floating floors:

Acoustic Qualities

Because floating floors have an air gap between the subfloor, they effectively isolate noise and vibration to the floating floor, so the heaviest work can be performed on floating floors without sending a shiver through the entire building.

Cost And Time

Floating floors are modular and highly configurable, built on top of sound subfloors with no requirement for structural building work. Installation is quick, and floating floors cost far less than dedicated acoustic flooring as a result.

Usability And Versatility

Floating floors are fitted with isolators that absorb shock, and the floor can be configured with acoustic, shock-absorbing top layers and underlay. The makes them highly configurable and suitable for virtually any use case.

Removal And Reuse

Floating floors are not permanently fixed to the subfloor or building structure, so they can easily be removed. Deconstruction takes the same time as building, and the materials are fully recyclable and reusable in other projects.

Should You Choose a Floating Floor?

Overall, floating floors are a versatile acoustic flooring solution. Not only can they be installed above any subfloor, but we can build floating floors above old flooring to eliminate the complexity and cost of dealing with the old floor.

We can also adjust the acoustic and shock-absorbing qualities of floating floors for any application, from dancing and stage work to fitness classes and school halls. Best of all, the build time is minimal, and the timber system is fully removable.

You should choose a floating floor if you need an acoustic floor installing over an existing floor. The only other solution is complete replacement. Concrete floating floors offer the benefit of greater durability over whole wood structures.