FIBERGLASS INSULATION BACKED SOUND MAT

Abstract

An acoustic isolation mat is provided for placement between a subfloor and a finished floor. The acoustic isolation mat has a first layer placed directly upon the subfloor that includes a fiberglass-containing acoustic insulation, a second layer placed directly upon the first layer that includes an entangled polymer, and a third layer placed directly upon the second layer and below the finished floor that has a sheet of fibrous material.

Claims

1. An acoustic isolation mat configured for placement between a subfloor and a finished floor, the mat comprising: a first layer placed directly upon the subfloor and comprising a fiberglass-containing acoustic insulation; a second layer placed directly upon said first layer and comprising an entangled polymer; and a third layer placed directly upon said second layer and below the finished floor and comprising a sheet of fibrous material.

2. The acoustic isolation mat of claim 1, wherein said entangled polymer is either a durable nylon polymer or polypropylene.

3. The acoustic isolation mat of claim 1, wherein said second layer is heat bonded to said third layer.

4. The acoustic isolation mat of claim 3, wherein, once said second layer and said third layer are heat bonded, the combination of said second layer and said third layer is heat bonded to said first layer.

5. The acoustic isolation mat of claim 1, wherein said sheet of fibrous material is either a point bonded polyester or a needle punched fabric.

6. The acoustic isolation mat of claim 1, wherein said three layers combined have a height of less than or equal to 2 inches (5.08 cm).

7. The acoustic isolation mat of claim 1, wherein said first layer is approximately ¼ inch (0.635 cm) high and has a density of 1 pcf (16.02 kg/m.sup.3).

8. The acoustic isolation mat of claim 1, wherein the finished floor is luxury vinyl plank.

9. The acoustic isolation mat of claim 1, wherein said first layer further comprises rubber.

10. The acoustic isolation mat of claim 1, wherein the subfloor comprises cross laminated timber (CLT).

11. A composite flooring system configured for reduced acoustic transmission, the flooring system comprising: a cross laminated timber (CLT) subfloor; a first layer placed directly upon said CLT subfloor and comprising a fiberglass-containing acoustic insulation; a second layer placed directly upon said first layer and comprising an entangled polymer; a third layer placed directly upon said second layer and comprising a sheet of fibrous material; a poured underlayment deposited upon said third layer; and a finished floor, thereby forming a composite flooring with said subfloor and said finished floor, said composite floor having an Impact Insulation Class above 50.

12. The composite flooring system of claim 11, wherein a series of radiant heat tubes are placed within said poured underlayment.

13. The composite flooring system of claim 11, wherein said entangled polymer is either a durable nylon polymer or polypropylene.

14. The acoustic isolation mat of claim 11, wherein said second layer is heat bonded to said third layer.

15. The acoustic isolation mat of claim 14, wherein, once said second layer and said third layer are heat bonded, the combination of said second layer and said third layer is heat bonded to said first layer.

16. The acoustic isolation mat of claim 11, wherein said sheet of fibrous material is either a point bonded polyester or a needle punched fabric.

17. The composite flooring system of claim 11, wherein said first, second and third layers combined have a height of less than or equal to 2 inches (5.08 cm).

18. The composite flooring system of claim 11, wherein said first layer is approximately ¼ inch (0.635 cm) high and has a density of 1 pcf (16.02 kg/m.sup.3).

19. The composite flooring system of claim 11, wherein said finished floor is luxury vinyl plank.

20. The composite flooring system of claim 11, wherein said first layer further comprises rubber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-section of the present composite flooring system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Referring now to FIG. 1, in which the layers are shown schematically and not to scale, the present composite flooring system is generally designated 10, and is used in a construction having a subfloor 12, shown schematically. Conventionally, subfloors have been made with materials such as poured concrete or at least one layer of plywood as is known in the art. However, more recently, cross laminated timber (CLT) has emerged as a popular material for use in subfloors. Specifically, CLT provides desirable mechanical properties, while being more cost effective than other conventional subfloor materials. As is known in the art, the subfloor 12 is supported by joists (not shown) typically made of wood, steel, or concrete.

[0018] The present composite flooring system 10 includes an acoustic isolation mat, generally designated 14, which is disposed between the subfloor 12 and a finished floor 16, which is typically ceramic tile, vinyl tile, hardwood, luxury vinyl plank or other hard materials other than carpeting. Note that the acoustical properties of a carpet and pad installation are such that they typically eliminate the need for a sound mat system. However, some of the thin carpet tiles being used in today's office buildings have poor acoustical values and a sound system with underlayment and sound mat may be needed for that floor covering as well to achieve desired sound attenuation values. In the preferred composite flooring system 10, the finished floor 16 is a luxury vinyl plank, and the subfloor 12 is made of CLT.

[0019] A first layer 18 of the acoustic isolation mat 14, which is disposed directly upon the subfloor 12, includes a fiberglass containing acoustic insulation. Also preferably providing thermal insulation, the first layer 18 may also include rubber or other suitable polymeric material as is known in the art. Two functions are served by the first layer 18: it provides a flame attenuation barrier, and it provides one level of discontinuity of material, which is an important factor in reducing sound transmissions through the composite flooring system 10. A preferred fiberglass containing acoustic insulation is sold by Johns Manville under Microlite® Fiberglass Equipment Insulation having flame attenuated glass fibers bonded with a thermosetting resin. Additionally, the preferred fiberglass containing acoustic insulation includes air voids within the insulation, as the air voids further aid in sound isolation. Preferably, the first layer 18 has a thickness or height of approximately ¼ inches (0.635 cm) and a density of approximately 1 pound per cubic foot (pcf) (16.02 kg/m.sup.3). Alternative thicknesses and densities are contemplated.

