soundproofing for urban people

A decoupled ceiling might eliminate most of the noise between floors, but not all of it.   If you're thinking of decoupling a ceiling in your home or apartment, you might not eliminate all the noise between two floors. This doesn't mean that it's not worth doing. It means that resolving noise issues in your home might be an iterative process. Because after you address one noise source, you might discover another one. Noise paths A noise path is how a noise enters another space. For example, this could be through the air or through a thin wall, through the joists and studs in a building frame, through a wall outlet, or through a vent. You might soundproof one noise source only to realize afterwards that there were other points of entry for that noise. So if you're thinking about removing your existing ceiling and decoupling it with soundproofing materials, keep in mind that some types of noise might be coming from different sources via different paths. You might reduce o...

 Frequency matters When you're dealing with a noise issue, the frequency of that noise is just as important as the decibel level. A decibel is the loudness of the sound, and measuring decibels can alert you when a sound is more than just a nuisance, but dangerous to your health. However, decibel levels on their own don't tell the whole story. The frequency of the sound is also very important. The frequency is a measure of how many sound waves per second are produced by a sound, and determines its pitch. A low-frequency sound might be really annoying, but it might not be that loud. The lower frequencies are typically below 150 Hz, and often sound like a deep bass sound that's not necessarily loud, but the vibrations from that sound can travel through the entire frame of a building and disrupt sleep or cause stress. Knowing both the decibel level and the frequency of an unwanted sound can help you determine the right soundproofing solution. For example, a low-frequency nois...

For a quick lesson on how to use the NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) app to measure decibels and noise, check out my latest Soundproofist  video. This handy app is free, although only available for iOS devices right now. It's a great app to use if you want to measure average and maximum noise levels with either A-weighted or C-weighted decibels. You can save each measurement as a report. Learn more about measuring noise and about soundproofing from  Soundproofist . Download the free NIOSH app from the App Store and learn more about it from this CDC documentation .

Participate in citizen science: learn how to map the quiet spaces where you live Dr. Antonella Radicchi is an architect, a researcher, and a soundscape urbanist. As part of her work, she developed an app called "Hush City." You can get it from the App Store (for iOS) or from Google Play (for Android). When you're at a quiet place -- a street, a park, a beach, a path -- you can take note of it with the Hush City app. Make a recording, take a photo, and upload it to the Hush City map , and include your notes about your experience so you can share it with others. By mapping the quiet areas, you can also help urban planners to be aware of -- and protect -- these spaces. Listen to the conversation with Antonella Radicchi here.

Inexpensive D.I.Y. sound panels for home studios Looking for acoustic ideas for your home studio? YouTube has plenty of D.I.Y. videos for controlling sound and adding absorption. If you're running a business (especially a restaurant), you need to buy professional, fire-rated sound control panels that conform to local codes. You might also need to speak with an acoustics expert. But for home projects, you might need only a quick hack for a small room. These four videos show a range of materials. Notice that I didn't include any that use fiberglass batts because you don't want those tiny glass fibers coming through the fabric. This video from DIY Perks shows how you can repurpose some old towels into a sound-absorbing panel.: And this guy from JT Guitar leaves no stone unturned as he details everything you need to build sturdy wood-framed panels with insulation in them, including the shopping trip, the tools you need, the measurements (special bonus: metric...

Does extreme restaurant noise ruin your dining experience?  Personally, I get really frustrated if I have to yell in a restaurant or when I have to strain to hear the person sitting across from me. I keep track of particularly obnoxious restaurants and try to avoid them. You can also use an app called SoundPrint to see the loudness of a venue (in decibels) on a map. Recently I decided to start a podcast called about noise, acoustics, and sound solutions, and the first episode focuses on restaurant noise. In this episode, I visit some restaurants and record what it's like trying to hold a conversation at 85 decibels or above. Then I contrast those environments to a restaurant with sound absorbing panels on the ceiling. The panels really made a difference. Finally, I interview the president of Audimute  and we talked about how their acoustical consultants deal with different environments like loud restaurants -- and about some of their sound-panel options. You ...

I went out for dinner this weekend at a tapas restaurant. The food was great, and the ambiance could have been great, too, if the restaurant had taken some steps to reduce noise. After all, going out for Spanish tapas should evoke feelings of pleasure, relaxation, great flavors, and a general "chilled out" environment. However, like many trendy eateries, the floors and walls were made of hard surfaces, and the sound just bounced and amplified. Every table was full of patrons -- which was great, of course. But when we walked in, we were greeted to a blast of noise. We had to yell at our table to hear each other. So I pulled out my mobile phone and checked one of my decibel-reader apps. It was 88.8 decibels. This article from Restaurant Engine states that normal conversation ranges from 55 to 65 dB, conversation gets difficult at 75 dB, and noise becomes "damaging" at 85 dB. Yet our table was clocking in at over 88 dB when we were just sitting across from each ot...

