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Korea Floor Impact Noise Standards & SOPREMA Solutions
An overview of Korea's apartment floor impact noise standards, and how our products contribute.
OVERVIEW
Floor impact noise insulation performance
In Korea, apartment floor impact noise is governed on two tracks. (1) New-build insulation performance— since the 2022 revision, both light- and heavy-weight impact noise must be 49 dB or lower, verified by actual measurement after construction (post-construction verification). (2) A separate living-noise dispute standard defines day/night limits for direct-impact and airborne noise between households.
| Type | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Light-weight impact | Tapping machine (light impacts: chair dragging, dropped objects) |
| Heavy-weight impact | Bang machine / rubber ball (heavy impacts: footsteps, jumping) |
PERFORMANCE GRADES
Floor impact noise insulation grades (current)
The current system classifies both light- and heavy-weight impact noise into four grades at 4 dB intervals. Grade 4 (46–49 dB) is the minimum requirement; lower numbers indicate better insulation.
| Grade | Performance (light & heavy) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | ≤ 37 dB | Best |
| Grade 2 | 38 – 41 dB | |
| Grade 3 | 42 – 45 dB | |
| Grade 4 | 46 – 49 dB | Minimum requirement |
※ The previous recognition system used separate light (Grade 1 ≤43 dB) and heavy (Grade 1 ≤40 dB) grades. Standards may change — refer to current law and accredited test reports.
PRODUCT SPEC → KOREAN GRADE
Reading product specs against Korean grades (reference)
A product’s standalone European lab improvement (ΔLw) and the Korean insulation grade (absolute level of the whole system) use different test methods and impact sources, and there is no official conversion formula between them. The below does not convert one to the other; it presents the Korean grade framework alongside Korean third-party research figures, for reference only.
① Product performance & the Korean grade framework
The VELAPHONE / TEXFON underlay shows ΔLw 22 dB of light-weight impact noise improvement (high-freq, 150Hz+) in European lab testing. This is a standalone product improvement; Korean grades are assigned by testing the whole system to Korean standards.
⚠️ Reduction of heavy-impact noise (footsteps, low-freq) is much smaller (see Korean research below).
ΔLw 22dBLight-weight impact reduction (ΔLw, EU lab)EU EN ISO lab value
Grade 1
≤ 37 dB
Grade 2
38–41 dB
Grade 3
42–45 dB
Grade 4
46–49 dB
Korean floor impact insulation grades (lower is better)
Korean third-party research (comparable underlay)
- Light-weight reduction 11–23 dB — ΔLw 22 dB falls within this range, but differing test methods and structures mean performance cannot be directly compared.
- Heavy-weight reduction 2–5 dB (underlay + floating-screed specimen) — heavy-weight performance is strongly influenced by the whole floor system (slab thickness, mass layer, etc.).
Source: Yoon & Oh, “Experimental study on apartment floor impact sound insulation by resilient-layer type,” J. Environmental Impact Assessment 14(4), 2005, and other Korean resilient-underlay studies (KSNVE journal, etc.). Not a test of VELAPHONE/TEXFON; results are limited to those studies’ materials, structures and conditions.
ΔLw is a European single-number rating of light-weight impact improvement over a reference floor. Korean values are derived from Korean impact sources, the inverse-A curve and Korean test conditions; there is no accredited formula to convert ΔLw into a Korean measurement or grade. The actual grade depends on the base slab, floor build-up, installation and accredited testing.
② Expected-grade simulation (reference / estimate)
⚠️ Estimate (not accredited)An illustrative relative comparison of how floor-impact performance improves as an underlay and mass layer are added over the same slab.
| Floor build-up (assumed example) | Impact-noise trend | Expected grade (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Bare standard slab (no underlay) | High impact noise | Unlikely to meet minimum(est.) |
| ＋ VELAPHONE/TEXFON underlay + floating screed | Strongly reduced | Relative improvement expected(est.) |
| ＋ TECSOUND mass layer (SUELOS S-3 approach) | Further reduced | Further gain expected(est.) |
※ The simulation above is a reference estimate / example for general information, not an accredited test result. It does not guarantee any specific grade; the actual grade is confirmed only by an accredited test report. This table is not a conversion of the product’s ΔLw into a Korean grade, and does not predict or guarantee Korean measured values, grades or post-construction results.
