I am installing 9/16" x 5" engineered flooring (Urbanfloor EX-MN305, if it matters) in the upstairs bedrooms of my condo over a plywood subfloor. I am planning to use staples, nails or cleats; right now I am leaning toward cleats. Which soundproofing product would be most effective/appropriate? Also, does the choice of staples, nails, or cleats have any bearing on acoustical issues?

A few I have seen advertised are Flooring Imports, Silencer HD, Insulayment, and Silent Blue Pad. I am open to any suggestions, though.

Thanks!
David

As soon as you fasten through your acoustic membrane, most of its sound-deadening characteristics are lost.

No disrespect intended, but that comment is absurd. The fasteners will not have any significant impact on the acoustic effects of the underlayment.

Silent Blue and The FloorMuffler are pretty comparable, however I used Silent Blue when installing a floor for a family member, and it is difficult to work with because it stretches and gets all out of shape very easily.

I would strongly recommend using FloorMuffler with the tape already attached, it has excellent acoustic properties, and is much stiffer and easier to handle during the install than most other underlayments.

Excuse me for making absurd comments.
Although I dont subscribe to EVERYTHING the NWFA states, allow me to quote from their technical manual:

(section 3, chapter 9): The control of sound is achieved by separating the wood floor system from the building with the use of Sound Control measures.
CAUTION: To maintain the integrity of sound control, do not use nails so that they penetrate the sound control material. If you use nails, the impact will travel through the nail to the surface below negating the effectiveness of the sound control system.

Sorry to the OP for giving absurd information, I must have been delusional all these many years.

This is understood, however:

Floor Installed by fastening, WITHOUT Any Acoustical Padding = Loud
Floor Installed by fastening, WITH Acoustical Padding = LESS Loud

LESS sound is exactly what David wants! Good luck David!

Thanks, Eric and Dennis. I looked up FloorMuffler, and everything I've read indicates that it is a top quality product, so I appreciate the suggestion.

I have done some more research, and I am now seriously considering floating the floor. Floating seems cheaper and easier, better suited to an acoustic underlayment, softer to walk on, better able to tolerate expansion and contraction, etc. The manufacturer indicates that this flooring (again, 9/16" x 5" engineered maple) is suitable for glue, staple/nail, or float installation.

My initial decision to use staples or cleats was based on the assumption that "cheaper and easier" is rarely "better." However, I haven't seen too many websites that have listed the disadvantages of a floating vs nail/staple down installation of engineered flooring.

I'm installing on a plywood subfloor in good condition, and although I've never installed a wood floor, I have good carpentry skills and play well with power tools. I'm ready to rent a stapler/cleat gun and put in the time and effort if doing so will provide me any significant benefits over doing a floating installation.

Any thoughts? Also, if I were to go with the floating floor approach, would that change your recommendation for an acoustic underlayment - for example, would you still recommend FloorMuffler over Silencer SR (the Silencer product that can only be used with a floating floor), or is there yet another product you would recommend?

If you wanna get serious about it you can always float a new 3/4 underlayment with acoustic membrane under it and nail to that. Make sure you use fasteners that won't penetrate all the way through.

Personally I hate floating wood floors. Floating floors have two advantages...

1. Easy for inexperienced person to install
2. Easy to remove and/or repair in the future

Other than that, they sound and feel CHEAP when you walk on them.

Does anybody else feel this way?

Eric, in a way. It is a less expensive install than gluing thats for sure. But if gluing the T&G you better have lots of straps. Thank goodness Howard sent me some more for the job I'm working on now. We had to float this one cus the stain job on the concrete got all jacked up. And you would never tell it is floating. Course I think the heavy wood has something to do with it.

http://www.oregonlumber.com/pdf/Brochur ... 111109.pdf

If a product is strictly "naildown" , a floated subfloor is also a great way to go, as Stephen mentioned prior, especially when their are concerns,(including sound transmission).

Thanks for the Strap plug!

Oh are you kidding Howard? Besides the straps, We have abused the heck outa your board bully on this job. We did not pull the base, we undercut it all. I been pullin 10 footer end joints tight with that thing. I mean beatin on it. Great welding job bro!

The one we are doing is the top right hand pic on the link. 8' mostly 10 to 8 footers.

Plus, get this, we're gonna do some Rubio Monocoat on it. I better practise with my buffer. LOL

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That Rubio Monocoat will look sweet on that wood. Better have some bumpers on that buffer Say that fast 3 times.

That "Solid Engineered" plank is definetely a nice beefy product, like to install some of that. Lookin forward to seeing the Board Bully with that plank, hint hint . Great to hear it saved the day , and you can beat the cr_p out of it!

Sorry to ruffle your feathers David . Why don't you try lightening up and having just a little respect for 2 guys that have over 70 years of combined installation experience, that are on this Forum trying to help DIY'ers like you perform what we do to feed our families. By the way...if you look back , there were constructive posts, the OP just seemed to go to sleep.

"WARMLY"
Thanks for your kind words and appreciation.

Um...I am the OP. I'm not asleep. And yes, my feathers are ruffled. Could I have expressed myself more graciously and tactfully? Yes. Am I in a gracious mood? Not really.

Please don't give me a lesson in respect. You and Stephen aren't forum newbies. You have over 2000 forum posts, combined. I'm sure you are both familiar with basic netiquette - the minimal respect that every poster, new or experienced, should give fellow posters and expect in return.

And I have more than a little respect for the professionals who have taken their valuable time to read my posts and the relevant replies so that they can offer their helpful advice.

If the way that veteran posters welcome a new poster to hardwoodflooringtalk.com is by hijacking his thread, I'll guess I'll look elsewhere for advice in the future.

Sayonara,
Dave

P.S. I'm delighted to hear that Rubio Monocoat, whatever that is, has brought you a lot of pleasure.