Quality doesn't happen just anywhere...

...but at ewifoam

Of course our products are inspected and tested both in our own sound testing labs and in external institutes. This effort, which is unusual in our sector, guarantees a high standard of quality and rules out possible deviations, both in production and from external suppliers. It also means that the right product can always be found to meet specific requirements, ensuring reliable treatment in any commercial property too. ewifoam® parquet underlay has been purpose-developed and undergoes extensive tests even at the preliminary stages in order to obtain an end product with ideally calibrated properties in typical areas of application.

IMPACT SOUND INSULATION		20 db
MAX. IMPACT SOUND INSULATION		28 db
FOOTFALL SOUND INSULATION		10 %
THERMAL INSULATION		0,038 m²K/W
SUITABLE FOR UNDER- FLOOR HEATING		yes
MOISTURE PROTECTION		Vapour Barrier
LEVELS OUT SLIGHT UNEVENNESS
MECHANICAL STRESS RATING
DURABILITY

Impact sound insulation

Reduction in transmission of sound in adjoining rooms or rooms underneath, depending on the material base (i.e. PE, PUR, cork etc.) and the thickness of the material measured in accordance with DIN EN ISO 140-8.

Max. impact sound insulation rating

Greatest possible reduction in impact sound that can be achieved under realistic laboratory conditions. All of our products have been tested in conformance with DIN EN ISO 140-8 in order to comply with any regulations. However as these figures cannot reflect the “perceived” reduction in impact sound (on account of the test set-up that is held in theoretical conditions), we measure the impact sound insulation for our top-of-the-line products in our own laboratory in a test set-up that is closer to conditions in actual practice. To do so, a 7mm laminate floor is tested under the following set-up, which resembles practical conditions more closely: concrete floor – 15mm screed underlay – 70mm floating screed – sound insulation test specimen – 7mm laminate top floor (measured according to DIN EN ISO 140-8, test surface approx. 100 x 100 cm, measurements taken at 3 different spots).

Improvement in footfall sound

Improved room acoustics by reducing the so-called clickclack effect when the floor is walked on. The level of improvement in footfall sound depends on a variety of factors (material basis, density etc.). We are one of the first suppliers to have gone over to conducting additional tests for reduction in the level of footfall sound in accordance with the new test procedure, which is more complicated but closer to actual conditions in practice, in accordance with the EPLF draft standards 021029-1 to 021029-3 (sone-bark scale). In future this is likely to become the standard for meaningful measurement of noise and should then replace sound pressure measuring in accordance with the db-method that is removed from actual practice. As it is, the latter method is far from convincing when it comes to subjective perception of sound. Make sure you take account of this when comparing our high-performance products with conventional impact sound insulation.

Thermal insulation

Different materials (polyethylene, polystyrene or polyurethane foam, fibrous materials etc.) possess different thermal insulating properties. What is crucial in the specific insulation value is material thickness and density. In particular our underlay made from polystyrene foam has excellent thermal insulation properties. When it comes to this a decision has to be made whether you want high thermal insulation or high thermal conductivity (in the case of underfloor heating).

Suitability for underfloor heating

The thermal conductivity of the entire floor structure should not exceed 0.15 m²K/W in the case of underfloor warm water heating. The lower this figure is the better the suitability of the underlay for use with underfloor heating. Perfect thermal conductivity is afforded by the Professional products Viscotech 1200® (0.005 m²K/W) and Universol® Alu (0.033 m²K/W).

Protection against moisture

When fitting flooring on mineral substrates nearly all flooring manufacturers specify the use of an additional layer that prevents vapour diffusion. In practice we distinguish between moisture brakes and moisture barriers. In general we distinguish between vapour brakes with an Sd rating of between 15 and 100 m and vapour barriers from an Sd rating of 100m. You will find products in ewifoam®'s range (Rayflex®), where the integrated vapour barrier with an Sd rating of over 1500m will satisfy even the most stringent requirements.

Compensation for unevenness

The ability to level out slight unevenness in subfloors, depending on flexibility and material thickness.

Mechanical stress rating

The result of long-term pressure resistance on the durability of the top floor should also be taken into account. If the underlay is too soft and there is a heavy load (from heavy furniture or the like, for instance) the delicate connection in the tongue and groove area can suffer. This effect is even more pronounced with glueless Click-system floors. When choosing underlay you should therefore also take the type of use into account. In the technical overview on the front inside flap we have included the mechanical stress rating for the sake of making quick comparisons. The higher the rating the better suited the underlay is for delicate connections (such as Click-systems floors or thinner top floors).

Durability

How long will the underlay provide the required properties? In the case of simple foam with low density part of the gas filling will escape from the bubble structure when subjected to a constant load, resulting in a gradual reduction of the insulating and cushioning properties. In contrast, top quality products like Universol® retain their excellent properties permanently thanks to their chemical-physical structure and their high density (1000 kg/m³), even when subjected to heavy loads.

Properties

= excellent

= very good

= good

= satisfactory

= sufficient

Further
Explanations