How To Build A Budget Floating Floor

acoustic cualk budget fiberglass insulation floating floor green glue hardwood floor harwood floor owens corning 703 sooundproof soundproof floor Jan 02, 2023

If you want to save some money and can't build a concrete floor then this budget floor option is for you.

A Word Of Warning!

Now, I know soundproofing and the term "floating floor" are almost synonymous, but the truth is that a floating floor is not always the best option. In fact, a concrete slab will always be the best way to soundproof a room.

The reason is that concrete has a ton of mass and will do a better job of isolation across the entire frequency spectrum. For this reason I always recommend you start with a concrete slab. However, sometimes a concrete slab is just not an option.

If you are building on a second story, on top of a crawl space or simply don't have the budget to pour a concrete slab then a floating floor is for you.

How To Build The Budget Floating Floor

1) Use Rigid Fiberglass

First, lay down a layer of rigid fiberglass insulation across your entire floor, but leave a gap between the wall and your fiberglass. I like to use Owens Corning 703 and I would use the 4" or two layers of the 2" to giv you the most isolation. You also don't want the fiberglass fully compressing to the existing floor when you add weight on top of it.

2) Add 1x4 Strapping

Add 1x4's in a pattern throughout the room to attach the drywall too. These could be every 16" on center or 24" on center depending on building codes and your budget.

3) Add Two Layers of 5/8" Drywall

Add two layers of 5/8" Drywall on top of the fiberglass and 1x4" boards. Screw the drywall into the strapping boards and make sure to lay the drywall boards in opposite directions for each layers so the seams don't line up.

*As a bonus you can add Green Glue in between the two layers of drywall to increase your soundproofing.

4) Add Turned Up Glass Fiber Around The Edges

Add a layer of turned up glass fiber around all the edges of your room to ensure the floating floor does not touch your walls.

5) Add Your Finishing Floor

Add your flooring on top of the drywall. This could be laminate flooring, carpeting, hardwood or engineered hardwood.

6) Add Base Board and Acoustic Caulk

Lastly, you will add your base board on top of the fiberglass insulation. Leave a small gap between the base board and your finished floor and run a bead of acoustic caulk along the air-gap. This will ensure your room is still airtight while also not transferring vibrational noise through the baseboard to your floor.

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