Soundproofing a Wall

 

  Soundproofing a common wall is a relatively simple job that could be easily accomplished as a home DIY project. When soundproofing a wall you have to decide how in depth you wish to go. If you are willing to remover the existing drywall then you will get some remarkable soundproofing results. So your first task would be to remove the existing drywall. Once you have the wallboard removed, you would start by filling the open stud cavity with a sound batt insulation such as Rockwool (Roxul is a great brand) or you can use the bonded cotton insulation called Ultra touch. You will want to use at least an R-13 sound insulation. Once you have filled the cavity with the sound insulation you will then use a sound isolation tape that your will tape directly to the face of the wood studs. The isolation tape is going to provide sound isolation from the studs and the cavity from the new drywall layer.  As soon as you have finished applying the Iso tape to the studs and any stud cross members, you would then  staple or nail up a layer of the 1# per sq ft mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV for short) The MLV will staple directly to the studs with the staple penetrating both the MLV and the Isolation tape and attaching directly to the stud. We recommend that you overlap the seams of the MLV by at least 1” and then you would caulk the overlap as well as around the perimeter of the MLV membrane.  As soon as you are confident that the MLV is sealed properly you would simply drywall over top of the vinyl with a layer of quality 5/8” fire code drywall.  Remember to bring the MLV all the way to the floor and do the same with your layer of drywall. If there is a gap at the bottom of the MLV or drywall, sound will be able to transmit through the gap and essentially through the wall. Think of the sound like you would water and the soundproof wall as a Dam. You want your wall to be as water tight as Hoover Dam for the best soundproofing results. One detail that will help is to seal off any electrical outlets or light switches on this wall using our fire stop putty pads to seal off the electrical boxes.  Many times electrical outlets and light switches are directly adjacent to your neighbors so if you neglect to seal these switches and outlets you are allowing sound to pass through the wall. Remember 1% of an air leak or a light leak equates to a 30% sound leak. Sealing the wall is imperative.

 I hope this has been informative. If you have questions, please post then on this Blog. Thank you Bob O. Adios!

www.soundproofingamerica.com
www.soundproofingamerica.us
e-mail bob@soundproofingamerica.com
PH (877) 530-0139

Soundproofing, soundproof, mass loaded vinyl, sound absorption, soundproof foam, acoustical treatment, Green Glue, noise control,  Soundproof doors, recording studio windows, recording studio doors, sound isolation, home theater soundproofing, industrial soundproofing, home soundproofing, Ultra touch insulation, sound barrier, wall soundproofing, floor soundproofing, soundproof ceiling

Soundproofing a ceiling in a condo or apartment

 

 One of the biggest soundproofing issues today is the transmission of both impact and airborne noises from an upper condo unit to the people below. This problem is becoming increasingly common due to people living in smaller multifamily units. It is by far the most common problem we deal with here at Soundproofing America, Inc.

 To deal with this issue from below we are going to be discussing the most effective method for alleviating this problem. You will need to have a contractor do this work unless you are very handy with drywall and the demolition of a ceiling assembly. The first order of business would be to remove the drywall ceiling so you are able to get to the joist cavity above. Once you have the ceiling drywall removed we would recommend that you install a sound absorbing insulation such as Rockwool (Roxul AFB or Roxul Safe and sound are great brands) or if you want a Green product, the Ultra Touch bonded cotton insulation is a great product. Which even insulation you decide to purchase, you will want to get a minimum of R-19 insulation. The R-19 is generally 5 – 5 ½” thick so it will not completely fill your joist cavity. Friction fit the Rockwool or Ultra Touch into the cavities and up against the bottom of the subfloor above. Next you will want to fill the rest of the joist cavity with a standard fiberglass insulation. So that the insulation fills the entire cavity.

