Best Soundproof Underlayment. Common underlay materials are cork, vinyl, rubber, and foam. These materials are dense and offer good sound isolation and impact deadening (footsteps). Here are some of the top acoustic underlayment for wood, laminate, and tile floors.Click to see full answer. Accordingly, does underlay reduce noise?One major benefit of underlay is its noise-reducing properties. As an extra layer between the sub-floor and visible flooring, underlays absorb sound to minimise the echoing footsteps that has every downstairs neighbour grinding their teeth.Beside above, what is the best underlayment? When installing hardwood or engineered wood flooring, the best underlay options are cork and foam. However, foam does have more give than cork so, while it is the more popular option, we recommend cork. Cork has less give, making it less likely to flex underneath your planks. People also ask, what materials absorb sound the best? In general, soft, pliable, or porous materials (like cloths) serve as good acoustic insulators – absorbing most sound, whereas dense, hard, impenetrable materials (such as metals) reflect most. How well a room absorbs sound is quantified by the effective absorption area of the walls, also named total absorption area.How do you soundproof a subfloor? Noise Blocking Once the new acoustical subfloor is in place, seal the edges along the 1/8th-inch gap with silicone or acoustic sealant to both block and break the spread of noise from one layer to the next. Once the silicone sets, new tack strips can be installed and the pad and carpet stretched into place as usual.