soundproofing for urban people

Resilient channels Some of you might be thinking of installing a suspended (or "floating") ceiling with resilient channels to reduce sound transmission between upstairs and downstairs floors. If you go this route and go to the expense and trouble of demolition and remodeling -- or you're building new construction -- make sure that you affix the channels properly to the wood framing. Improper installation can create a "fail" that continues to allow noise transmission between floors. These illustrations on the UK website "Sound Service" shows a close up of how the resilient channel should be attached to wood floor joists. Attaching them so that they flex away from the wood framing reduces vibration that typically transfers from floor to floor, and this is what's meant by the term "floating." This PDF from Buildsite offers a spec sheet of how to install a resilient channel, but with no illustrations. Added in 2023 : This YouTube video from ...

Drop ceilings without demo This video, made by a guy in Greece, shows another interesting approach to the drop ceiling that doesn't seem to involve demolishing the original ceiling. The materials he's using might be slightly different than what you can buy in the USA, but the principle is the same: creating a flexible suspension that keeps the ceiling from being attached directly to the wood joists. The more traditional RC-channel ceiling is detailed here in this PDF from Acoustic Sciences Corporation , which involves attaching metal, flexible RC channels on top of -- and perpendicular to --the wood ceiling joists. It involves: Removing the existing ceiling material in order to access the area Adding sound-dampening materials Attaching the channels across the joists Adding drywall to the channels.  This PDF is a good resource for how to properly attach RC channels, but I notice that in its supply list, it doesn't include some of the newer, superior materi...