Rug Pad Noise Reduction

How To Choose The Best Rug Pad For Noise Reduction

Things can get noisy in the home from day-to-day. Finding ways to reduce noise and/or soundproof throughout your space can get expensive and can cause a lot of construction. Rug pads, (specifically denser felt ones) like our Premium Deluxe Cushion are the perfect choice to help solve this issue. This option acts as an additional layer, and can help absorb the sound of stomping feet or a thumping bassline. Apartment dwellers, parents, and pets are big proponents of the benefits of adding rug pads under area rugs to minimize noise. 

Rug Pad Noise Reduction

Why Soundproof?

There are many reasons as to why someone would want to dampen the noise within their home. Below are a list of explanations:

  • Privacy: The luxury of your own privacy is invaluable - reducing the noise and echo in your home for your ability to have a quiet conversation is a priceless investment! 
  • Comfort/quality of life: An additional layer of depth adds to the density of the house only to make your home feel less empty.
  • Internal acoustics: Helps to improve communication, and disturbance to the rest of the house. 
  • Better sleep: When your house is a quieter place, you will sleep better!
  • Improves communication: With less distraction, there is a better ability to focus and hear within the room you are in. 

Lifestyles for a Noise Reduced Home.

  • Children: From imaginative play, to roughhousing with your siblings, noise reduction is definitely a priority with children in the home!
  • Pets: Loud pets require noise reduction whether through galavanting throughout the home or vocally, reducing the echo is a major requirement.
  • Musician/Recording Artists: For the best acoustics, sound dampening and minimal echo - a lifestyle in this industry must have a noise reduced home. 
  • Gamers: For the authentic experience, there is no time for real gaming with outside noise! 
  • Entertainers: When hosting for many guests, it can get very loud, to keep the noise level from getting too loud it will be necessary to make sure your house is well equipped with rug pads for noise reduction. 

Understanding Noise Reduction

Thanks to the help of our friends at Sound Isolation Company  we can better understand the concept of noise reduction and soundproofing. When discussing floor layers, decreasing footstep sound is usually the main priority. Flooring can help to transmit sound in the form of vibration; steps impact the ground, creating a waver at contact. The noise energy will then emit outward. 

Rug Pad Noise Reduction

Photo credit: Associated Weavers

Additionally, Phelps sound proofing specialists also offered support in our research when it came to understanding noise reduction for rug pads. With the help of felt, like the Premium Deluxe Cushion, you can fill large spaces in your home and reduce sound, and echoing.

Felt. Felt is produced by pressing and matting fibers together. Fiber use may be natural (mostly wool) or synthetic. A blend of both is also common. Felt is durable and stable in the presence of moisture, lubricating oils, greases, salts, detergents, and is inert to many other chemicals. Its ability to bend to uneven surfaces prevents the unwanted intrusion of foreign substances beneath the load-bearing area. Felt possesses almost permanent resilience, as it is made up of millions of individual fibers. The performance of felt in sound absorption is as a result of its optimum density and spring. The absorption of sound waves is achieved by the vibration of individual fibers within the felt. The energy is dissipated by frictional heat loss. Due to its method of absorption, too dense felt would not allow for sufficient vibrations. These qualities make it excellent for industrial soundproofing. Felt is also used as a damper in musical instruments.”

Why PDC Over The Rest

The Premium Deluxe Cushioned rug pad is a cushioned, solid surface area coverage, high performance recycled needle-punched fiber with a textured rubber backing for improved gripping power on hard surface floors and carpets.

 

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Premium Deluxe Cushioned rug pads provide cushioning for added comfort and insulation for fine rugs. Our thickest rug pad at ¼” the Premium Deluxe Cushion will absorb the most noise energy due to its density. Unlike our other selections, such as our low profile Ultra or Rug Grip, these rug pads are optimally designed for low profile thresholds and open weave construction.

Design for Less Sound

When arranging your home for the blueprint of your dreams, be sure to keep in mind the most optimal layout for solid surface area coverage. Large open spaces will most likely reverberate sound and create a loud echo noise throughout the home. Listed below are a few styling design tips to condition your home for the best ways to absorb sound:

  • Large sized area rugs: Filling your home with a beautiful area rug is a sure-way to fix that pesky problem of loud noise in your home, especially in high traffic areas. 
  • Fill hallways with long runners: Long hollow halls can create noise to become even louder. Providing a solid 2x10 runner rug will surely help to resolve some of this extra sound that is created!
  • Layer your rugs with felt rug pads like our recommended Premium Deluxe Cushion that will not only help keep your area rug in place and add extra cushion, but also provide additional noise reduction to what you already have!!
  • Decorate! 
    • Hang appropriate sized pictures, mirrors, etc., on your wall.
    • Curtains: there are many fabrics available to help soak up the extra sound energy within your home. Some great options are velvet, velour and blackout curtains.
    • Throw pillows and throw blankets are not only cozy and comfortable but a great option to add to the design element while helping to eliminate extra echo. 
    • Adding appropriate amounts of furniture to your room for less of an echo.
    • Adding a bookcase for additional sound dampening.
    • Use large plants as decor. Not only do plants reflect and emit noise, they also clean the air!
    • Shop acoustic lighting options: there are surprisingly many options when it comes to your lighting, that will help obtain your noise reduction goals, from pendants to chandeliers to floor lamps!

Area Rugs for Noise Reduction

Helpful tips when purchasing your area rug to help contribute to sound absorption. Area rugs, like your rug pad, add an extra layer for sound energy to travel through therefore helping contribute to the issue with noise reduction!

  1. Consider sizing. Larger area rugs will cover more surface area, allowing it to absorb more sound. Additionally, cut pile rugs also cover more surface area as well to help with this issue. 
  2. Shag, jute, and thicker wool rugs are great choices when seeking area rugs for noise reductions as they are made of substantial weight and durability. 
  3. If having a thick area rug is not your vibe, another popular design trend is layering. Many beautiful rooms are built with a larger area rug topped with a smaller rug on top!

You Have Options.

Overall, we want you to know it does not have to be hard when it comes to making your space the best it can be. These options should be a few quick go-to’s in order to quickly reduce any extra noise within your home without all the extra construction! 

All of our products are proudly made in the USA, are regulatory compliant, contain no ortho-phthalates, and have a 10 year warranty to maintain non-slip properties with proper use and maintenance! Our phone lines are open: (615) 712-8774 - We are happy to help and answer any of your questions in order to guide you to the best rug pad for your floors. 

Disclaimer: When choosing any type of rug pad, please follow the flooring manufacturer’s recommendation on rug pad material type compatibility.

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