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Reduce Hollow Sound From Laminate Flooring

17 years ago

Hi Folks,

We have installed laminate in one room and are ready to do another in our house. We have concrete floors. The first room we did got done without any problems. However we are confused about the Underlayment that we used. We used the "Dream Home Quiet Walk Underlayment" from Lumber Liquidators. We were told that this would reduce the sound when walking on the floor. However now we have hollow sound when we walk on it (the floor is flat with no humps or dips). I thought using the premiumn underlayment would take care of this.

My question is what would cause the hollow sound and what underlayment should we use? We would like the sound to be minimal. Also our house is a 1 story house. Any help or suggestions would be apprecated.

Thanks in advance to all who respond.

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Comments (7)

floorguy
17 years ago
It is the nature of the beast. Those upsell underlayments, really do nothing to reduce noise resonance. Maybe in the rooms below the installation but do little for the in room clockity-clock.

If you want some relief, use an attached cushion laminate, and nothing from Lumber Liquidators. That stuff from LL, is know for pinholes in the surface that catch dirt, and start looking like gray spots.
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brutuses
17 years ago
The attached cushion laminate is better and a thicker laminate will help. Also, there are some quality underlayments that do make a difference. Not from LL's though. Try something that maybe Armstrong recommends.
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you can use different underlayments that may muffle the hollow echo standard floating floor systems with foam underlayments have. Cork Underlayment may give a slghtly more solid sound, but they are a higher cost than the foams. The best in my opinion is the fiber Floor Muffler Underlayment, which may give a significant improvement to the hollow echo, but its also way up there in terms of cost. Other benefits include: Reduces both reflective sound noise and through the floor sound transmission Designed to provide a sound similar to that of traditional wood floors Suitable for use over both concrete and wood subfloors Exceeds recommended moisture permeability ratings for installation over concrete slabs Optimal thickness for both comfort and stability Helps to eliminate subfloor imperfections Mold and mildew resistant as well as non allergenic Adds R Value to help insulate floors Strong enough for the most demanding commercial installations No floating floor underlayment will give you the solid sound and feel of a nailed or glued hardwood system, but on varying levels somewhere in between.
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Shannon01
17 years ago
As I put in other post and others mentioned, nature of the beast. Furnishings, drapes, pictures, rugs and such will help fill space and rug will help a lot. But he beast is still there. Like I have said before, I don't even think about it anymore.
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Scott Kennedy
3 years ago
I don't think the other responses have tackled the issue: When a laminate is 'floating' on any kind of cushion, the sound will be more hollow than if the laminate is glued / screwed directly to a subfloor, acting as one big piece of wood. The downside is that the people *below* you will hear a lot more 'impact' sound, as that sound will now travel through the dense material. But your place will sound much more solid.
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millworkman
3 years ago
"don't think the other responses have tackled the issue:"

Hopefully in the 13 years since the question was posed the issues has been taken care of.
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Scott Kennedy
3 years ago
True😂

This was obviously for all the new people who still come across this discussion when they Google search. Like I just did!
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Karen
2 years ago
Will an engineered hardwood floor over concrete slab floated, and not glued also give a laminate sound when walked upon?
0

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