Acoustilay - Installation Guide

Carpet Finishes, Fitted with Gripper (Domestic only)
Vinyl & Bonded Carpet Finishes
Commercial & Educational Applications
Timber Floor Finishes
Stairs
Fixtures and Fittings

Carpet Finishes, Fitted with Gripper (Domestic only)

Acoustilay high performance acoustic underlay - Typical floor installation

Acoustilay installed on a floor

Acoustilay perimeter strips are nailed or glued around the perimeter of the room with the barrier layer facing down and the acoustic seal, compressed by two thirds, to the wall or skirting board. Carpet gripper rods are then nailed in place on top of the perimeter strip, raising them to the correct height to take the carpet. Acoustilay panels are tightly butted up to the perimeter detail, and loose laid in brick bond pattern onto the floor – care should be taken to ensure that no gaps occur between the Acoustilay and the Perimeter Strips or between the Acoustilay panels themselves.

Acoustilay high performance acoustic underlay - Gripper Detail

Acoustilay Perimeter Strip Detail

Utmost care should be taken to ensure that no gaps occur between the panels. In some situations it may be necessary to bond the Acoustilay to the sub-floor to comply with Building Regulations Approved Document E (2003).

**NEW - Installation Video**

This video should be used as a guide only. For concise installation instructions please consult the product literature or contact us.

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Vinyl Flooring, Carpet Tile & Bonded Carpet Finishes (Domestic & Commercial)

When installing Acoustilay beneath vinyl flooring, carpet tiles or bonded carpet, it is necessary to install Acoustilay MDF between them due to the resilient nature of the product. Acoustilay MDF prevents point loading, carpet rucking and joint damage to the floor finish and also aids installation in the case of bonded carpet and carpet tile finishes.

The Acoustilay should be bonded to the sub-floor in brick bond pattern, using SRS adhesive. Care should be taken that the Acoustilay is butted tight against the perimeter wall or skirting and that no gaps occur between the Acoustilay panels themselves. All joints should be taped using Acoustilay Joint Tape to ensure that no adhesive seeps between the panels. Acoustilay MDF is then bonded to the top of the Acoustilay with SRS adhesive. The Acoustilay MDF boards need to be bonded to each other using a PVA adhesive on the T&G joint, and any such joint should be a minimum of 50mm away from any Acoustilay joint. An isolation gap of 5-10mm should be left between the wall and the Acoustilay MDF to avoid sound transmission flanking into the structure, the isolation gap should be filled with a flexible sealer. The floor finish should then be installed on top of the Acoustilay MDF as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

In areas where the floor covering is returned, a timber fillet, the same thickness as the Acoustilay, should be placed around the perimeter to create a solid edge.

Please note that timber based products are prone to expansion and contraction, as such SRS recommend that expansion gaps are introduced across the Acoustilay MDF, as well as at the edges, in large applications. Further details on expansion gaps can be found at the Timber Research and Development Association website: www.trada.co.uk - if you have a large area to treat with Acoustilay MDF, SRS recommend that you contact TRADA for advice.

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Commercial & Educational Applications

In commercial and educational environments, such as offices and schools, it is recommended that the Acoustilay MDF layer is installed onto the Acoustilay to eliminate the risk of carpet rucking under wheeled furniture and to protect the carpet from heavy traffic wear.

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DecorativeTimber Floor Finishes (Domestic)

In our experience, there is no issue installing Acoustilay 8 or 15 directly beneath solid wood and engineered timber floors in domestic installations. The Acoustilay should be installed as described in the ‘Carpet Finishes, Fitted with Gripper’ section, but without the perimeter strip detail – the Acoustilay should be butted tight up to the wall or skirting. As with all floating floor installations, no fixings should be allowed to penetrate the Acoustilay and an expansion gap should be allowed between the timber floor and the perimeter wall and services. This should be filled with a flexible sealer.

For confirmation of the suitability of your timber floor for use with Acoustilay, you should check with the floor finish manufacturer prior to installation. If the manufacturer feels that the resilience of the Acoustilay is excessive, or if the installation occurs anywhere other than a domestic environment, the timber floor should be supported by installing a layer of Acoustilay MDF, bonded to the top of the Acoustilay. In this situation the full instructions of the ‘Vinyl Flooring, Carpet Tile & Bonded Carpet’ section should be followed.

If required, SRS will be happy to provide samples to the timber floor manufacturer for test purposes. The density of the open cell resilient layer in all the Acoustilay products is 135kg/m³.

Acoustilay high performance acoustic underlay - MDF detail

MDF detail

**NEW - Installation Video**

This video should be used as a guide only. For concise installation instructions please consult the product literature or contact us.

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Stairs

The Acoustilay panels should first be cut to the appropriate size. Acoustilay should then be bonded to the tread of the stair and, if airborne insulation is required, bonded to the riser using appropriate SRS adhesive. Acoustilay 3 can be formed around the nosing of the stair, as with conventional underlay.

The Acoustilay 8 and 15 must be installed with Acoustilay Perimeter Strips. The perimeter strip is nailed to the tread or riser as displayed in the diagram. For the nosing detail, a fillet of MDF, the same thickness as the Acoustilay should be installed beneath the nosing to ensure a uniform height.

Acoustilay high performance acoustic underlay - Stairs detail

Stair detail

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Fixtures and Fittings

When installing Acoustilay it is important not to fix directly though the product into the sub-floor due to the risk of sound bridging.

When items such as kitchen or bathroom units need to be securely fixed to the floor they should first be mounted and fixed onto an MDF plinth to the same height as the Acoustilay being used. Ideally the plinth will cover the footprint of the item and the Acoustilay can them be butted up to the MDF, maintaining a consistent floor level and providing secure fixing points. In the case of fitted cupboards and wardrobes, Acoustilay should be used to treat floors inside the cupboard to prevent flanking by airborne sound.

Acoustilay high performance acoustic underlay - Kitchen unit delay

Kitchen unit detail

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General Notes

In all non domestic environments, such as offices, hospitals and schools, it is recommended that Acoustilay MDF is installed onto the Acoustilay regardless of the floor finish. Installing Acoustilay MDF, as detailed in the ‘Vinyl Flooring, Carpet Tile & Bonded Carpet’ section above, will eliminate the risk of the carpet rucking under wheeled furniture and protect both the floor finish and Acoustilay from heavy traffic wear.

There are a vast number of floor finishes available, and, as such, the installation guidance shown is given in good faith and to the best of our knowledge. The final decision regarding the compatibility of any floor finish installed onto Acoustilay must remain the responsibility of the flooring contractor / installer. If in any doubt, please seek advice from the floor finish manufacturer.

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