Now that the absorbing insulation has been installed , we recommend that you install a layer of the 1# per sq ft mass loaded vinyl as a membrane directly stapled to the face of the joists. Basically you would use an air drive stapler or even a nail gun that shoots the roofing nails with the large plastic heads. You will be attaching the mass loaded vinyl barrier to the underside face of the joist, overlapping the seams by at least 1 inch and then caulking the overlap as well as the perimeter of the membrane, Remember that sealing these materials is key to getting the ultimate in soundproofing.

The next step would be to install sound isolation clips directly through the MLV membrane and into the ceiling joists. The sound clips are approximately 3” ling and about 1” wide and have a rubber isolation grommet which islates the clips from the rest of the ceiling structure. When installing the clips it is recommended that you install one sound clips for every 4 sq ft. Positioning of the clips depends on if your joists are 16” on center or 24” on center, but for argument’s sake lets go with one clips for every 4 sq ft. We will provide you with detailed installation instructions for the sound isolation clips. Once the sound clips are screwed to the joist you will have several rows of sound clips. Each row will be fitted with a metal furring channel (often referred to as “Hat Channel” as it looks like a hat from the side). The metal hat channel is compressed by hand and will snap fit into the sound clip. It is recommended that you use 25 gauge 7/8” tall hat channels. These channels work best in this application. Now that the sound clips and furring channels have been installed you will have numerous rows of channel which is where you will screw in the first layer of 5/8” drywall. You can use a soundproof drywall such as Quiet Rock or Suppress, but it is not necessary and the cost may be prohibitive. For this application we will be using a good quality 5/8” drywall. You will use self tapping drywall screws to attach the drywall directly to the metal furring channels.  The drywall will be screwed directly into the furring channel so that you awill be completely isolating the new drywall ceiling from the joist structure above. And from the adjoining walls. There must be a ¼” gap between the new floated drywall ceiling and the the adjoin walls. This ¼: gap will be filled with a backer rod (rolled cord of open cell foam) and also caulked in with an acoustical caulk. The gap will be yapped mudded and painted just like a regulate drywall ceiling. You will want to use a mesh drywall tape and not over mud the gap area. The new floated ceiling would be much like a trampoline. Not contacting the above wooden structure or the adjoining walls.

One last option would be to add and additional layer of 5/8” drywall to the floated drywall for some additional sound damping. The second layer of drywall with the Green Glue would still be screwed into the furring channel as much as possible and would also be isolated from the adjoining walls.

 Well, that’s the best way to soundproof a ceiling in a condo, or apartment. There are other less labor intensive methods for soundproofing a condo which we will explore in later posts. For now, this is Bob O. Adios!

www.soundproofingamerica.com
www.soundproofingamerica.us
e-mail bob@soundproofingamerica.com
PH (877) 530-0139

Soundproofing, soundproof, mass loaded vinyl, sound absorption, soundproof foam, acoustical treatment, Green Glue, noise control,  Soundproof doors, recording studio windows, recording studio doors, sound isolation, home theater soundproofing, industrial soundproofing, home soundproofing, Ultra touch insulation, sound barrier, wall soundproofing, floor soundproofing, soundproof ceiling

Building a soundproof vocal booth

 

 Building a sound control vocal booth is much like building  a complete recording studio except on a much smaller scale. Basically you would start out by framing out the vocal booth. You can use either wood or steel  studs. When installing soundproofing materials to the walls and ceiling of a vocal booth it is easiest to use wooden studs. With wood you are able to staple or nail up the soundproofing materials. With steel studs you will need to use sheet metal self tapping screws.

