Hi, I'm after advice on the best products/techniques to soundproof a stud partition wall. Currently its loft insulation with plasterboard on one side and thin wood 'cladding' on the other. I'm replacing this cladding with PB and I while I'm at it I want to soundproof the wall (so I can't hear the kids murdering each other!!) i.e replace the current insulation with something that 'dulls' the sound. What do you recommend ?
rockwool (isowool) between the studs. If they are 4x2 or 89mm CLS, stick 100mm wool in there. You might also consider double layers of plasterboard; it's the overall density that gives the sound reducing qualities. I did that when I moved a wall for my lounge; being a deaf b*gger and liking to hear the telly I wanted to watch it without rousing the whole house and it worked for me. If you want to get really specific about it, the White Book (British Gypsum website) gives chapter and verse for various stud make-ups.
The white book will probably also tell you; you need to seal all joints to stop acoustic transmission by air. There was a previous thread on this topic not so long ago so have a search. Shedmen
Double up the plasterboards or use one of the denser boards and perimeter seal the edges with sealant. Brtish gypsum do 15mm boards too.
one piece of advice I was given by some experts was to think of sound the same as water ie you need to FULLY tank the room you want to soundproof. The smallest detail that is missed can ruin the entire system and render it useless. A quick search on the internet will reveal some specialist companies providing materials for the job but they are VERY expensive. Rockwool is a cheap but fairly ineffective alternative. I agree with the double boarding / rockwool as the best simple (and cheap) design
Sell the kids to childless Americans and use the moiney to buy a holiday home - Spend time there in total tranquility and look how much you'll save on Christmas and Birthday presents. The best way is use 50mm Jablite and face it noise side with glass fibre loosely filled and board over it - it will deter the noise of a nuclear explosion - You can ONLY stop so much noise as the building fabric may convey what is not stopped by the wall insulation
Mr Farley sir, Not jablite surely. The denser the insulation the better. There is no subsitute for mass when talking of sound resistance. Double plasterboard and skim both sides with Rockwool RWA45 or Isowool APR1200 insulation tightly fitted in the cavity will be good. Seal all the edges as said above. Best to seal on each layer of boarding too. Stagger all the board joints also. That spec is good for airbourne sound - impact sound is different. Flanking sound is also an issue so all the edge details need to be checked before recommending a generic spec. Cheers - jonah
If you really want to go to town, then use staggered independent studs and fix the plasterboard on one side to one set, and the other side to the other set. Use double layers of Soundbloc board and fill the cavity with rockwool. Also consider sound passage above and below the partition. You may need to put rockwool barriers on the partition line in the joist cavity as well. Jason
The guy moved twelve years ago - couldn't stand the noise! I want a sound proof lunch box to keep my SPAM in.
When you remove the old board , cut it up to fit to the back of the remaining plasterboard , stick with cheap flexible silicon , I use multi finish , ebay rockwool (you never know ,might be on auction local) double board new wall . blue ( acoustic) is pricey ( up to you ) . loft insulation is important , pile up whatever is available , consider weight and fire risk . noise also under floor cavity , if possible lift board closest and rockwool
Different materials absorb or reflect sound of different frequencies , rockwool is better by it's physical structure and irregular shaped fibres . also for a stud wall your not interested in heat insulation between rooms.
I always understood it better to have a small air gap for acoustic insulation with rock wool. I.e. If you use 50mm rockwool in 3 or 4x2 you get better results than full fill. Either way would imagine something better than nothing.
I prefer to make it up, you learn more especially if you have no direction in life and are happy being lost