A Sound Business Partnership: Veneklasen Associates Performs All of Our Acoustic Testing

by | Jan 30, 2023 | Sound Mitigation, Urban Announcements | 0 comments

Urban Surfaces is proud to be partnered with Veneklasen Associates. Soon you will start seeing their logo on our packaging, and we want you to know how important that is. Veneklasen Associates is a pioneer in acoustical engineering and an authority on sound measurement. When impacted, the sound a floor produces has always been one of the biggest challenges in multi-unit spaces. When sound is not properly managed, even something as simple as the sound of footsteps can lead to noise complaints and disputes between residents.

The Urban Surfaces Sound-Tec, Studio 12 floating floor, Foundations, and InstaGrip collections are designed to keep noise to a minimum, while still providing a durable, waterproof surface for any project. We did our homework. We put in the work to make our floors the quietest possible, and to help us prove it we contacted one of the leading authorities in acoustics, Veneklasen Associates.

Veneklasen Associates, Authority on Audio

Having earned degrees in physics and mathematics from UCLA, Paul S. Veneklasen founded Veneklasen Associates in 1947 to put his acoustical physics knowledge to work. Veneklasen became an important consultant to government agencies such as the US Air Force, contributing to improved helmet designs and jet-noise suppression. He also contributed to the private sector, providing innovative solutions for acoustic testing that are still in use today.


Veneklasen Associates was the world’s first acoustical consulting firm ever founded. Since the beginning, they have treated sound as what it is: a science to be studied inside and out. Understanding the physics of audio has been crucial to them from the start, leading to vital advancements in the measurement, control, and use of sound worldwide.

Veneklasen logo and patent diagrams on red background
(Veneklasen holds patents on multiple complex audio inventions for enhancing and protecting hearing.)

The Standard

John LoVerde and Wayland Dong of Veneklasen Associates are responsible for furthering the science behind the IIC or impact insulation class, a “dual-rating method for evaluating impact noise isolation of floor-ceiling assemblies”. This has since become the standard for measuring the noise created by impacts on flooring whether it be footfalls or dropped objects. An IIC (specifically the more accurate delta IIC) rating is the best way to tell how much impact sounds are dampened by flooring. The higher the number, the less sound is transferred, so higher is better.

Tested by Veneklasen Associates themselves, our floorings’ delta IIC ratings reach up to 22. One of the biggest factors in a flooring’s delta IIC rating is the thickness of its sound-baffling materials. However, flooring can only be so thick, and the amount of “give” or compressibility a floor has is critical to floor stability.

We have designed our floors to block as much sound as possible, while still providing the durable and hard surface your spaces need. Urban Surfaces’ flooring is the best option available when you need a hard surface with sound mitigation. Will our flooring block all unpleasant sounds from above? No, there’s no substitute for a well-sound-insulated floor-ceiling assembly, but our flooring will provide a noticeable and valuable difference.

Badge of Honor

We proudly feature the Veneklasen Associates badge on our packaging. Regardless of which of our floorings you choose, when you see the Veneklasen Associates badge, you can rest assured that you’re getting an accurate sound rating.

You don’t have to be an acoustical physicist to know how important a quiet environment can be for both work and home. We did the hard part so you can order confidently, knowing you’re getting not just a great flooring but a quiet one.

Contact your Urban Surfaces sales representative today for a no-commitment consultation. Don’t have a representative yet? Call 800-492-8722, and we’ll introduce you.

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