Reviewed by Brett Talbot, National Sales and Operations Manager, Floorworld · Last reviewed [Date TBA]
Reviewed by Brett Talbot, National Sales and Operations Manager, Floorworld · Last reviewed [Date TBA]
You have found the perfect timber-look flooring and you are ready to renovate. Then your strata manager, owners corporation or body corporate asks for something you were not expecting:
An acoustic report.
Suddenly, you are reading about AAAC star ratings, impact sound, decibels and technical test results that appear to have been written for acoustic consultants rather than homeowners.
If you are confused, you are not alone.
Choosing acoustic flooring for an apartment or townhouse does not need to be complicated. Once you understand what your building requires and which information to request from your flooring retailer, it becomes much easier to compare your options.
Apartment flooring often needs to meet acoustic requirements because footsteps, moving furniture and other impact noise can travel through the floor into neighbouring residences. Before replacing your flooring, check your building’s by-laws and ask whether you need approval, an acoustic report or post-installation testing.
In a detached house, replacing flooring is usually a decision you can make based on your lifestyle, budget and preferred design.
Apartments and some townhouses are different because your floor may also form part of the ceiling system for the residence below. Activities such as walking in shoes, moving dining chairs, dropping objects or children playing can create impact noise that travels through the building.
For this reason, strata schemes, owners corporations and body corporates may have specific requirements for flooring renovations, particularly when carpet is being replaced with vinyl or another hard flooring product.
These requirements are intended to manage noise transfer and help maintain a comfortable living environment for everyone in the building.
Approval requirements vary between buildings and states, so you should check your scheme’s by-laws before purchasing or installing new flooring.
Depending on the property, you may be asked to provide:
This is especially important if you are replacing carpet with hard flooring. Do not assume that a product described as “acoustic flooring” will automatically satisfy your building’s requirements.
Your strata manager, owners corporation or body corporate should confirm the documents and performance criteria required for your renovation.
In NSW, for example, installing or replacing hard flooring, including removing carpet, is classed as a minor renovation that needs approval before work starts (see the NSW Government’s guide to strata renovations). Other states and territories have their own rules.
Impact noise is created when something makes direct contact with the floor. Common examples include:
This is different from airborne noise, such as voices, television or music.
When discussing acoustic flooring for an apartment, the focus is generally on reducing the transfer of impact noise through the floor and building structure.
The Association of Australasian Acoustical Consultants, or AAAC, developed its Apartment and Townhouse Acoustic Rating system to make acoustic performance easier to communicate.
The system uses star ratings to describe acoustic performance. In general, a higher star rating represents a higher level of acoustic performance.
For floors, each star rating corresponds to a maximum impact sound result, shown as L’nT,w. This is the level measured in the room below while a standard tapping machine runs on the floor above. A lower number means less impact noise gets through:
| AAAC star rating | Impact sound (L’nT,w) |
| 2 Star | 65 or less |
| 3 Star | 55 or less |
| 4 Star | 50 or less |
| 5 Star | 45 or less |
| 6 Star | 40 or less |
Your building’s requirements may be written as a star rating or as an L’nT,w figure, so it helps to know both.
However, the rating should not be considered in isolation. It describes the installed performance of the whole floor and ceiling system, not the floor covering on its own.
The AAAC guideline is an advisory framework rather than a universal approval standard. Your building’s own by-laws, construction and approval requirements still need to be considered.
A higher rating may indicate stronger acoustic performance under the conditions assessed, but it does not guarantee that a flooring product will achieve the same result in every apartment.
Acoustic performance can be affected by:
The same flooring system may therefore perform differently across different buildings.
When comparing flooring for an apartment, do not only ask:
“What acoustic star rating has it achieved?”
Also ask:
“Is there an acoustic report for the complete flooring system, and does it cover a construction like my building?”
An acoustic report can provide details about the test conditions, flooring construction and results. This information may help your retailer, strata manager, body corporate or acoustic consultant assess whether the proposed flooring is suitable for your building.
Some reports combine one measured test with predictions for other constructions, so check which result applies to a building like yours and whether it was measured or predicted.
Depending on the report, it may include information about:
Access to this information can make it easier to discuss your proposed flooring with your strata committee or body corporate.