I liked this video from Roxul because the presenter clearly explains the difference between the two types of noise: airborne and low-frequency noise, which I will add to here. The lower frequencies travel through the wood studs. A low frequency travels from your wall surfaces, floors, and ceilings if they sit directly on those studs. Lower frequencies include bass from your stereo, impact sounds from walking or pounding, trucks driving outside, and maybe the spin cycle on a washer. Roxul  insulation mitigates the other kind of noise -- airborne noise -- which can include talking and TV (without bass). This insulation product is dense and does a really great job of blocking airborne noise. However, if it's used alone, it doesn't stop low-frequency noise. The presenter shows how to insert Roxul batts between the studs, which you've seen before. Then he installs a resilient channel to keep the drywall from touching the wood studs. The resilient channel's job is to r...

This short video from builder  Matt Risinger covers a lot of the issues we've discussed in this soundproofing blog. Matt has a show on YouTube that gives examples of successful construction projects. In this example, he shows a soundproofing project in a two-unit condo with a shared wall between them. They did everything right. The used staggered wall studs (with an 8-inch separation between the two units), Roxul batting, QuietRock on the walls, putty pads on the outlets, and Green Glue . As a test, Matt turns on a boom box in one of the rooms and measures the decibel output. Then he goes to the room on the other side of the wall to show how much of that noise leaks through and uses a decibel meter again. It's almost silent. This is what you hope to achieve, especially with new construction. But it won't happen unless you use the type of materials and processes shown here. Here's the video. Great job!

What can you hear through a "normal" wall? The average American home built after the 1940s probably uses gypsum board nailed onto wood studs over a hollow enclosure. The STC rating for that setup is 30 decibels. According to this chart , normal conversation is still audible through a 30 STC wall. That should be no surprise to some of you apartment dwellers. A single sheet of 5/8" drywall with fiberglass insulation provides an STC of about 40. You can still hear loud speech through this setup. If you use Roxul batts, you increase that STC rating to about 45. If you use a soundproof drywall (like QuietRock) and insulation, you increase the coverage to 50 STC.  Double drywall with Green Glue inbetween, plus Roxul insulation increases it to 56 STC. You can read about this at the Welk and Sons Drywall site. The cost difference is noticeable: 5/8-inch "dampened" dry wall is about $80 per sheet compared to $10, but might prevent you from having to do more s...

I found a YouTube video posted by Tone N.W. and it annotates the steps he took to soundproof his bedroom ceiling after his upstairs neighbor tore out her carpeting and began walking around on bare hardwood floors above his home. As you know, hardwood floors can be your worst enemy. A hardwood floor that's nailed directly onto a subfloor and then directly on top of wood joists is like a microphone into the rest of the building, and that impact noise travels through all the framing and right into the adjacent rooms (or apartments). He said that he learned everything he needed to know from this document from The Soundproofing Company in Michigan. Here's what they did: They tore off the original drywall ceiling. It looks like a previous owner had added cross strips of wood on the joists already, and they removed those too. (If you read his notes, it sounds like he regrets the extra labor in this step.) He and his wife cut drywall and added it to the upstairs subfloor in...

It's not too late to insulate.  A few years ago, most American homes had no insulation in them. When a homeowner did insulate, it was usually with fiberglass batts. Then along came some better products. One of them is blow-in cellulose insulation. Does it work? I can attest to this: YES. I've used it in walls and ceilings, and it works quite well for airborne noise. If you live in an uninsulated home and you hear your neighbors voices coming through your walls or ceilings, cellulose will dampen that noise or mute it entirely. It doesn't work for all types of noise. But it doesn't eradicate impact noise. You might still hear the sounds of someone walking across a bare hardwood floor with their shoes on, for example, or hear wall-mounted cabinets opening and closing. There are other solutions for that, and by combining different solutions you can control most structural noise and create more privacy. Low cost Blow-in insulation is inexpensive. You can hire a ...

This is yet another video extolling the virtues of using Roxul "Safe and Sound" insulation.  Because Rockwool is fire-resistant, you can insulate with it up to the cans that support the recessed lighting without fear of overheating the lights (and burning out the bulbs) or igniting a spark. However, any time you open a hole in your ceiling, you invite the opportunity to transmit noise between floors. Remember: if you're going to spend money on drywall, get something like QuietRock or Supress that dampens noise. This is your one chance to get it right – don't cut corners on the materials and regret it later!

Recessed lights need to be insulated. If you cut holes in your ceiling for recessed lighting, this opens up a "window" for cold air or noise. So how can you insulate them safely? This 5-minute video from Dr. EnergySaver  is as pertinent to soundproofing as it is to thermal insulation. You have to cut holes cut in your ceiling to accommodate recessed lighting cans. If you don't have insulation in your ceiling at all, the hole makes an existing noise problem worse. If you do have insulation, you already know that you need to keep the insulation material away from the heat of the can. This video demonstrates a rockwool product that you can put over the can in order to prevent heat/electrical issues. Of course you need to have an attic or someplace where you can access the recessed can from above the ceiling, not from below. It's a great solution if it fits your space! I found these covers for $15 each at Amazon . You can subscribe to  Dr. EnergySaver 's ch...

