How to Soundproof a Room. About soundproofing. In almost every way, the modern drywall- over- studs wall is better than its timber- and- masonry and plaster- and- lath ancestors. It’s fast and easy to build, lightweight and makes the most of inexpensive materials. But when it comes to stopping sound, the modern wall is a flop. This article will show you how to make these walls (and ceilings) block sound better. The process involves ripping the existing drywall off the walls (and perhaps the ceiling), filling the walls with fiberglass insulation, attaching metal strips called “resilient channel” to the studs, and fastening new drywall to the channel.

This straightforward project doesn’t require specialized tools or high- level construction skills. Anyone who has experience hanging and taping drywall, along with a little carpentry and electrical know- how, can do this job.

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Soundproofing is a messy, labor- intensive project, however. To minimize household havoc, it’s best to focus on one room, or at least one room at a time. The room might be a place that you want to keep sound out of—a home office, for example. Or it may be a room you want to keep sound in—like a home theater. We won’t show you how to block noise coming from outside since most exterior walls already block sound fairly well. And any improvement you make to them will be of marginal benefit unless you also upgrade your windows. Sound- Reducing Materials.

Resilient channel acts as a spring between the drywall and studs. When sound waves strike a wall built with resilient channel, the drywall can vibrate independently without transferring the vibration to the studs. The metal channel is available at some home centers and all drywall suppliers. Fiberglass insulation batts are available at home centers. Although “acoustic batts” are available, plain old unfaced R- 1. Don’t spend more for R- 1.

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R- value may actually cut the STC rating slightly. Type X 5/8- in. Type X drywall is meant for fire- resistance, but since it’s denser than standard drywall, it also stops sound better, especially when used with resilient channel. Acoustical sealant is available at drywall suppliers, but silicone caulk found at home centers is also a good choice. With either type, you’ll need lots of it and will probably save a few bucks by buying a big caulking gun that uses the more economical 3. For attaching the channel to studs, use 1- 1/4 in. For attaching drywall to channel, use 1- in. Fine- threaded screws grab on to resilient channel better than the coarse- threaded versions.

Door gaskets, door sweeps and transition strips are available at home centers. Sound- reducing materials. Host Intrusion Prevention Software Hip Store. Before you tackle this project Figure A: Sound Control vs. Ventilation By making a room airtight, you’ll certainly make it more soundproof. But unless your home has a forced- air heating/cooling system, you may also create an air- quality problem. An unventilated room may simply become stuffy.

But in some cases, it could become unhealthful, especially for those with asthma or chemical sensitivities. One way to ventilate a room and still limit sound travel is to install a short section of duct in an interior wall.

By making the duct from fiberglass duct board and offsetting the grilles, you create a “sound trap” that allows air to pass between rooms. The sound- stopping methods covered in this article have proved themselves over decades of laboratory testing and real- world use. But they’re the sound- control equivalent of major surgery, and you should consider two other options before you go ahead: 1. Deal with the source of the sound. Listen to the noises you want to block out.

If footsteps on the floor above you sound like hammer blows, consider carpet instead of notoriously noisy coverings like wood or tile. Think about replacing old groaning appliances. Does the TV or stereo really have to be so loud or do you turn it up just out of habit?

Limiting noise at the source is sometimes cheap and easy (moving tuba practice into the basement), sometimes troublesome and expensive (replacing the dishwasher). How To Install Chinese Paper Lanterns. But it’s the least complicated and most effective approach.

Make rooms as airtight as possible. Like air, sound passes through the smallest cracks and holes.

Think of the way sound comes past a door that’s cracked open just a fraction of an inch: Close the door, and the sound is noticeably quieter. All the tiny, often invisible pathways through a typical wall or floor add up to a gap larger than the one along that cracked- open door. Electrical boxes are major offenders. Remove outlets, switches and fixtures from their boxes (turn off the power first), and seal the holes inside the boxes with silicone caulk. Also caulk the gaps between the boxes and drywall. Add gaskets and sweeps to doors (Photos 9 through 1. You might even remove base boards to seal the gap between the drywall and the floor (Photo 8).

We strongly recommend trying this approach before tearing up your walls. It’s low- cost, low- hassle and effective—and if you don’t get the results you want, you haven’t wasted much time or money. Rating walls. Photo 1: The first step. Move electrical boxes that share the same stud cavity so that they’re separated by at least one stud. To allow for the 1/2- in. Boxes that don’t need to be moved can be repositioned so they protrude 1- 1/8 in. Or you can use box extenders.

Always turn off the power at the main panel before working on electrical systems. Photo 2: Seal the boxes. Seal around electrical boxes that serve adjacent rooms. Also seal openings in the boxes, holes through studs and plates, and any openings in the drywall or framing. Use acoustical sealant or silicone caulk.

Photo 3: Insulate the walls. Fill stud cavities with R- 1. The insulation should completely fill each cavity without open gaps or pockets.

Cut the insulation with a utility knife so it fits squarely around electrical boxes. Wear gloves, a dust mask and eye protection when working with fiberglass. Photo 4: Screw on backer strips Screw or nail strips of 1/2- in. The plywood simply provides a solid backing for nailing on door casing and baseboard later on. Resilient channel is springy and holds nails poorly. Don’t forget to stuff insulation into the gaps around door jambs. Photo 5: Attach the resilient channel.

Fasten the resilient channel to studs using 1- 1/4 in. The channels should be spaced no more than 2. Mount channels with the drywall flange up. Photo 6: Attach the resilient channel The ends of channels shouldn’t run more than 1 in. Resilient channel is easy to cut with aviation snips or metal shears.“Sound transmission class” ratings indicate a wall’s (or floor’s) ability to block sound.

STC ratings are determined in a laboratory under ideal conditions. There are all kinds of variables in the real world that STC ratings don’t take into account. You’d be able to hear, and partially understand, a loud conversation taking place on the other side of this standard wall.

Put fiberglass insulation in this wall and its rating rises to 3. You’d still hear the voices on the other side, but they’d be muffled and unintelligible. Cover one side of the insulated wall with resilient channel and 5/8- in. At this point you wouldn’t hear the conversation at all—unless they started shouting. We chose this last wall combination (insulation, resilient channel, 5/8- in. But you can go further.

For example, by attaching resilient channel to one side of the insulated wall and screwing on four layers of 1/2- in. Cut new 5/8- in. Then attach the new drywall sheets using special acoustical dampening adhesive and drywall screws. Caulk the gaps with acoustical caulk. How to soundproof an existing wall.

Alternative Attachment: “Whisper Clips” and “Headrails”“Whisper Clips” and “headrails” (a metal firring strip similar to resilient channel) are an alternative to resilient channel with screws. Attach the whisper clips in a staggered fashion to the studs and clip on the headrails.

Attach 5/8- in. Fill the gaps with acoustical caulk.