Korean accreditation in progress
Official Korean floor-impact certification underway
Accredited testing for Korea’s floor-impact-noise insulation grade is planned for the SOPREMA floor-impact solution (VELAPHONE/TEXFON underlay and floor systems). Official Korean grade reports will be published here once available.
HOW OUR PRODUCTS HELP
SOPREMA product contribution
Floor impact noise (light & heavy)
VELAPHONE / TEXFON — floor underlay
Resilient underlay installed between the slab and floor finish to absorb impact energy. With lab impact-noise reduction (ΔLw) up to 22 dB, it contributes to the insulation performance/grade of the floor system.
Airborne sound · party-wall insulationTECSOUND — high-density membrane
A high-density (2,010 kg/m³) synthetic membrane that blocks airborne sound through walls and ceilings (improves Rw). Applied to party walls, service pipes and ceiling cavities.
PRODUCT APPLICATION GUIDE
SOPREMA products applicable to Korean floor noise
From the SOPREMA France (soprema.fr) and Spain (soprema.es) ranges, the products below can be applied to Korean apartment floor-impact and inter-unit airborne noise. All figures are European test values (EN/ISO) and do not map directly to Korean floor-impact grades (see the note below).
| Category | Product | Key performance (EU test) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impact underlay | Vélaphone Fibre 22 / Texfon | ΔLw 22 dB · 3.4 mm | Polyester felt + bitumen · same product on soprema.fr/.es |
| Impact underlay | Vélaphone Confort | ΔLw 19–22 dB · 2.5 mm | Thin · underfloor-heating compatible |
| Impact underlay | Texsilen | ΔLw ~16–20 dB · 3·5 mm | Expanded polyethylene foam (soprema.es) |
| Impact underlay | Texsimpact | 5·10 mm | Cross-linked PE foam (soprema.es) |
| Impact underlay | Texcork dB | 3 mm | Cork + recycled rubber · renovation (soprema.es) |
| Airborne membrane | TECSOUND SY | ΔRw +6–9 dB | Self-adhesive on drywall partitions/ceilings |
| Airborne membrane | TECSOUND FT 75 | Membrane Rw 28 dB / system ~58 dB | Absorption+insulation · impact ΔLw 22 dB |
| Airborne membrane | TECSOUND 2FT 80 | Rw 50 dB | Masonry partition lining (soprema.es) |
| Validated floor system | SUELOS S-3 | System Rw 57 dB | Texsilen 5mm + Tecsound 70 + parquet (soprema.es) |
| Validated floor system | SUELOS S-5 | System ΔLw 26 dB | Tecsound FT 75 ×2 + mortar + tile (soprema.es) |
Where it sits in a Korean floor build-up
In the standard Korean apartment floor, a SOPREMA underlay sits directly on the slab (resilient layer).
- ① Concrete slab (~210 mm)
- ② Resilient underlay ← Vélaphone/Texfon · Texsilen, etc.
- ③ Lightweight foamed concrete
- ④ Finishing mortar (embedded heating pipes)
- ⑤ Floor finish (engineered wood, tile…)
※ A Texfon perimeter band at the walls breaks flanking transmission.
Selection guide by use
- Floor impact (footsteps/jumping): resilient underlay on the slab — Vélaphone Fibre 22/Texfon (ΔLw 22 dB) or Texsilen.
- Party wall / ceiling airborne: TECSOUND SY (drywall) or TECSOUND FT composite.
- Pipe noise: TECSOUND TUBE S on soil/waste downpipes.
- Dry floating floor: add a TECSOUND membrane as a mass layer over the underlay (SUELOS S-3 approach).
Please note
- This page is a design example for general information.
- A product's standalone lab performance (ΔLw, Rw) is measured differently from the floor impact noise grade, which evaluates the entire floor system.
- Using a product does not by itself guarantee a specific grade. The actual grade depends on the system design, installation and accredited testing.
- For accurate application and test reports, please consult our experts.