Flooring

Which flooring for a classroom? Acoustics, durability and renovation without adhesive

Last updated: 2 November 2026

From floor dB levels to adhesive-free refurbishment: how to select flooring for each floor, taking into account footfall and downtime, alongside ceilings and ma

The system at a glance

Solutions & Applications · Training

In a class of thirty pupils, every time a chair is moved, it causes a loud thud. The classroom flooring is not chosen on the basis of appearance or price per m² — it is chosen on the basis of impact noise reduction, resistance to heavy footfall and how easy it is to clean.

The four requirements of a room

Requirement	What does this mean in the specification?
Acoustic comfort	Impact noise reduction ΔLw from the floor itself — value in dB, documented per collection
Strength & durability	Heavy-traffic use class, indentation resistance, long-term dimensional stability
Indoor air quality	Low VOC emissions and maintenance without aggressive chemicals or repeated coatings
Focused atmosphere	Colour-coded zoning that delineates functional areas without the need for verbal guidance

Colour zoning is not a decorative choice. Different colour zones demarcate the desks, the teacher’s area and the aisle — and reduce the noise generated by the organisation of the classroom itself, particularly amongst younger pupils.

Floor dB: what exactly is being measured?

The dB value given for an acoustic product refers to impact noise reduction — the sound produced on the floor and transmitted into the room and to the floors below. It does not relate to sound absorption within the room or sound insulation from the adjacent room; these issues are addressed by the ceiling and wall construction respectively. The compact versions do not have an acoustic layer and do not provide this level of noise reduction — they do, however, offer resistance to indentation and are easy to clean.

Collection	Type	Audio version
RUBY 70	Heterogeneous · wear layer 0.70 mm (Class 34)	Available as a separate report — 19 dB
TAPIFLEX EXCELLENCE 19dB	Heterogeneous acoustic · bonded	Built-in — 19 dB
TAPIFLEX EXCELLENCE GENIUS 70	Heterogeneous acoustic flooring · loose-lay without adhesive	Built-in — 19 dB
iQ OPTIMA	Solid colours · 55 colours	Available in all colours — 16 dB
ACCZENT PLATINIUM 100	Compact acoustic vinyl	Built-in — 11 dB
VENETO ACOUSTIC CORK xf² 4.4 mm	Linoleum with a cork backing	Built-in — 15 dB
VENETO / STYLE ELLE / STYLE EMME xf² 2.5 mm	Solid linseed oil	No
ACCZENT EXCELLENCE COMPACT+ / ACCZENT EXCELLENCE GENIUS 70	Compact heterogeneous	No

Please note the distinction: for RUBY 70 and iQ OPTIMA, the acoustic performance applies to the acoustic version of the range, not the compact version. The same applies to the Genius range: Tapiflex Excellence Genius 70 is acoustic, whilst Acczent Excellence Genius 70 is solid. The value is confirmed for each reference in the technical brochure prior to specification.

ARGYNET Note

The choice between the acoustic and solid versions of the same collection is not a question of budget — it is a question of floor level. In ground-floor rooms at ground level, the 19 dB has no target; the cladding performs better in terms of sound absorption at ceiling level. In rooms situated above other uses, acoustic flooring is the most cost-effective point of intervention in the structure.

At ARGYNET, we specify the entire system and calculate materials per m².

Selection by project conditions

Room on an upper floor, heavy footfall: heterogeneous acoustic flooring — TAPIFLEX EXCELLENCE 19dB or RUBY 70 in its acoustic version.
Room requiring hygiene standards and maximum service life: homogeneous iQ OPTIMA, with an acoustic version where required.
Project with environmental criteria: linseed oil — 97% natural ingredients, Cradle to Cradle®, xf² surface protection.
Refurbishment whilst the building remains in use: adhesive-free solutions — TAPIFLEX EXCELLENCE GENIUS 70 in the classrooms, with 19 dB, and ACCZENT EXCELLENCE GENIUS 70 in the corridors, in the same designs; alternatively, LINO LOOSE-LAY.
Escape routes: ETRUSCO xf² with Bfl classification, without flame retardants.
Entrances and areas with wet footwear: VENETO SICURO xf² with R10 slip resistance.
Installation in sections or reparability: LVT — iD INSPIRATION 55 / HIGH TRAFFIC 70, or click versions where adhesive is not permitted.

ARGYNET Note

Acoustic flooring without closing the school. Until recently, installing acoustic flooring in a classroom on an upper floor meant using adhesive, waiting and a closed classroom. Tapiflex Excellence Genius 70 is laid without adhesive on top of the existing floor, secured with tape at the joints and around the perimeter, and the classroom is ready for use the very next morning.

As it shares the same 25 designs as the solid Acczent Excellence Genius 70, the corridor gets the compact version that can withstand wheeled traffic and the hall gets the acoustic version — creating a unified look across the entire floor.

Design series

Location of the room within the building: ground floor at ground level or a storey above another use — this determines whether an acoustic floor is required.
Use class: standard classroom, laboratory or corridor — specifies the thickness of the wear layer and indentation resistance.
Fire safety: identification of escape routes and the required reaction to fire class.
Substrate & moisture: the flatness and relative humidity (RH) of the concrete are measured prior to ordering, not during installation.
Installation method: glued, loose-lay or click — depending on the available downtime.
Maintenance protocol: confirmation that the flooring does not require waxes or aggressive chemicals — this has a direct impact on indoor air quality.
Complementary systems: ceiling and walls, so that the hall functions acoustically as a whole.

Roofing & masonry: what complements the flooring

The flooring reduces impact noise. It does not reduce room reverberation or noise transmission from the neighbouring classroom.

Sound absorption: the ceiling is the largest unobstructed surface in the room. OWA Constellation provides an _{αw value} of up to 0.80 (Class B), reaction to fire class A2-s1,d0 and light reflectance of ~88 per cent.
Lateral transmission: when the suspended ceiling runs continuously over a party wall, sound passes through the single plenum and the wall’s sound insulation is negated. Either the Dn_,f,w / CAC of the slab is checked (up to 35 dB depending on the system) or a barrier is installed.
Impact resistance of masonry: Knauf Diamant DFH1IR combines increased density, impact resistance and reduced water absorption in a single board — sound insulation values are taken from the system data sheet, not from the product on its own.