The Forbo acoustic collection brings you floor coverings created and tested to maximise reduction of impact sound while meeting the requirements of high traffic commercial areas. Contributing to reducing internal noise disturbance in a range of ways, our acoustic flooring creates a more comfortable environment.
Acoustic Performance:
Two types of noise can contribute to noise pollution:
Ambient noise: In-room sound generated by impact within the room. To measure this, noise pressure is measured in the room to the standard NF-S 31-074. All Forbo’s acoustic collections sit in Class A, the highest possible rating.
Impact sound: Sound transmitted through the floor to the spaces below. Impact sound reduction is the most common sound reduction measure. To measure impact sound reduction delivered by a floor covering, impact noise is created by a hammer machine onto a concrete floor slab in an emission room with the sound level (S1) recorded. The floor covering is then laid on the concrete and the same impact noise is applied to the floor with the new sound level (S2) recorded. The impact sound reduction (EN ISO 717-2) is the decibel difference between the sound levels recorded. The impact sound reduction of our acoustic ranges from 14 to 19 dB.
Residual Indentation:
Depending on your installation location, residual indentation is a key consideration when you are selecting an acoustic floor. Compact acoustic products offer performance similar to compact products for indentation and easy rolling floor.
Always consider each criterion when selecting an acoustic floor and select the right balance between indentation resistance and acoustic performance.
Flooring for noise reduction
Each individual project will have its own set of unique circumstances which will dictate the best acoustic flooring solution.
For applications where sound reduction is the key, our 19 dB rated products such as Sarlon 19 dB, Modul’up Decibel and Allura Decibel offer excellent acoustic properties with residual indentation performance that’s the best in class.
However, in some instances the floor coverings may be subjected to very heavy or rolling loads, and so Sarlon 15 dB or our acoustic Marmoleum ranges will give you the optimum balance between acoustic performance and residual indentation.
For areas where a combination of increased impact sound reduction and slip resistance is required, Surestep Decibel offers 17 dB impact sound reduction with sustainable, particle enhanced R10 slip resistance.
Eternal de Luxe Decibel delivers ultimate high-end aesthetics with increased impact sound reduction of 17 dB for areas where impressions count.
There are three pillars of sustainability, Planet, People and Profit. Although the way we produce our acoustic floor coverings aims to reduce our environmental impact, our acoustic offer also has a part to play on the People pillar of sustainability.
Whether at work or at home, excess noise can become a real nuisance if left unchecked. Incessant noise is not only distracting, affecting productivity and concentration, but it can manifest in physical ailments. In fact, several studies, including ‘The Cardiovascular Effects of Noise’ published by Deutches Arzteblatt in 2019, have shown that regular exposure to loud noise has been associated with cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure.
How it’s made
• Produced in Europe, all our acoustic solutions are produced in manufacturing plants where all the electricity comes from renewable sources.
• All our acoustic ranges are manufactured in production facilities that are certified to ISO14001 – environmental management standard.
• All our acoustic solutions are REACH* compliant for chemical content.
• The linoleum top layer of our acoustic Marmoleum ranges contains up to 98% natural raw materials and up to 47% recycled content
• Through our Back to the Floor scheme we can collect clean installation off-cuts of our acoustic vinyl and Marmoleum acoustic floor coverings and reprocess them to avoid landfill
How it performs
Achieving lower noise pollution is essential to reducing stress and promoting the well-being, comfort and efficiency of people working or learning.
All our vinyl ranges are 100% phthalate-free
*Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) addresses the production and use of chemical substances and their potential impact on both human health and the environment
Social accountability
We care for the people that touch our business, from employees to suppliers. That’s why all our UK manufacturing facilities and most of our sites in Europe are certified to SA8000®. The SA8000 Standard is one of the world’s preeminent social standards which aims to protect workers along each step of the supply chain and we are the only UK flooring company to have achieved this certification. Forbo was also involved in the development of BES 6002 (BRE’s Ethical Labour Sourcing Standard) and became the 1st flooring company certified to this standard.
Green certification
We provide Environmental Data Sheets for all our products. To download our EDS sheets and our independent EPD’s, please click here
For more details on how we’re helping to Create Better Environments click here
If you would like to read more about Acoustic Flooring, please visit the Acoustic Flooring section of our Digital Portfolio.
Forbo Portfolio
If you would like to read more about Forbo's portfolio of products please download the following brochure:
Forbo at a Glance brochure