Once you have framed out your vocal booth it’s time to start the soundproofing. Generally with a vocal booth you are not looking at a lot of space to soundproof. The first of order of business is to add either drywall or plywood to the outside of the vocal booth. You can use any type of outer sheathing such as OSB (oriented strand board) or MDF (medium density fiberboard)  Now that you have the booth framed and the outer sheathing installed it is time to get down to some serious soundproofing. The next step is to get a good sound absorbing batt insulation such as the Ultra Touch cotton insulation or Rockwool  (Roxul Safe and sound or Roxul AFB) Either one of these insulations will work fine. After you have installed the batt insulation between the wall studs and the  ceiling joists, your next step would be to staple or nail up a layer of the 1# per sq ft mass loaded vinyl (MLV for short) The MLV is a high grade vinyl that is impregnated with barium and silica to give it mass. It is designed to emulate lead sheeting.  When installing MLV you want to overlap the seams by at least 1 inch and then you will want to caulk the overlap as well as around the entire perimeter of the MLV membrane. Sealing the vinyl is key to obtaining the ultimate soundproofing for your vocal booth. As soon as you have sealed the MLV with caulk and have taped the overlapped seam you will be ready to install your drywall  on the inside. Once again it is not essential to use drywall, you can use any kind of board such as plywood, OSB or MDF. Before installing the wall and ceiling board you must seal all electrical outlets and light switcheswith our fire stop acoustical putty pads, The putty pads would seal the electrical boxes and light shich enclosures so that sound does not escape through these areas. After sealing all electrical switches and outlets it is time to install the wallboard to the walls and the ceiling of the vocal booth. You will install the wallboard just lake you would in an ordinary room. It is a good idea to caulk all seams with acoustical caulk and then you  would simply finish or paint the wall just like any other type of wall. Needless to say you would use the same procedure for the ceiling of the booth as well. Finally you will need to deal with the floor. What I would recommend if your vocal booth has a floor joist system would be to add a barrier directly to the top of the subfloor which will help to block sound transmission through the floor itself/ You can use the same method for the floor as you did for the walls and ceiling of your vocal booth.  You will need to have a solid core door with a door seal kit for entering and exiting the vocal booth. That’s pretty much it for building a soundproof vocal booth. If you have question, please feel free to post here on this blog or call me direct at (877) 530-0139 this is Bob O. Adios!

www.soundproofingamerica.com
www.soundproofingamerica.us
e-mail bob@soundproofingamerica.com
PH (877) 530-0139

Ask your soundproofing questions right here on our blog

We would like to invite all our readers to ask any soundproofing or acoustical treatment question that they might have right here on our blog. We encourage discussions and will be happy to answer questions regarding anything Soundproofing or Acoustics related that you may have. If any of our technicians do not have a ready answer for you, we have the resources to find out and to answer you questions in a timely manner.

We also encourage you to comment about this blog or about our  website. Feel free to leave a comment whether positive or negative. We can’t get better if we don’t know what’s wrong. Thank you for your participation. Bob O.


www.soundproofingamerica.com
www.soundproofingamerica.us
e-mail bob@soundproofingamerica.com
PH (877) 530-0139

Soundproofing, soundproof, mass loaded vinyl, sound absorption, soundproof foam, acoustical treatment, Green Glue, noise control,  Soundproof doors, recording studio windows, recording studio doors, sound isolation, home theater soundproofing, industrial soundproofing, home soundproofing, Ultra touch insulation, sound barrier, wall soundproofing, floor soundproofing, soundproof ceiling

American Sound Blankets

The America Sound Blankets are an excellent way to temporarily soundproof any area of your home or office. Sound Blankets are also an excellent way to reduce the noise in an industrial application. These blankets are constructed with a 1lb per sq ft reinforced mass loaded vinyl to give them their blocking capability.. They also have quilted fiberglass batts on either side of the mass loaded vinyl to give the blankets absorbency. Finally the blankets are covered with the woven fiberglass outer covering which allows the sound to pass through to the inner absorbers as well as the blocking ability of the mass loaded vinyl core. 

 The American sound blankets are attached to a wall or a vertical frame via grommets which are installed usually at the top of the blanket, but can also be installed along the length if need be. They are linked together by industrial strength Velcro strips and the blankets are over lapped by at least 2 inches.

 These blankets are used extensively in industrial applications to block noisy machinery and other loud industrial devices. They are also widely used in residential situations for cordoning off a room from the other occupants in the house. They can be used as a door when you have an opening that does not have a door on it. Many people use the Sound Blankets to block noise that comes in through windows. The uses for the Sound Blankets are only limited by your imagination.

