Everything you need to know about how carpet can help soundproof your home

When it comes to making your home cosy, you can’t beat a carpet. But did you know that as well as delivering comfort and style, a carpet can also help with soundproofing your space? Sleep is so important for health and wellbeing, especially for the very young or elderly, and carpet is a great sound-absorbing solution if you live close to others.

So, if you live in an apartment block, converted flat or terraced house, have noisy neighbours or surround sounds you’d rather not hear, read on to find out everything you need to know about soundproofing floors with carpet.

In this guide:

What is soundproofing?
Do carpets absorb sound?
What is the best carpet for soundproofing?
Choosing the best carpet underlay for soundproofing

What is soundproofing?

First things first, let’s explain some technical jargon: sound absorption uses damping materials to reduce noise from resonating and echoing in a room, while soundproofing is used to block sound inside a room or keep noise out, for example from a neighbouring flat or the other side of the wall in a terraced house.

Do carpets absorb sound?

Experts agree that laying a thick carpet can help to absorb some of the impact noise in a room to reduce reverberation and echo. Not only does carpet absorb sound really well, it can reduce the sound of footsteps by 25 to 34 decibels - not quite tap-dancing territory but much better than bare floorboards!

What types of noise can carpet help to reduce?

Carpets are effective in reducing both impact noise – the sound of footsteps and movement, water pipes, electrical equipment, and lifts in apartment blocks – and airborne noise from outside. Laying a carpet will reduce sound reverberation and absorb ten times more airborne noise than any other type of flooring.

Carpet underlay is another great way to fight unwanted noise – and much cheaper than having your home professionally sound-proofed. If you’re questioning ‘does acoustic underlay really work?’ the answer is yes, it does still work, but not as well. It makes sense to buy the best underlay for soundproofing you can afford.

Does carpet absorb sound from neighbours?

Carpet and other soft furnishings like curtains and upholstered furniture will always help to absorb any ambient sound in a space so it sounds less echoey. If you live in a flat, you’ll often find that the contract mentions that your flooring should be carpet. This is especially important when you have neighbours living below. A good quality, thick carpet does help with soundproofing to a certain extent, but to fully soundproof your home from noisy neighbours, you’d have to invest in proper soundproofing materials.

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What is the best carpet for soundproofing?

When it comes to picking the best type of carpet for soundproofing, there’s no wrong answer! All our carpets come in a variety of thicknesses, but you can bet that the thicker and denser the carpet and its underlay, the better the soundproofing! Always opt for a carpet that will suit your space and your style, whether that’s a luxurious saxony carpet or a more traditional woven carpet.

For the best results when soundproofing floors, keep the following in mind:

Carpet is an excellent sound absorber and can reduce the sound of footsteps by 25 to 34 decibels
Carpets are effective in reducing both impact and airborne noise
Carpet underlay can greatly improve the performance of carpet in deadening noise

Choosing the best carpet underlay for soundproofing

Soundproof carpet underlay, which people also refer to as sound-absorbing carpet underlay, can really improve the performance of carpet in deadening noise in a room. There are several types available on the market, including PU (polyurethane) foam, crumb, sponge rubber, combination, and felt.

PU foam is the most popular soundproofing underlay, made from recycled foam off-cuts, available in a variety of thickness options and offering high comfort and performance, and it can also be recycled! Felt is another environmentally friendly option, made from recycled fibres including wool and synthetics to give it a firm finish with excellent thermal insulation to keep you cosy in your quiet den of tranquillity.

Tapi Top Tip: Sound insulation is measured in decibels (dB). The higher the number, the more sound is absorbed by the flooring.

Compare Tapi underlay side-by-side

Underlay	Thickness	Use	Tog rating	dB rating
Tapi 11 with Nike Grind	11mm	Heavy	3	45
Unity	10mm	Medium	2.4	44
Miracle	10mm	Medium	2.64	39
Tapi 9 with Nike Grind	9mm	Heavy	2.5	39
Wonder	9mm	Heavy	2.69	41
Tapi Contract with Nike Grind	8mm	Heavy	2	36
Heatflow	6.1mm	Heavy	0.75	31

If you’d like to take a look at the different types of soundproofing carpets available at Tapi, book a free home visit today for a Tapi flooring expert to come round and take a look at your space to determine what type of soundproof flooring is ideal for your home, and even get a full quote asap. Alternatively, head on over to our Ideas Hub for a whole load of inspiration, including tips on how to reduce heat loss in your home and how to insulate your floors.

Post author

Jeremy Garrish Buyer Jeremy has 35 years of carpet industry knowledge

Published: 17-10-2025