There's a friendly debate going on in our condominium about the soundproofing effectiveness of underpadding for laminate and/or hardwood floors applied on top of existing concrete-over-plywood subfloors.
Can anyone provide information on the following assertions?
- Underpaddings of any type prevent the new floor from squeaking, but are of little value in dampening air-borne and structural sound transmission.
- When first installed, heavier underpaddings dampen sound better than lighter ones. However, they compress over time, and end up being no better than the lighter/cheaper underpaddings.
- Heavier underpaddings are promoted by laminate/hardwood floor sellers because they're more profitable, not because they offer superior sound-dampening performance over the long term.
Any other information on underpaddings would also be appreciated.
Thanks in advance, Darro