 We have actually had customers who have used the sound blankets exclusively to construct a home of commercial portable recording studio. The America Sound Blankets are made for indoor and outdoor use and will last for many years exposed to the the severest of elements.

To learn more about the America Sound Blanket. Please call the pro’s at Soundproofing America, Inc, they will be happy to help you. I hope this article has been informative for you, this is Bob O. Adios.

 Soundproofing America, Inc.

www.soundproofingamerica.com

www.soundproofingamerica.us

PH (877) 530-0139

Soundproofing, soundproof, mass loaded vinyl, sound absorption, soundproof foam, acoustical treatment, Green Glue, noise control,  Soundproof doors, recording studio windows, recording studio doors, sound isolation, home theater soundproofing, industrial soundproofing, home soundproofing, Ultra touch insulation, sound barrier, wall soundproofing, floor soundproofing, soundproof ceiling

Reducing the echo and reverberation in a Gymnasium

 
  Reducing the echo and reverberation in a large indoor venue such as a 
gymnasium or concert arena can be quite a challenge. Doing so on a budget can
 be even more challenging. Generally in any large space such as a gymnasium
or  concert hall, the main concern is echo or reverberation. Most of these
larger  venues have all hard surfaces that need to be dealt with in order to
reduce  the reverb times within the room. Adding absorbent panels to the
walls and ceiling areas can make a remarkable difference in the acoustics of
a gym or concert hall. Absorbent panels and baffles can be hung from the
ceiling to intercept much of the reflective noises. Hanging baffles and
panels are often referred to as "clouds". Clouds can be very effective at
reducing reverb times in a large room or hall. This is also true for Church
Sanctuaries. 
 For the best results reducing the noise in a large venue, you will need to 
cover a minimum 30% to 40% of the wall and ceiling areas. Clouds and baffles 
figure into this percentage.
 One of the best and most effective absorptive materials is the bonded
acoustical cotton  panels. We refer to these panels as "Echoless" panels.
Essentially these are a  1 "or 2" thick bonded cotton fiber panel that is
manufactured from recycled  denim material, like the scrap from blue jeans
manufacturers or even virgin denim right off of the roll. Cotton has been
proven to be one of the best sound absorbing  materials on the planet. It has
a much higher NRC (noise reduction  coefficient) than polyurethane pyramid or
wedge panels and cost about the  same. The Echoless panels are a very
economical way to reduce the  reverberation and echo in any room. The panels
are applied to the walls using a 2 part adhesive. This insures that the
panels will initially stick to the walls temporarily until the permanent
adhesives cures.
 These bonded cotton panels when applied to the walls and ceilings can reduce
the reverb time in a gym or concert hall from 7 to 8 seconds down to less
than 1 second. That would drastically change the acoustics in those areas and
make any sporting even or concert much more enjoyable.
 The bonded acoustical panels (or Echoless panels) come in a variety of
colors that will match most settings or decor. These panels are very
economical and extremely effective at reducing the the reflective
reverberation in any large venue or arena.
 The professionals at Soundproofing America ,Inc will work with you every
step of the way to make sure that you get the most echo and reverberation
reduction possible in any application. Gymnasiums and large arena's present
their own set of challenges. We can arrange low cost shipping directly to the
jobsite and you will have access to a professional technician throughout the
entire installation process.
 Thank you for reading about how to acoustically treat a large gymnasium or
arena. Using the proper acoustical treament panels is essential for getting
the best results at the lowest possible cost. Remember that no job is too big
or too small for the pro's at Soundproofing America, Inc.

www.soundproofingamerica.com
www.soundproofingamerica.us
e-mail bob@soundproofingamerica.com
PH (877) 530-0139

Soundproofing, soundproof, mass loaded vinyl, sound absorption, soundproof foam, acoustical treatment, Green Glue, noise control,  Soundproof doors, recording studio windows, recording studio doors, sound isolation, home theater soundproofing, industrial soundproofing, home soundproofing, Ultra touch insulation, sound barrier, wall soundproofing, floor soundproofing, soundproof ceiling

