How to Determine the Best Flooring for a Home Studio?

How to Determine the Best Flooring for a Home Studio?

A well-designed and properly equipped studio at home can be the breeding ground for exceptional painting, sculpture, photography, music or dance videos. No wonder many YouTubers have their professional home studio which is the secret behind their high-quality videos. The basis of a good studio depends largely on the flooring and structure of the room.

This post is a detailed guide on choosing the ideal flooring for a home studio and the factors that influence this choice.

Home studio of musician	Home studio for dancer

Home studio of painter	Home studio of a sculptor

Basic Requirements to Design a Home Studio

Before you start filtering your options for home studio flooring, there are some basic requirements which must be taken into account and fulfilled. The primary consideration is the room, followed by the arrangement of the required equipment.

• The room

The room where you will be doing your recording should be carefully chosen. The following are criteria that should influence your choice:

• Size- The bigger the room the better it can accommodate your music and recording gear. Keep in mind that the recording quality will be better in a large room with a high ceiling.
• Noise- Recognizing the sources of external noise is important. It can be noisy neighbours, close-by busy roads, plumbing, birds and crickets, etc. You will need a room that is isolated and quiet. Also, it should be a room where you can work undisturbed at any time of the day.
• Acoustics- Usually a room with low ceilings and parallel walls have poor acoustics. An acoustic treatment must be done to make any room work since rooms with asymmetrical walls are specially constructed for professional studios and usually not seen in a home.
• Flooring- Options that do not affect the recording should be chosen. For example, carpet absorbs high-frequency sounds but not the low-frequency ones, which can affect the recording.
• Cleaning

The cleaning must be done thoroughly such that the floor and walls are clean, and ready for flooring installation and acoustic treatments to be done.

• Arranging

Gear and equipment should be arranged such that moving around the room are easy and the sound clarity is not hampered during recording.

Best Flooring for Studio

Once you have selected the room, it needs to be thoroughly cleaned and emptied. The choice of flooring and its installation comes next. The following are some top choices for a home studio:

• Hardwood

This is the most common choice of flooring for home and professional studios. It is also the most expensive choice, given the installation and the material cost together. But the floor acoustics is natural and soothing to the ears, making it great for recording purposes. It works well if you are trying to make the sound waves reflect from the floor. The absorbers and diffusers used in the room will balance out the sound that is reflected.

Area rugs and foam mats can be placed under the gear depending on the thickness of the wood, the overall layout and the moisture absorption you need within the room. Proper acoustic treatment is necessary nevertheless to get the maximum utility out of the room.

• Cork

Cork flooring is naturally porous and hence has noise cancellation properties. It is also a popular choice for designing a recording room. It is versatile enough to be used as the primary flooring for your home studio or can be used as the sub-floor under other options you have. The sound reflection of cork is less compared to hardwood and hence the reflected sound is much warmer and has a lower frequency.

It is soft and comfortable under-foot. However, it is not the most durable choice which is why many people avoid choosing it, particularly in high foot traffic studios. If you are installing cork, make sure you seal it properly and check the flooring at times as this is not a waterproof option and mould and mildew may grow.

• Laminate

If you have budget constraints, this is the ideal choice for almost every scenario including designing a home studio. Laminate flooring is durable, easy to install, has a variety of colours and textures to choose from and it is water resistant to a certain extent. All these positive factors make it a popular choice. Though the sound reflection will not be as warm as hardwood, the other advantages associated with it make a favourable choice for home recording areas.

• Vinyl

Vinyl is great for studios where there is high foot traffic and your if you’re on a budget. This option insulates against heat and sound. Its performance largely depends on the installation method and the type of sub-floor on which it is installed. In general, it is highly durable, scratch-resistant, easy-to-clean and comes in many options.

Which Is the Best?

Hardwood flooring is the best choice for a home studio despite the expense. The budget, durability, acoustics, ability to withstand foot traffic and its aesthetics are its main selling points.

The flooring must be chosen with care since it affects the sound quality to a great extent. When you visit a flooring store, its experts can advise you on the most suitable choice after analyzing your requirements. The above-mentioned are some of the best choices you have for designing a home studio. Keeping in mind your requirements and the sound effects you prefer will help you while choosing the flooring type.