October 27/November 3, 2014; Volume 28/Number 10
Norfolk, Neb.—MP Global Products recently introduced LuxWalk sound-suppressing underlayment for superior performance under floating or glue-down luxury vinyl flooring (LVF). A good match for condos, high-rise apartment complexes and anywhere else where sound control between floors and IIC and STC sound test ratings are considerations, LuxWalk is designed and engineered to soothe impact sound and floor-to-ceiling noise.
At 25⁄1000-inch thickness and featuring a smartly engineered heavy-duty design, LuxWalk adds the right amount of cushioning under LVF. It also retards movement of LVF installed over it, helping reduce abrasion of the underside of the flooring.
“LuxWalk is nice and thin, which is what you need for luxury vinyl flooring so it doesn’t buckle up,” said Deanna Summers, marketing director for MP Global. “It also has great pressure resistance, which is key to any good vinyl flooring. You need something with a nice finish that also won’t conform to bumps and imperfections in the floor.”
Because luxury vinyl can easily compress to the base on which it rests when pressure is applied to it, underlayment with good compression resistance is important. LuxWalk, which has exceptional compression resistance testing results (exceeding test machine limits), enhances LVF’s performance, minimizing impressions and indentations that can occur on the finished floor.
Made from polyethylene film that incorporates blended recycled polyester fiber—derived from soda bottles diverted from landfill—with hot-melt adhesive, LuxWalk includes 31% post-consumer recycled content, is LEED compliant and will contribute to MRc 4.1 and 4.2 credits.
Ingredients include blended recycled polyester fiber, made from soda bottles diverted from landfills.In the IIC test, designed to measure the impact sound transmission performance of a floor-ceiling assembly in a controlled laboratory environment, 4.2mm luxury vinyl planks installed over LuxWalk and 6-inch concrete with suspended ceiling achieved an impressive sound rating of 72.
In the STC test, which measures the sound-insulating property of a partition element expressed in terms of the sound transmission loss, 4.2mm luxury vinyl planks over LuxWalk and 6-inch concrete with suspended ceiling achieved a rating of 66.
Both of these ratings are appreciably higher than the ratings the IBC (International Building Code) suggests, which is 50.
LuxWalk’s sound test results provide documentation that can be shared with building inspectors who are evaluating sound suppression, whether or not the manufacturer of the flooring has independently tested for sound reduction. The underlayment also has full film coverage and carries a Water Vapor Transmission Rate of 0.273 grams per 100 square inches per day, improving the way LVF handles potentially harmful moisture.
LuxWalk is available in 3-foot x 66’8” rolls for easy installation.