Soundproofing Solutions

Soundproofing with Mass Loaded Vinyl

Dino from Ontario Canada writes

Hi Don

I bought some Barymat-5 from you a few years back and spoke to you recently about soundproofing my basement.

I just have a question for you. Will adding Mass Loaded Vinly to the outside of a wall or ceiling that has not been insulated have any effects at blocking sound transmission?

Thanks

Dino

 

Dino,

Mass Loaded Vinly (MLV) can be used on wall and ceiling assemblies, but i do not recommend that you leave the spaces between the joist or studs empty. It is important to fill all cavities like this with fiber glass or Roxul to avoid pass-through of sound - especially in the low frequencies.

If the wall or ceiling ( drywall) is in place and there is no insulation, the mass loaded vinyl on the outside will provide very little increase in the transmission loss. The best way to install the barrier material is to attach it to the studs or joist before placing the drywall on.

We now have products like the sound isolation clips and Green Glue that provide superior performance to the loaded vinyl materials. You can look at the data for these on our main sound control for buildings website. www.acoustiguard.com The Green Glue will provide damping and the Isolation Clips will provide decoupling.

Regard
Don Wilkinson
Partner

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Soundproofing a common wall.

Mark from Newmarket, Ontario wrote:

I am interested in some information about blocking sound through a shared wall in a town home. My neighbors are quite noisy but most of the noises are the sounds of their kids running, subwoofer from tv and music. I never hear them talking or their kids screaming. The wall is double studded 2x4 with pink insulation. I am not sure of the thickness of the drywall or any materials between the two walls. I believe the floor joist are separated by 1 inch, but I think there is two layers of ½ inch drywall stuffed in between for fire protection.

I am interested in some of the products like the Green Glue, but I am not sure where the problem is with my house, whether it is the wall that is failing or the floors.

One option I am considering is talking down the drywall, replacing the pink insulation with Roxul Safe and Sound, and then installing a double layer of 5/8" Type X fire rated drywall with Green Glue in between 2 layers. My only concern is the noise is coming though the floors, that this will do nothing to stop all the thuds, and bangs from my neighbors.

Could you please email me some information? Thanks for your time.

 

 

Mark,

Your application is a typical example of how sound control in buildings can be challenging.  The simple fact that you cannot hear the neighbors' kids talking or screaming, but you can hear the low frequency and impact sound, is an indication that there are flanking paths that are not clearly evident.  The path that the low frequency and impact sound is transmitting through may be one of several, depending on the construction. 

Your consideration to use Green Glue is a good one, however hard connections may still allow this sound to come through.  As far as getting someone to test for this transmission, I suggest that your money would be best spent if you removed the drywall to be able to examine what is actually in place.

You can get the data sheet from our website for the Green Glue - http://www.acoustiguard.com/   Green Glue is one of the featured products on the homepage and you can click through to download our pdf sheet complete with installation instructions.  One tube covers 16 sq. ft.  You will need two tubes per 4 X 8 sheet of drywall.  We have stock in our Mississauga location.

Regards,

Don Wilkinson
Partner - Wilrep Ltd.
AcoustiGuard^TM