[0020] U.S. Pat. No. 8,127,510, which is incorporated by reference, discloses a fiberglass thermal and acoustic insulation material that includes fiberglass macrospheres and glass microspheres within the insulation. The preferably hollow glass microspheres provide additional acoustic isolation, while the fiberglass macrospheres resolve some of the deficiencies of glass microspheres. Overall, an optional fiberglass-containing insulation includes randomly distributed inorganic fibers which are supplemented with microspheres, macrospheres, or both, and preferably includes hollow microspheres, which boost the insulation value of the fiberglass thermal insulation. While this is a preferred fiberglass insulation, it is understood that any number of fiberglass acoustic insulations are available for use in the first layer 18, as is known in the art.

[0021] A second layer 20 of the acoustic isolation mat 14 is disposed directly upon the first layer 18 and includes an entangled polymer. It is contemplated that the entangled polymer is either a durable nylon polymer, polypropylene, or another suitable polymer as is known in the art. A preferred second layer 18 is sold by USG under LEVELROCK® Brand SAM-N25™, SAM-N40™, and SAM-N75™ Sound Attenuation Mats. Other products which include an entangled polymer are contemplated for use in the second layer 20.

[0022] The second layer 20 is also referred to as a decoupling layer due to its acoustical properties of creating an acoustically isolated space. A preferred thickness or height of the second layer 20 is in the range of ⅛-1 inch (0.635-2.54 cm). Also, the second layer 20 is provided in sufficient density to provide that, despite the weight applied to the composite flooring system 10, it retains a layer of air which also contributes as a sound isolating barrier. It will be appreciated that the thickness of the second layer 20 may vary to suit the situation and the desired acoustical performance of the composite flooring system 10.

[0023] Moreover, a third layer 22 is disposed upon, and optionally attached to, the second layer 20 by heat fusion, adhesives, co-extrusion or similar manufacturing technology. Preferably, the second layer 20 and the third layer 22 are heat bonded or heat welded to one another. More specifically, the second layer 20 is optionally an extruded sheet, that is heated to, for example, around 400 to 450° F. While the second layer 20 is still warm and fresh from the extruder, the third layer 22 is placed upon the second layer 20, thereby heat bonding the third layer to the second layer. Moreover, in the preferred embodiment, once the second layer 20 and the third layer 22 have been heat bonded to one another, the combination is heat bonded to the first layer 18. In particular, the bottom of the second layer 20 is reheated, and the combination of the second layer 20, and the third layer 22 is heat bonded to the first layer 18. In this preferred embodiment, the sound attenuation mat 14 is a single piece, where the three layers 18, 20, 22 are all heat bonded to one another.

[0024] The third layer 22 includes a sheet of fibrous material, and preferably is made of point bonded polyester. Alternatively, the sheet of fibrous material is a needle punched fabric, or other material as is known in the art. Taken together, the three layers 18, 20, 22 provide discontinuity of material and dampening properties, which is a significant factor in reducing sound transmission through the composite flooring system 10. Also, it is contemplated that the acoustic isolation mat 14 has a height or thickness of less than or equal to 2 inches (5.08 cm).

[0025] Placed upon the third layer 22 is a poured underlayment 24, which is disposed below the finished floor 16. In the preferred embodiment, the poured underlayment 24 is USG LEVELROCK® floor underlayment cement being provided in various formulations having a composition including main ingredients of Plaster of Paris Portland Cement and other additives. Other pourable underlayments are contemplated. An adhesive layer (not shown) such as mortar, mastic or chemical adhesive may secure the finished floor 16 to the underlayment 24. In the case of wood floors and some vinyl floors, these might be floating over the underlayment or secured with adhesive, depending on a variety of architectural and/or local building code factors and manufacturer recommendations.

[0026] In certain building configurations, it is advisable to have heating tubes disposed within the composite flooring system 10. Therefore, the present composite flooring system 10 optionally includes a series of radiant heat tubes 26 (shown hidden) which are placed within the poured underlayment 24. The heating tubes 26 are placed at the desired location within the poured underlayment 24, so that when the poured underlayment 24 dries or sets, the heating tubes 26 will be fixed in place.

[0027] Experiments conducted upon the present composite flooring system 10 exhibited unexpectedly superior sound isolation, especially when used with a CLT subfloor 12. Specifically, the present composite flooring system 10 was found to have an impact insulation class (IIC) routinely above 50, including configurations where the subfloor 12 was CLT. This was an unexpected result as conventional flooring systems typically are unable to achieve this high of an IIC system when only using a single sound isolation mat. Even more surprising is the fact that the present composite flooring system 10 was able to achieve this sound isolation while utilizing a single acoustic isolation mat 14 combined with a CLT subfloor 12.

[0028] In an installation, the acoustic isolation mat 14 is first placed upon the subfloor 12, so that the first layer 18 is in contact with the subfloor 12. Next, the poured underlayment 24 is installed. As discussed above, the preferred poured underlayment 24 is USG LEVELROCK® floor underlayment cement. The poured underlayment 24 is combined at the jobsite with water and sand at various ratios (depending upon the desired strength) and pumped onto the subfloor at various thicknesses. In general, sound mats compromise the durability of the floor, and to offset this require a higher thickness of underlayment to be applied over them. However, due to the relatively thin thickness of the present acoustic isolation mat 14, the potential exists for higher thicknesses of underlayment to be used while still maintaining the necessary floor thickness. Optionally, the heat tubes 26 are placed within the poured underlayment 24, such that the heat tubes 26 become fixed within the poured underlayment 24 when it dries. Upon setting of the underlayment 24, the finished floor 16 is applied as is well known in the art.

[0029] While a particular embodiment of the present fiberglass insulation backed sound mat has been described herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and as set forth in the following claims.