Soundproofing Your Home

Soundproofing drywall can reduce noise transmission by 70-97%. Photo courtesy of Quiet Solution. The soundproof quality of a wall is rated by sound transmission class, or STC. A higher STC number indicates a more soundproof wall. A typical interior wall with ordinary 1/2-inch drywall on each side of 2x4 framing has an STC of about 34. But 5/8-inch Quiet Rock claims an STC of 51. Doubling it won’t get you double the soundproofing, but it will get close to the ideal, which is an STC of 66. At that point, you’ll probably still be aware of the incessant thump, but you won’t hear the music or the yelling. Adding insulation to the existing walls is often recommended, and Shepard and Hodas say that it can’t hurt but it won’t help dramatically either. Hodas advises that adding R-11 fiberglass between the studs is plenty; anything more is overkill. If you’re not opening up the walls, then blowing in cellulose has a similar, if limited, effect. If you have the walls open, wrap pipes and heating ducts with fiberglass to keep the sound along the pipes. For optimum sound control, frame the pipes with their own insulated, drywall box. Don’t Forget the Ceiling and the Floor Carpet absorbs sound, which is why professional practice rooms usually have wood floors that enhance the sound. But until your rock star can afford his own private, acoustically superior practice space, carpet over a thick pad or an acoustic floor mat. Owens Corning carries a QuietZone® Acoustic Floor Mat that reduces sound vibrations and lessens noises. Even better is a drywall subfloor to help reduce vibrations. The best way to add an extra drywall floor is to remove the carpet and padding, then cut the drywall to fit as tightly as possible without using nails or screws, which will transmit sound. On top of the drywall, add a layer of plywood. Seal the seams with tape. Then, put the carpet and the pad back down. If the problem you’re trying to deal with is the upstairs neighbor who bowls every night at 3 a.m., start by getting rid of any can lights in the ceiling. Hodas says if you must have recessed lights, you can wrap them in rubber, but it won’t help much because the metal will still vibrate. The best idea is to replace recessed lighting with track lighting. If there’s room and you have the ceiling open, insulate the space with R-30 fiberglass. If not, consider adding a second ceiling of 1/2-inch soundboard connected to the existing ceiling by resilient channel, strips of metal with an offset that keeps the new drywall about 1/2-inch from the old drywall. No matter how you hang it, caulk where the new layer meets the wall. Ultimately, all three experts say leakage is the enemy of soundproofing, so the tighter you make a room, the better.

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