Light luxury vinyl flooring in a sunlight office

No More Noisy Floors


The Sound Advisor™ allows you to hear the IIC test for various floor assembly and flooring combinations. Hear it yourself.

Best Flooring for Apartments
Flooring has the largest effect on sound mitigation in residential spaces.
The right flooring can reduce undesired noise.

Correct Planning can Save Time & Money

Choosing the correct flooring construction and products can have a major influence on sound in multifamily communities. Considering acoustics from the beginning of a project can save time and money.

Office laid out with color swatches and blueprints

Understanding + Controlling Sound

Impact sound is caused by contact with a barrier and is measured with an IIC (Impact Insulation Class) rating. Flooring has the largest effect on impact sound as opposed to in-room sound and airborne sound. Impact sound is a major concern in multifamily communities. 3 Types of Sounds: - Impact Sound - Airborne Sound Through a Barrier - In Room Sound

3 blue icons covering sound impacts on flooring

How Impact Sound is Measured

To measure impact sound, a standardized machine taps on the floor repetitively with metal hammers. A receiving device is placed in the room below to measure the sound in decibels and across a range of frequencies. The resulting score is the Impact Insulation Class rating, or IIC. IIC ratings can range from as low as 25 up to 110. The higher the score, the more impact sound is reduced.

Illustration of how IIC product ratings are judged

Try out our Sound Acoustics Tool

To measure impact sound, a standardized machine taps on the floor repetitively with metal hammers. A receiving device is placed in the room below to measure the sound in decibels and across a range of frequencies. The resulting score is the Impact Insulation Class rating, or IIC.

Customer using the sound acoustics tool on his mobile phone.