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Sound room flooring advice needed

I'm planning a remodel of my family room, which is on a concrete slab, currently covered with 50-year-old linoleum. I'll be installing engineered hardwood flooring.

What installation method is better for sonics, glue-down or floating? My main audio system resides in this space, doing double-duty as a 2.0 home theater. I listen to vinyl 90% of the time, so I'm also a bit concerned that floating could introduce footfall issues.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Bill
wrm57
zenblaster
504 posts
 
You are going to need a vapor barrier before you do anything(concrete wicks moisture). Home centers sell an excellent product that comes in 2'x2' interlocking panels that leave you with a great subfloor on which you can use any traditional flooring. Conventional hardwood over this would make an exceptional base and floor for acoustics.
puiu
31 posts
 
Hello Bill,

Definitely glue down. Floating would create an "isolation platform" between your speakers' cabinets and the slab which will possibily induce unwanted resonances back into the cabinets. Additionally, the floor will not allow your speakers' feet or spikes to couple into the floor/slab mechanism for positive dynamics coupling into the room. A floating or a sprung floor is also never good for a turntable.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Dan
sounds_real_audio
1,002 posts
 
Floating might do as you say however glueing down to concrete could be disaster. Not sound wise but construction wise. Is your house on slab or is this a basement install?
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
Floating will have a higher resonance then a glue down installation. How much difference is hard to tell given their are other surfaces in the room that will affect the end result. Please consider going with carpet, for in the end that surface will produce the best sound.
peterayer
1,382 posts
 
If it were me, I would consider a floating maple floor in the front of the room where the speakers are. This would be on very short and tightly spaced supports to there is very little give. Then I would have wool carpet on padding for the middle and back of the room where the listening takes place. I like a more lively front of the room and a damped back of the room. Then treat the first reflection points and other wall ceiling areas as appropriate.
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