Norfolk, Neb.—An MP Global Products customer (a homeowner) recently used the golf ball test to evaluate the reduction of sound transmission capability of two different acoustic underlayments—one of which was QuietWalk—under a new floating wood floor to be installed over a wood subfloor.
It tested the sounds of a golf ball dropped on the floor (about 12 inches is a usual starting height for the test) and measured both the resulting tone from the bounced ball and the height of the bounce of the ball visually. This is a simple test that any homeowner or installer can conduct, even in the store. A lower bounce (i.e. rebound) indicates a better ability of the underlayment to absorb energy.
In the homeowner’s test, QuietWalk had a lower tone, which sounded better than the higher tone of the competition to the ears of the tester. And QuietWalk also “won” the bounce test—rebounding lower than the competition.