Soundproof your fence

 
  Soundproofing a fence is not really as difficult as it may seem. In this
article we will be talking about soundproofing a wooden fence, Generally a
cedar or redwood type fence are the most common fences that we will be
dealing with
 Now if you are starting from scratch and will be constructing a completely
new fence, the first order of business would be to sink your 4" X 4" posts
into concrete footers. In order to get the best soundproofing from your fence
it is recommended that the fence be at least 8' high or 8' above the noise
source. Now check to see if the road in question is above grade from your
property below grade. If the road is below grade this will help to make the
soundproofing more effective and you might be able to get away with building
only a 6' high fence. Keep in mind however, that no matter where the road is
located you will get the best soundproofing results from a fence that is 8'
higher than the noise source.
 Once the posts are installed into their concrete footers you will then nail
in the fence cross members, These cross members are usually 2" X4''s that are
6' to 8' long. On a regular wooden fence these is a cross member at the top
of the fence structure and one near the bottom, We suggest that you add an
additional cross member in the middle to support the soundproofing material.
 Now that the fence structure is complete and the cross members are installed,
 it is time to install the soundproofing material. For our fence we will be
installing a soundproofing agent called Mass Loaded Vinyl or (MLV for short)
MLV is a high grade vinyl material that is impregnated with barium salts and
silica (sand) This gives the MLV the same consistency as lead sheeting yest
is contains no lead or any of the hazards associated with raw lead.
 The MLV is 1/8" thick and weighs 1lb per sq ft. The vinyl comes on rolls
that are generally 4' wide X 25' long.
 You will need an air drive stapler or nail gun to install the MLV to the
fence structure. we will start with the bottom half of the fence and install
that firstt. The MLV will be stapled or nailed to the fence using a plastic
cap stapler or a nail gun that shoots the roofing nails with the large
plastic heads. The first step is to un roll the MLV across the bottom of the
fence. You want the MLV to touch the earth or the be flush to the ground. You
will then staple the MLV to the fence structure. You do not want to put
staple or nail holes into the membrane where there is no fence structure
behind it.Once the bottom ribbon of MLV is attached it is time to staple up
the top ribbon. You will need at least 1 other person to help you lift the
vinyl to staple it to the top half of the fence. It is recommended that you
over lap the top half over the bottom half of the membrane by at least 1 inch.
 Once the membrane is installed over the entire fence, you will then caulk
the over lapped are with an acoustical caulk. This will help to maintain the
integrity of the soundproof membrane at the seam. It is also recommended that
you caulk the perimeter of the MLV. Once the entire MLV membrane is sealed
with the acoustical caulk it is time to install the vertical dog eared slats.
Basically you will nail the slats directly through the MLV and into the cross
members. You do not want to put holes in the center of the membrane.
 Now the MLV is a weatherproof material, but is highly recommended that you
put slats on both sides of the fence structure. This way you will protect the
MLV from the elements and you will also create a true septum fence.
 That's it in a nutshell. This septum soundproof fence can actually reduce
traffic or neighbor noise by 50 to 60%.We all know that you can't get it to
100% because it is soundproofing the outdoors from the outdoors.
 I hope this article has helped you especially if you are considering
soundproofing your fence. This system can also be employed on an already
existing wood fence. Until next time, this is Bob O. Adios!

www.soundproofingamerica.com
www.soundproofingamerica.us
e-mail bob@soundproofingamerica.com
PH (877) 530-0139

Soundproofing, soundproof, mass loaded vinyl, sound absorption, soundproof foam, acoustical treatment, Green Glue, noise control,  Soundproof doors, recording studio windows, recording studio doors, sound isolation, home theater soundproofing, industrial soundproofing, home soundproofing, Ultra touch insulation, sound barrier, wall soundproofing, floor soundproofing, soundproof ceiling, soundproof fenceing