Here we provide a list of soundproofing materials & devices used to control sound transmission in buildings: how to make a quiet home, office, or place of business using sound isolation for ceilings, floors, walls, plumbing, etc.
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List & Properties of Soundproofing Materials and Workmanship
Like weatherization work, effective soundproofing requires
careful detailing and workmanship. Small holes and
bypasses can lower field STC values to 15 to 20 points
below laboratory values. Leaky edge joints, unsealed
doorways, interconnecting ductwork, and unsealed electrical
and plumbing penetrations all degrade acoustical
performance.
Acoustical Sealant for Sound Control in buildings
While special non hardening
acoustical sealants are often specified in commercial
work, any high-quality sealant that remains flexible can
be effective in blocking sound transmission. Butyl, silicone,
and urethane caulk can all be used.
To prevent
sound leaks, use sealant around electrical boxes, plumbing
penetrations, and any other penetrations in the wall or
ceiling surface.
For walls with STC ratings in excess of
35, apply a flexible sealant at the joint where the drywall
meets the floor. Acoustical sealant is also used to seal
around the perimeter of walls or ceilings hung from
resilient channel.
Soundproof Acoustical Grade Drywall Products, Quietrock, QuietWood, & Sound-Resistant Windows
Special drywall products such as Quietrock® are sold in as many as eight product variations ranging from economy sound-transmission-resistant drywall to fire-rated and high performance soundproof drywall. According to the product manufacturer"
QuietRock replaces older techniques such as resilient channels, clips, sound board and vinyl and offer lower cost solutions than other methods with higher Sound Transmission Class (STC) performance.
The company, Quiet Solution, a division of Serious Materials, also produces QuietWood® "a multi-layer engineered internally damped panel ideal for use in existing or new construction, ... used in place of standard plywood in most applications" and QuietHome® noise reducing indows, additional sound-transmission resistant products.
Resilient Channel for Sound Transmission Reduction in buildings
Resilient channel such as Auralex RC8 is installed perpendicular
to the studs or joists and needs at least 3 inches
of free space in the cavity behind it to be effective.
Resilient channel is a specially-formed, metal device that, when used to hang drywall (instead of attaching the drywall directly to the wall studs or ceiling joists), significantly reduces the sound transmission of the wall or ceiling system. The channel material is secured to the studs and drywall is secured to the channel - providing a break in sound transmission through the wall.
Resilient channel for sound control is not effective if attached to sheet materials, such as drywall.
It is also important to use the right length screws, so
they do not penetrate into the wood framing.
Just a few screws into the wood can undermine the resilient connection
and substantially lower the STC and IIC ratings.
Leave a 1/4 to 1/2-inch gap around the perimeter of a ceiling
or wall hung from resilient channel and fill with an
acoustical or other non hardening sealant.
Insulation Details for Sound & Noise Reduction in buildings
Ordinary fiberglass insulation is an effective
sound absorber in cavities and increases the STC
rating of walls by 3 to 5 decibels. The insulation needs
to fill only about three-quarters of the thickness of the
cavity to be effective.
Adding more adds little additional
sound protection, and stuffing insulation in too densely
could actually increase sound transmission.
Cellulose
insulation has about the same sound deadening characteristics
as fiberglass.
Foam insulation is not particularly
effective for sound control. Foam is too light to add
mass to the wall and is not resilient enough to absorb
sound.
Subfloor and laminate floor underlayment: for sound transmission reduction in floors also see NOISE CONTROL for FLOORS - our photo (above left) illustrates a sound-transmission-reducing flooring underlayment material.
Gasketing for Building Sound Transmission Control
Flexible, heavy rubber gasketing makes an
effective seal against sound leaks as well as thermal leaks
around doors and windows.
Either bulb- or magnetic-type
weather-stripping is effective as long as it makes an airtight
seal between the frame and door or window.
Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com.
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Quietrock® soundproof drywall is distributed by Serious Materials Inc. 1250 Elko Drive Sunnyvale, CA 94089 - more information is at http://www.quietsolution.com/html/quietrock.html
Marpac, produces white sound generators, a product that they identify as the Marpac sound conditioner. Marpac can be contacted at http://www.marpac.com/ or contact the Marpac Corporation,
P.O. Box 560 Rocky Point, NC 28457 Phone: 800-999-6962 (USA and Canada) Fax: 910-602-1435 1-910-602-1421 (worldwide), 800-999- or email: info@marpac.com
Auralex resilient channel, additional information: from Auralex acoustics www.auralex.com/, a producer of 800-959-3343
"Auralex's RC-8 Resilient Channel is a specially-formed, sturdy metal device that, when used to hang drywall (instead of just attaching the drywall to the studs or joists), GREATLY improves the sound transmission characteristics of the wall or ceiling system.
RC-8 should be installed horizontally at the bottom and top of your wall, then every 2' or less in between. Up to (2) layers of 5/8" drywall and a layer of SheetBlok may be hung on RC-8, even on a ceiling"
Sound Oasis sound conditioners are produced by Sound Oasis: http://www.sound-oasis.com/ email: info@sound-oasis.com or 1-866-625-3218
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