For landlords managing multi-family properties, controlling noise is essential. Sounds of footsteps, dropped objects, furniture movement, and children playing in upper-level units can travel through floors and disturb tenants below.
Choosing the right flooring helps to protect tenant satisfaction, reduce complaints, and support long-term property value. To choose the right floors, you need to understand Impact Insulation Class (IIC) and Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC), and the many factors that improve sound control in multi-family units.
Understanding Multi-Family Housing, Apartments, and Condos
Multi-family housing refers to buildings with multiple separate residential units. Apartments, for example, are rental units in buildings, often with shared entrances or hallways. Condominiums (condos) are individually owned units within a structure that shares walls, floors, and ceilings.
Sound travels easily in these settings, making noise reduction a priority for landlords and property managers. Tenants in these buildings often experience:
- Sounds of footsteps, moving chairs, or dropped items from units above
- Noise from children or pets in neighboring apartments
- Disturbances from TVs, music, or household appliances
- Echoes from hard surfaces like tile or wood
These issues can lead to dissatisfaction and shorten tenancy if noise becomes persistent. Noise-reducing flooring helps prevent these problems and enhances the overall living experience.
How Noise is Measured
Noise travels in two ways: through structure-borne sound, measured by the Impact Insulation Class (IIC), and through airborne sound, measured by the Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC). These measurements help builders of multi-family units design spaces that meet sound control standards, improve resident comfort, and enhance overall building value.
Impact Insulation Class (IIC)
Structure-borne sound comes from direct impact, such as footsteps or dropped objects, and is measured using the Impact Insulation Class (IIC). IIC 50-55 is standard for many flooring types, provides moderate isolation, and is ideal for upper-level apartments. IIC 55 and above delivers the strongest impact reduction for gyms or entryways.
For example, Landmark Interiors Sports Today and Sports Easy sheet and tile rubber flooring have an IIC rating of 51 when tested on a 6” concrete slab with no ceiling without underlayment.
Noise Reduction Coefficient
Airborne sound includes talking, music, or television, measured by the Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC), which indicates how much sound a floor absorbs within a room. A higher NRC (.40–.50) limits echoes in shared spaces, while a lower NRC (.10–.20) absorbs less.
Choosing flooring with IIC 50+ and balanced NRC ratings helps maintain quieter, more comfortable multi-family environments. Note that the subfloor and underlayment will play a large part in the IIC and NRC ratings of whatever product you choose.
Subflooring and Underlayment
Noise reduction extends below the flooring surface. Subfloor, underlayment, and padding influence sound control significantly. For underlayment, you may want to try:
POWERHOLD Reverb Noise Control Underlayment
The POWERHOLD Reverb Noise Control Underlayment is 1.5 mm thick and made from lightweight recycled rubber. It helps suppress impact noise while providing additional thermal insulation. Its larger roll size allows for more efficient installation in bigger units.
Fishman Sound Absorber
The Fishman Sound Absorber is available in 2 mm or 5 mm thicknesses and is made from 92% recycled rubber. It can be installed under wood, LVT, laminate, and tile floors, offering improved impact and airborne noise reduction on both wood joist and concrete subfloors.
Anchor Quiet Guard
The Anchor Quiet Guard is 0.125 in thick and reduces noise while also managing moisture exposure. It is particularly effective in floating floor installations.
Leggett & Platt Whisper Step®
Leggett & Platt Whisper Step® is made from high-density synthetic rubber designed for resilient flooring such as luxury vinyl planks. It provides measurable impact noise reduction and passes durability testing for high-traffic areas.
Installing high-quality underlayment during construction is more cost-effective than retrofitting later and enhances the performance of all flooring types. Installation instructions for all products are in the product manual.
Get Noise-Reducing Flooring at a Local Flooring Retailer
Investing in noise-reducing flooring is essential for managing multi-family units. Floors with optimal IIC and NRC ratings, paired with quality subflooring and installation, can reduce complaints, improve tenant retention, and enhance property value.
Landmark Interiors offers engineered hardwood, luxury vinyl, and sport/multifunction flooring solutions designed for multi-family housing, apartments, and condos. Find a local flooring retailer to choose flooring for your property today.