What Is an Echo Barrier for Hardwood Floors?

Sound Issues With Hardwood Floors

• In residences and buildings with more than one level, hardwood floors create “impact sounds.” These noises are caused by walking on the floor, or by dropping objects on it or moving items across it. Vibrations – such as those produced by washing machines and dryers – can also cause impact sounds. The force or impact of these sounds echoes through the room’s walls and floors to the surrounding areas as loud and distracting noises. In buildings where hardwood floors have been placed directly over concrete, the sounds may echo throughout the entire structure.

What Is an Echo Barrier?

• An echo barrier is a layer of flooring placed on the subfloor before the hardwood goes down. Its purpose is to absorb impact sounds and reduce their effect. An echo barrier muffles noise produced from contact with the hardwood floor and prevents the sound from being transmitted to other areas of the structure. It's important to cover the entire area with the echo barrier and seal the perimeter. According the Acoustical Source website, if as little as 3 percent of the subfloor is left exposed to the hardwood, close to 50 percent of the floor’s noise can be transmitted to other areas.

Where Are Echo Barriers Used?

• Echo barriers are standard in apartments, condominiums and other multilevel buildings that have multiple residents. According to Hardwood Floors magazine, hardwood floors were once forbidden in such complexes because of the noise the floors produced. However, residents wanted the polished and fashionable look that hardwood floors provided. Echo barriers were introduced as a compromise between fashion and silence. Now, echo barriers are popular in single-family homes as well.

Types of Echo Barriers

• Echo barriers are available in many different materials. Mineral or organic fiber wool panels provide strong echo reduction. Elasticized Styrofoam is another option, but it does not provide as much soundproofing as fiber wool panels, so it should be thicker to provide an adequate barrier. Regular Styrofoam is not very effective in reducing hardwood floor noise. Rubber is a good soundproofing material, as is vinyl. Foil sometimes serves to prevent the underlayment from moisture or other elements that can erode the soundproofing ability of the echo barrier.