If the building has strict requirements, an acoustic consultant may still need to assess the proposed flooring system against the property’s construction and by-laws. Only AAAC member firms can issue an AAAC Star Rating Certificate.
There is no single flooring product that is best for every apartment.
The right option depends on your building’s requirements, the room, the existing subfloor, your lifestyle and the complete flooring system being installed.
One option to consider is acoustic vinyl:
Acoustic vinyl flooring and
Some products incorporate an acoustic layer or backing, while others form part of a tested flooring and underlay system. Tarkett iD Comfort 19, available through participating Floorworld stores, is one example of an acoustic LVT with a built-in acoustic backing.
Acoustic performance is important, but it should not be your only consideration.
Look for a flooring solution that balances:
The flooring should suit both your apartment and the way you live.
Floorworld offers a range of flooring options that may be suitable for apartments and townhouses, subject to the individual building’s requirements.
One option available through participating Floorworld stores is Tarkett iD Comfort 19 Acoustic LVT.
iD Comfort 19 is a luxury vinyl tile and plank collection with a multi-layer construction designed to improve sound control. It also features built-in foam backing for greater comfort underfoot and is available in 14 contemporary designs, including timber, concrete and marble looks. It is installed using a glue-down method, so your installer will need to check and prepare the subfloor first.
Tarkett lists an impact sound reduction of 19 dB (ΔLw). This laboratory figure shows how much the floor covering reduces impact noise on a standard concrete floor. It is useful for comparing products, but it is not a rating for your building.
Tarkett’s acoustic report, prepared by AAAC member firm Day Design, rates iD Comfort 19 at up to 6 Stars, depending on the building. Tested on a 270 mm concrete slab with no ceiling below, it achieved 4 Stars (L’nT,w 48). Predictions for other constructions range from 2 Stars (120 mm slab, no ceiling) to 6 Stars (270 mm slab with a suspended double-plasterboard ceiling and insulation). On 150–200 mm slabs, the prediction is 4 Stars with a plasterboard ceiling below and 5 Stars with a suspended, better-insulated ceiling.
This supporting information may assist during the strata or body corporate approval process. However, approval remains subject to your building’s requirements, the proposed installation system and any assessment requested by the relevant strata committee or acoustic consultant. Ask your local Floorworld store for a copy of the report (it is also in the Downloads section of the iD Comfort 19 product page) and compare the tested and predicted constructions with your building.
Before purchasing or installing new flooring:
Taking these steps early can help avoid approval delays, unexpected expenses and the risk of selecting a floor that does not meet the building’s requirements.
You may be able to replace carpet with hard flooring, but you should check your building’s by-laws first. Written approval and acoustic documentation may be required before work begins.
An acoustic flooring report explains how a flooring system was tested and records its acoustic performance under specified construction conditions. It may also include predicted results for other constructions. It may be requested by a strata manager, owners corporation, body corporate or acoustic consultant.
Not necessarily. Acoustic performance depends on the complete system, including the floor covering, underlay or backing, subfloor, ceiling construction and installation. Ask for test information covering the proposed system rather than relying only on the thickness of the underlay.
No. A star rating describes how a complete floor and ceiling system performed, or is predicted to perform, in a specific construction. Your building may have different construction, by-laws or documentation requirements, so approval should always be confirmed before installation.
No flooring can eliminate every sound. Acoustic flooring systems are designed to reduce the transmission of impact noise, but the result also depends on the building and quality of installation.
Your local Floorworld team can help you compare flooring styles, understand available acoustic documentation and identify options that may suit your apartment or townhouse.
Bring a copy of your building’s flooring requirements or strata by-laws when you visit. This will help the team recommend more relevant products and documentation.
Visit your local Floorworld store or book a free measure and quote to explore acoustic flooring options for your apartment.
Tarkett is a global leader in flooring, with 140 years of experience creating durable, design-led solutions for homes and commercial spaces. Tarkett’s Australian range includes sheet vinyl, luxury vinyl tile, hybrid flooring and carpet tiles, with options designed to balance style, comfort and everyday performance.
Guided by its Human-Conscious Design® approach, Tarkett considers the people who use a space as well as the impact of the materials it makes. This means a continued focus on healthier indoor environments, long-lasting performance, responsible material choices and more circular ways of designing and manufacturing flooring.
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