![]() However, be cautious when looking at these units. IIC stands for Impact Insulation Class, and I probably don’t need to explain what this measures. The market is flooded with products that apparently provide world-beating STC and IIC ratings. It acts as an extra layer for muffling impact sounds and airborne noises passing through a floor/ceiling structure. You can put floor underlayment under hard floors and carpets, but it’s particularly useful for the former. ![]() So, for the best mass loaded vinyl alternatives, we must look for products with similar STC ratings. The STC of mass loaded vinyl can be anywhere from 20 to 32, which is decent for such a thin product. STC of a wall/material is measured by comparing the noise level difference between emission and reception. The higher the number, the more sound it attenuates. To measure a material’s ability to attenuate sound passing through it, we use a rating called Sound Transmission Class (STC). Impact sounds, on the other hand, require spongy materials or decoupling hard surfaces with softer ones. While mass loaded vinyl will help with both, it’s more useful for airborne sounds because most waves don’t go through, and dissipate when they come into contact with it. We use different methods to block and/or absorb impact and airborne noises due to their differing energy levels when passing through structures. The footsteps create vibrations, which pass through the floor and come out the other side as sound waves.
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