soundproofing for urban people

A QuietRock story.... At the end of this post, I'm going to link yet another YouTube video. It's a TV story about some people who tried using QuietRock to replace some of the original walls in their townhome, which was shockingly un-soundproofed, and they were featured on a home-improvement show -- so it's a bit slicker than my own photos. First, here's my own story: I live in a building that was built in the 1950s, and the contractors used the thinnest, cheapest materials with no real soundproofing whatsoever. For example, the building had no insulation in the walls or ceiling, the walls are built of 2x4 studs with a single sheet of 1/2" gypsum nailed on each side, and the floors are merely thin planks of hardwood nailed directly on top of a plywood sheet, which is nailed right on top of the wooden joists. In brief, it seems that I had moved into a wooden tent. As a consequence--if you don't add any kind of soundproofing, noise travels easily from apa

This U.K. promotional video for a soundproofing company shows samples of some of their soundproofing products, which are similar to those in the USA. They also talk about some of their methodologies, though not in detail.  But just looking at the products might give you some ideas. Note the example of the sheds near the end. It would have been nice to know what they used in the "60% soundproofed" shed (it looked like mass-loaded vinyl and a Homasote-like product), as well as the "100%" !!

If you've read a lot of materials online already about what products to use in your own home – and horror stories about things that go wrong – then you probably already know some of the "solutions" that aren't effective. But I'll list a few of them here anyway. And while you're at it, here's an article on costly soundproofing mistakes that you might want to read, too. What DOESN'T prevent outside noise from coming into your home (especially an apartment): 1) Carpets and rugs as the only solution . This adds some sound absorption in your own home (for example, it reduces the "echo" effect in a room) and absorbs some impact from shoes, feet, and furniture. I'm not saying you shouldn't use carpets: you should, especially as a consideration to your upstairs or downstairs neighbors. But carpeting alone will not undo some of the sound transmission in the framing of your home. Here's a quick overview from The Soundproofing

This video (from Hush Soundproofing  in New York) talks about how they soundproof a ceiling.  The original video I inserted in this post in 2009 no longer exists, so I've edited this post to include this clear and helpful explanation from 2021. Their process involves multiple materials and processes for addressing noise. They remove the drywall that's already on the ceiling and spray any gaps they find inside the open cavity to seal them (pipes, etc.). Then they insert two layers of sheetrock between the joists, against the subfloor upstairs, combining it with mass-loaded vinyl (MLV). Like most soundproofing experts these days, they use Roxul Safe 'N Sound insulation and they also use Rockwool Comfort Board. Then they attach a resilient channel to the joists (to keep the new drywall from touching the joists), and attach a layer of drywall to the resilient channel with more MLV.  I would have used QuietRock drywall instead of regular drywall, because it's already dampene

This video shows how to add a second layer of normal drywall to existing drywall using Green Glue. However, most people recommend that you use two tubes of Green Glue per 4x8 sheet of drywall, and the guy in this video used only one tube. So ...use two tubes and really slather it up!  

This video demonstrates how effectively Green Glue dampens sound between two glued ceramic tiles. It's a much better demo than the one I made, and it really shows you how a few tubes of this simple dampening glue, placed between two hard surfaces, prevents a lot of vibration and noise from passing through. You really don't have to hire a construction crew to solve a lot of these problems anymore. These innovative products really do work. If you're not good with drywall, just hire someone who knows how to work with sheetrock -- but you might not need to tear off your existing wall. Several people have asked me lately how to add soundproofing to their apartment on a small budget. Gluing another piece of sheetrock onto their existing wall might do it -- but you must use Green Glue (not any kind of glue)!  

The Knock Test REPOSTED FROM MY PREVIOUS BLOG: By knocking on a wall,  you get some idea of how well dampened it might be for certain types of noise...or not. I made a very short video demonstration in my own home to compare the audible differences between making an impact noise on normal, uninsulated gypsum drywall and two alternatives. The first example shows how it sounds to knock on a hollow piece of 1/2" gypsum board. This type of drywall is typical for mid-century American homes.  Then compare it to: 1) a second layer of sheetrock glued on top of the original drywall with Green Glue in between the two layers -- no demolition required. 2) a layer of QuietRock 525 that replaced the existing layer of gypsum -- demolition required. Original 1/2" drywall was removed and fiberglass insulation was added before screwing the new QuietRock into the wall studs. One layer only.  (NOTE from 2023: Now I know better, and I would have decoupled the drywall from the wall studs instead o

Notes on Noise: THIS PAGE IS FROM MY PREVIOUS BLOG (it was originally published in a different blog in 2009-2009): I live in a fairly dense urban area. So it's more common than not to have shared walls, ceilings, and floors with your neighbors. But most of the old construction in my city is made from wood: wood framing, hardwood floors, and hollow walls--and everything is nailed on top of the joists or directly onto the studs. The result? All your neighbor has to do is walk back and forth, talk, or open and close doors and drawers, and it ricochets through the building into your apartment. So, I've spent a lot of time trying to find affordable ways to alleviate the noise. This is easier to do if you have a lot of money, or if your neighbors are amenable...and I had little money and my neighbors were not. I'm going to share some resources and some things I've learned about the products on the market today (2009) that can help alleviate some of these noise problems. If yo

A lot of people I know have questions about how they can simply and affordably add some soundproofing to their apartments and homes, whether they're renters or owners. Because I live in an urban environment, and I've learned a lot through trial and error myself, I started blogging about it. But I realize that not everyone who reads my blog wants to read about soundproofing and noise issues every day, so I'm moving my soundproofing posts to this new blog. Feel free to share your stories and questions here about how, where, and why to soundproof or buy materials for soundproofing any part of your living quarters.