Crash Course in Soundproofing for Beginners
One of the most frequent questions surrounding the drywall industry is about soundproofing. More often than not, the inquires are not just for home theatres and music studios. With more and more people working from home there has been a greater need for home offices to be soundproofed - there is only so much you can get done with the kids and family dog running wild upstairs.
Anyone you talk to has their own way of getting a soundproofing project done. There are literally hundreds of ways you can do a quality job. Here are a few recommendations and things to consider from Tall Pines Drywall when you really want to separate one room from another.
One of the first things you should look up is the sound transmission class (STC) rating. The higher the rating, the better result (quiet) you are going to get. What most people are looking for is a class 40. This is when if somebody is talking loudly in another room, you can hear it but its muffled.
There are two types of sound: airborne and impact. You will have to use different techniques to quiet these two unique sounds. Airborne sound is what we typically hear day to day. Impact sound travels through the structure of a building, so the goal is to reduce (or eliminate all together) the point of contact between the two parts of the structure.
Is your ceiling finished yet? If it is unfinished, this will make things a lot less difficult. Regardless, you will need to fill in that space to prevent soundwaves from travelling to the floor above. Sometimes basement ceilings are finished for quick aesthetics so they aren’t stuffed with insulation. You will need to drill a hole in the drywall to see if the space above is full.
The easiest kind of insulation to install in a basement ceiling would be batt insulation. Joists should hold it on their own. When that’s done you may have to add a vapor barrier before going any further .
If you want more separation between the joists and your drywall you could use sound clips and hat channels rather than normal resilient channels.
You are now ready to install your drywall. We highly recommend you save your back: rent a drywall lift to hold the sheets in place while you screw them into the metal channels. DO NOT SCREW THEM INTO THE JOISTS
Add another layer of drywall lathered in Green Glue compound. Think of a Green Glue Sandwich: Fuse together two pieces of drywall together by using Green Glue in between. Green Glue is an acoustic sealant that turns soundwaves into heat.
Get a caulking gun and a tube of acoustic sealant and squeeze the product out between each sheet of drywall and along the cracks between the ceiling and the wall. Push it into the gaps with your (gloved) finger. Smoothing the caulk out will have your ceiling primed for the finishing touches.
What if the ceiling is already finished?
Make sure the surface above is nicely insulated. Laying thick and soft carpet or rug will help with this.
Rearrange your furniture above. Put your heaviest pieces above the most vulnerable areas to sound.
Use mass loaded vinyl as carpet underlay or to thicken the ceiling, then install acoustical ceiling tiles to add mass to your ceiling.
You could hang acoustic fabric panels and hang them from your walls.
Use styrofoam panels or tiles as an alternative. These can usually be painted over.
When you take all these tips into action, your room will be very well protected from outside noise or bothering anyone! Give us a call today for a free quote and see how we can help you increase the peacefulness and calm in your home.