Regupol vs Damtec: comparing the complete systems

Two underlay quotes are only comparable when they describe the same job. Regupol and Damtec publish a range of constructions, so begin with the floor finish and the exact product rather than the brand name.

The documents below show what can be compared and where further information is needed. No matched test in this evidence set establishes one brand as the quieter choice across all floors.

Who makes Regupol and Damtec?

Regupol. The Australian supplier is REGUPOL Australia Pty Ltd, at Smeaton Grange in NSW, with its own acoustic sales team (REGUPOL Australia). The site’s copyright notice names REGUPOL Germany GmbH & Co. KG. The group’s German company was once called BSW Berleburger Schaumstoffwerk and now trades under the REGUPOL name (REGUPOL rebranding).

Damtec. DAMTEC is a product line of KRAIBURG Relastec GmbH & Co. KG, whose data sheets give an address in Salzwedel, Germany (DAMTEC standard data sheet). In Australia it is sold by Damtec Australasia Pty Ltd, at Thomastown in Victoria, on 1800 DAMTEC (Damtec). Damtec’s Australian brochures say the mats are made in Germany.

What does each brand sell in Australia?

REGUPOL renamed its acoustic underlays, which is why older quotes and by-law approvals use numbers. From REGUPOL Australia’s product pages:

• sonus multi 4.5, formerly Regupol 4515 (4.5 mm), PU foam and cork, for tiles, stone, timber, laminate and carpet tiles
• sonus multi 3, formerly 4515-S (3 mm), for vinyl, carpet tiles and cork
• sonus core 5, formerly 5512 (5 mm), and sonus core 10-S, formerly 6010 (10 mm), recycled tyre rubber, for screeds, laminate and engineered timber (sonus core range)
• sonus eco 5, formerly K225 (5 mm), tyre rubber and cork, for parquetry, laminate and engineered timber (sonus eco 5)
• sonus curve 6, formerly 6015 (6 mm), a profiled rubber mat for floating screeds (sonus curve 6)

Regupol 4080 appears in a 2015 Regupol (Australia) gym sheet as an underlay under rubber gym flooring. It is not on the current acoustic pages or test report list.

Damtec Australasia’s site lists five underlays:

• DAMTEC Standard: rubber and cork, 2 and 3 mm, with thicker sizes up to 6 mm to order, about 700 kg/m³, for direct-stick tile, timber, LVT and carpet (tiling brochure)
• DAMTEC Multi: recycled rubber, 2 to 5 mm, about 970 kg/m³, for tile, floating timber and under screeds (tiling page)
• DAMTEC Rubber: recycled rubber, 2 mm, about 910 kg/m³, for carpet and LVT
• DAMTEC Color and DAMTEC Resilient: for vinyl and LVT; Resilient is PU foam and cork (LVT page)

KRAIBURG also makes DAMTEC black uni, but it is not listed on the Australian site.

How do Regupol and Damtec compare?

These are the products people search for most, with each maker’s own published figures. ΔLw is the laboratory improvement over a bare slab (higher is better). Ln,w is the laboratory result for the whole floor (lower is better). Damtec tested on a 140 mm slab with no ceiling; REGUPOL tested on a 150 mm slab.

Sources: REGUPOL sonus multi 4.5 and sonus core 5 technical data; REGUPOL terms of sale; Damtec’s tiling, floating timber, under-screed and carpet brochures, and its direct-stick timber brochure; the Damtec advantages page; Damtec’s terms of trade; and the KRAIBURG data sheet.

Which is better under tiles, Regupol or Damtec?

On the published figures, neither. Under bonded tile, REGUPOL sonus multi 4.5 gave ΔLw 17 dB and DAMTEC Standard gave 17 to 18 dB. Those tests used different laboratories, slabs (150 mm and 140 mm) and tiles, so a 1 dB gap does not show that one is better.

Both brands tested higher once a screed went on the mat: 19 to 21 dB for REGUPOL’s two products and 24 dB for DAMTEC Multi under a 60 mm screed. The screeds were different thicknesses, so again, compare like with like.

The two makers also say different things about how firm a mat should be. Damtec says its Multi mat, at about 970 kg/m³, gives a more rigid base that reduces the risk of grout cracking, and asks for a trial installation before 4 mm or thicker Multi goes under direct-stick tile. REGUPOL says all applications should be checked with the floor finish, membranes, adhesives and grouts. Neither claim is an independent test. For the wider picture on tiles, see acoustic underlay for tiles.

Which suits timber and carpet better?

For timber, both makers publish several tests. REGUPOL sonus eco 5 under parquetry gave ΔLw 20 dB, sonus core 5 under 14 mm engineered timber (not bonded) gave 18 dB, and sonus multi 4.5 gave 17 dB. DAMTEC Multi under a 10 mm floating timber floor gave 17 dB at 3 mm and 19 dB at 4 mm. DAMTEC Standard under glued 16 mm parquetry gave 17 to 18 dB at 2 to 5 mm (timber brochure).

Glued engineered timber scored lower for both brands: 11 to 12 dB for DAMTEC Standard under 10 mm engineered boards, and 16 dB for REGUPOL sonus eco 5 under bonded engineered timber (sonus eco 5). The floor and fixing method matter as much as the brand. See acoustic underlay for timber floors for how floating and glued floors differ.

For carpet, Damtec publishes two tests: DAMTEC Rubber at 28 dB and DAMTEC Standard at 25 dB, both 2 mm under loose-laid carpet. REGUPOL lists carpet tiles as a finish for sonus multi, but we did not find a REGUPOL carpet test on its Australian pages.

Warranty, moisture and where to buy

Neither company states a warranty period on its Australian website. REGUPOL’s terms of sale promise goods of acceptable quality under the Competition and Consumer Act for consumers. Damtec’s terms of trade keep the statutory guarantees and limit other warranties. Ask your installer what warranty applies to the whole floor.

For wet areas, KRAIBURG says DAMTEC standard can go under tiles “provided an appropriate waterproofing system is used”. REGUPOL asks you to check suitability with the waterproof membrane. Neither company lists retail stockists on its site, so contact them for a supplier near you.

Questions to ask either supplier

• The current product name and any former name, such as 4515
• A test report with your floor on top, and the report number
• Slab thickness, ceiling and lab or field for that report
• Approved adhesives and the wet area detail
• The warranty that applies, in writing
• A named stockist or installer, and a dated quote

For how rubber mats compare with foam and cork, read rubber acoustic underlay.

Join the waitlist below to hear when