Q: I am about do up my 14*11 penthouse room, and I want a wooden floor. I am definitely not going for a laminate. Should I go for softwood or hardwood, and how should I lay it? Considering I am a musician, it would be nice if it helps in the acoustics of the room. Which species has the best wood floor acoustics? Also, what are your thoughts on deodar cedar?
A: I’m not an expert on acoustics and don’t know how soft or hard wood affects that. I do know that concrete buildings generally require a sound absorbing barrier under a wood or engineered floor. That could be cork or a synthetic material. Keep in mind, the softer the wood, the easier it will dent.
Note from webmaster: Below are some related links I’ve digged up.
“My experience has been that wood flooring increases volume…” This forum has a thread on the issue in relation to various flooring effects on acoustics:
http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/17724.html
“Hardwood is better than carpet for acoustics…” a similar thread only in relation to hardwood:
http://forums.soundandvisionmag.com/showthread.php?573121-acoustics-with-hard-wood-floors
“Wood and acoustics in buildings” and “Wood in concert halls” are some of the topics covered in this article:
http://www.amjbot.org/content/93/10/1439.full
Here is an article entitled “Sound Tranmission and Flooring Types”:
http://learn.builddirect.com/flooring-info/noise/sound-transmission/
And this post hints at the complexity of the issue not just by species, but subspecies:
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/3916347-post30.html
Good luck!