Many occupants have a preference for hard surface floors such as ceramic tile, quarry tile, marble, hardwood flooring, engineered floors, or vinyl tile. Without carpeting to cushion footfalls, impact noise will be heard clearly in the occupied spaces below.
Many localities have adopted building codes which require minimum IIC and STC ratings for floor/ceiling systems. An IIC of 50 or less will result in disturbing impact sounds below. With an IIC of 50 to 60, certain sounds may be audible in the spaces below.
Acousticians familiar with noise issues in high end condominium buildings often recommend a lab tested assembly with ratings in the 55 to 60 range to minimize occupant complaints.
For use with either wood frame or concrete structural floors, SR Floorboard can be installed with a 1-1/2″ (38 mm) reinforced mortar bed or 7/16″ (11 mm) glass mesh mortar units to provide a stable underlayment for ceramic tile installations.
SR Floorboard systems have successfully met the requirements for durability in accordance with ASTM C627 as tested with ceramic tile finished floors.