Marmox SoundBoard Noise Reducing Tile Backer Boards are designed to be installed under tiled floor surfaces on multi-storey buildings to reduce footfall sound being heard in the space directly below. In addition, Marmox SoundBoards include waterproofing, thermal insulation and decoupling properties to stop tiles from cracking due to movement.

Marmox SoundBoard effectively removes the solid link between the point of impact (i.e. the footfall on the tile) and the ceiling by placing a layer of rubber foam between, so the sound waves do not have a medium to pass through. As a result, Marmox SoundBoard delivers a significant improvement in acoustic insulation.

Ceramic tiles or wood laminate on floors can make noises such as footsteps sound even louder in the room below. Many local authorities do not allow tiled bathrooms in shared accommodation for this very reason. Marmox SoundBoard is much more than just an impact sound reduction layer – it also provides decoupling, so lateral movement in the floor is absorbed by the board and not by the tiles, so the tiles don’t crack. It is entirely waterproof and, as well as improving acoustic insulation, helps to lock in heat in rooms where it’s fitted.

Marmox SoundBoard Noise Reducing Tile Backer Boards are essentially Marmox Multiboard Tile Backer Board panels with one side of the board is coated with a sound attenuating layer of SBR rubber that isolates the tiled surface from the floor so that there is nothing for the sound waves to travel through.

The rubber compound is natural so there is no plasticiser migration ensuring the material neither shrinks, degrades or becomes brittle. Marmox SoundBoard will usually reduce the level of impact noise greater than the recommended minimum of 17dB. Marmox SoundBoard is available in two thicknesses: 8mm and 12mm.

Both thicknesses contribute a sound reduction of approximately 20dB through a tiled floor. In addition, the 12mm board provides more enhanced thermal insulation than the 8mm version.

How to install Marmox SoundBoard Noise Reducing Tile Backer Board:
The first step is to fix the boards, rubber-side down*, to the floor. To do so, use either a thin bed of flexible tile adhesive or Marmox MSP360 Adhesive. MSP360 itself is a visco-elastic material, so it absorbs sound waves, thereby offering slightly more sound reduction and insulation than just using the boards on their own. Marmox MSP360 does, however, take 12 hours to cure sufficiently before tiling.

*When using with wood laminate flooring, the concrete face is fixed to the floor with Multibond so that the rubber side is facing upwards in contact with the laminate.

A gap of about 4mm should be left between the edge of the boards and the wall. Next, fill the gap with a visco-elastic adhesive such as Multibond to eliminate the possibility of flanking sound happening there. After you have installed our soundproof insulation and absorption products, tape over the joints and tile as usual.