Sikaź
AcouBond -- An Elastic Adhesive System for the Wood Flooring Industry
The Sikaź AcouBond
System has been designed for the installation of three layer,
or more, engineered or solid wood flooring. The AcouBond System
is manufactured by Sika AG, a recognized world wide leader in
the adhesive industry. Sika AG manufactures adhesives for the
automobile, marine, construction and manufacturing industries.
In the past, adhesives used to install wood flooring created a
rigid bond between the flooring and the substrate. The movement
of wood caused by humidity changes could cause the rigid adhesives
to damage or tear loose from the flooring planks or the substrate,
weakening the bond. This problem has been solved by the creation
of new adhesives that remain flexible and allow the natural movement
of wood to occur without undue stress placed on the flooring or
substrate.
Sikabond T53 adhesive is a one part polyurethane adhesive that
has been combined with a high quality polyethylene foam mat to
create a an installation system that combines the best features
of a full glue down and floating installation. The adhesive is
applied in symmetrically placed cutouts in the mat. This allows
the adhesive to be applied one time and be in contact with the
subfloor and the flooring planks, while at the same time an underlayment
mat is sandwiched between the subfloor and the planks. This is
in contrast to other full glue down installations with an underlayment
mat of cork or other synthetic product that requires two adhesive
applications to hold the underlayment and then the flooring planks.
The ability of the SikaBond T 53 adhesive to remain flexible allows
the wood flooring to maintain its natural movement as the seasons
and ambient humidity levels change throughout the year. A wood
floor installed with the AcouBond system acts in much the same
way as a "floated floor". While each plank will expand and contract
individually, there will also be some expansion and contraction
across the entire floor, which requires that a gap be provided
around the outside edge to allow for this movement.
Acoustic benefits for residential or
commercial projects:
Commercial
installation using
Sikaź AcouBond. |
The superior
and versatile properties of the T 53 adhesive are only part of
the story of the AcouBond System. The second part is the acoustic
benefit that the system provides. As the adhesive remains flexible,
it dampens impact noise rather than transferring it directly to
the subfloor. As wood flooring is one of the least effective types
of floor covering in controlling impact noise, it needs to be
separated from the subfloor. The Silent Layer mat provides this
separation. The Silent Layer mat is designed to provide a resilient
separation and to interrupt the transmission of both impact and
airborne noise to lower floors. The AcouBond System cushions impact
noise (footfalls on the floor, for instance) which also reduces
the noise reflected back into the room.
Sound ratings and what they mean:
In order to determine the acoustic value of products with sound
dampening properties, they are tested with other components of
the completed assemblies that they will be a part of in the finished
construction project. From this testing, a numerical rating is
determined for the entire assembly that can then be compared to
other acoustic products and the assemblies with which they are
tested.
Sound rating methods have been established by the Federal Housing
Administration (FHA), which is now Housing and Urban Development
(HUD), and the National Bureau of Standards.
Acoustical testing methods and acceptable sound transmission levels
have been established by American Society for Testing and Materials
(ASTM) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
IIC and STC are numerical ratings in decibels of an assembly's
ability to reduce sound transmission over a limited frequency
range. Acoustical products are always tested as part of an assembly,
which is comprised of all of the component parts that make up
a wall or a floor/ceiling. This would, for example, include a
floor covering (wood, vinyl, carpet), padding or underlayment,
sub floor (plywood and floor joists, concrete, gypcrete, etc.),
suspended or attached ceiling and any ceiling insulation.
IIC, or Impact Insulation Class,
is sound that originates by the impact of two bodies striking
each other (for example walking) and is carried through the building
structure. Acoustic mats, which are softer and more resilient,
isolate the wood flooring from the subfloor. This reduces the
transmission of the impact noise to the floor below through the
floor/ceiling assembly. It also absorbs some of the impact noise
that is transmitted back into the room.
STC, or Sound Transmission Class,
is sound that is airborne, such as voice, music, television or
other sound not attributed to impact. This test measures the sound
insulation qualities of a wall or floor/ceiling assembly to airborne
sound.
Floor/ceiling assembly ratings:
Below 50 Unacceptable, generally building codes require 50 or
above
Good Sound Reduction Satisfaction
High Sound Reduction Satisfaction
Above 60 Exceptional Sound Reduction Satisfaction
The Sikaź AcouBond system tested for the following ratings:*
STC- 60 IIC-59
*Tested at Riverbank Acoustic Laboratory under a 13/16" engineered
floor on 6"concrete with a suspended ceiling.
Where has Sikaź AcouBond been installed?
The AcouBond system is appropriate for residential or commercial
projects where the use of wood flooring is desired and acoustic
considerations are important. In the area where we have our retail
operation (Denver and the Colorado mountains), we have made numerous
installations in high end vacation homes, full time residences
and commercial projects. One of the fastest growing markets is
high rise residential construction projects where the use of wood
flooring is growing and sound transfer from floor to floor can
be a major problem.
Private
residence Telluride, Colorado. |
A particularly
striking example of the versatility of the AcouBond System was
the installation of 2000 square feet of a custom parquet engineered
floor in the great room of a ranch outside of Denver. The floor
was made up of 48" square panels with 12" spacer planks. Normally
in an installation that size, expansion joints would be considered.
But, with the AcouBond System, they were not necessary. In addition,
in the same house, a 60" long hallway floor was installed using
engineered planks that were up to 16' long and 16" wide. Again,
no expansion joints were used.
For more information visit our website: www.eigerinternational.com