What is Rockwool?  Roxul Stone Wool is an insulation product that comes in the form of batts. It's composed of mineral fibers and it's considered to be green, fire-retardant, and very good for sound control. Like cellulose fiber, it insulates airborne noise better than fiberglass. In the USA, you can buy Roxul at Lowes and some Home Depot locations. In Canada, you can buy Roxul in Saskatchewan at  Rona Corporation  in Prince Albert or at  Econo Lumber . Roxul comes in packages of pre-cut sizes that fit the dimensions of your wall cavities (for example, use  these 15 1/4-inch batts  for wall studs that are 16 inches apart). Be sure to select the right size for the job – not just the width, but the depth as well (wall versus ceiling or attic). Rockwool is great in walls This video from Roxul demonstrates how to install Roxul in a wall. As you can see, it cuts easily with a bread knife and can be custom fit around electrical lines, plumbing, a...

Have you ever gone out to eat and found yourself shouting to be heard? Did you ever have your "night out for dinner" ruined because it was so noisy you couldn't hear everyone at your table? A lot of these problems could be solved if restaurant owners would add sound panels to their ceilings. It's not that expensive and it's not that hard. But most of them don't do it. Maybe some restaurant owners think it seems more "lively" if it's deafeningly loud. And maybe others want to turn the tables over faster – because their customers often say "let's get out of here and go someplace where we can hear each other." But I've seen many people pass on a restaurant that's unbearably loud. Noise is actually bad for business. Let's take a look at one restauranteur who did "the right thing." Thanks to Acoustical Solutions for posting it!

You don't have to demolish your walls to add insulation to your home.  Many people have asked me about affordable techniques for adding some degree of soundproofing to existing construction. And if you live in a home or an apartment with hollow walls, you might want to blow some insulation into them. At the very least, it will reduce the amplifying effect. That's because when you have drywall nailed on top of hollow studs, it behaves acoustically like the head of a giant drum and it echoes. And this problem plagues millions of American homes. It will not eliminate low-frequency engine noise that penetrates your building frame, such as construction equipment or large truck engines. Here's how you can remedy this echo situation. You can add insulation without even removing the walls by getting a blower and some cellulose insulation, drilling some round holes into your existing drywall, inserting the pressure nozzle into the open space, and blowing the insulation bet...

I've just found some recent do-it-yourself videos online. So if you have 9 minutes to spare, don't miss this one from Matt Risinger . It covers a lot of the points I've made in this blog (double drywall with QuietRock, Green Glue inbetween the layers) and shows how to use putty pads around the openings and outlets in your walls. The outlets are a source of sound leaks and they can make your soundproofing efforts fail. Watch the video to see the proper application. A lot of these products are becoming available in the "big box stores" like Lowe's , so getting these essential materials is as easy as buying a box of nails. Note from 2018: When I first wrote this post in 2013, Matt Risinger had a wonderful blog, The Green Building Blog , which now redirects to his website . He now has a successful YouTube channel with over 200,000 followers. You can also follow Matt on Twitter . Thanks for all the great DIY advice!

Another YouTube video: layering drywall I have to admit: I never get tired of seeing other people's soundproofing videos. Here's a video from Acoustical Surfaces that shows two guys building a wall out of 2x4s and insulating them with cotton batts, and then layering two sheets of drywall over each side. They make sure not to overlap the seams between the two layers, and they use two tubes of Green Glue on each 4x8 sheet of drywall. We don't get to hear the results, but if I were them, I might have either staggered the wall studs (since they were building the wall from scratch), or put soundproofing green tape (aka " joist tape ") on every other stud to keep the first layer of drywall from touching the wood (a "fake" staggered wall).

Installing a soundproof ceiling  This video from Rockwool North America demonstrates some principles of soundproofing a room from upstairs noise. They're using Rockwool (Roxul) Safe 'N Sound batts -- a dense, fire-retardant product that insulates for sound much better than fiberglass, and is flame-resistant. I'll add two more suggestions here. 1) Before you add the batts, affix a layer of drywall with Green Glue (and a few screws) to the backside of the upstairs subfloor. This should add some mass and dampening to the footfalls from above. This means cutting a length of drywall to fit against the flooring, between each ceiling joist. 2) Use a dual-layer soundproof drywall, not just any drywall, for the ceiling itself. A single layer of drywall -- even though it's hung on the resilience channels -- will still not be as effective without further mass or dampening. Look into QuietRock  drywall. You can buy Rockwool (Roxul) insulation from Amazon , Lowe's,...