Google and Soundproofing

The battle for top rankings on Google for "soundproofing" keywords has been an up hill climb at best, however we have found that our loyal customers are able to find us and appreciate the technical services and materials we offer. They know quality service and want to deal with a company that has their best interests at heart. We are a company that is more customer oriented than bottomline oriented and they know that. We all have to make a living, but if you are able to make your living and still adhere to Christian values and ethics, the people will come.
There is a lot of competition for the soundproofing dollar and we are beginning to see the value of top rankings on Google, MSN and Yahoo, not to mention the wonderful folks on AOL. We have learned that no matter how great the quality of our services or our products, if the customers can't find you, then you're dead in the water. It has been a hard lesson learned, but we have learned it well. What we are suggesting is that when you are looking for a quality soundproofing company, you might want to look a little further than page one of your Google search, keeping in mind that those large companies that are top ranked on Google have spent thousands to be there and guess who pays that cost?
That's my perspective, we welcome yours. Thank you.

Dr. Bob
www.soundproofingamerica.com
www.massloadedvinyl.com
dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com

Sound clips VS Resilient channels

We get many questions regarding the differences between Sound clips and resilient channels or RC's In a previous post to this blog I discuss RC-1 and it's installation. It is the most common product used for floating a ceiling or wall, however the margin for error with this product is incredible and we have heard more horror stories about RC than any other soundproofing product on the market today.
Sound clips (or as we call them, Americlips) are specifically designed to work in conjunction with the 7/8" metal furring channels. The margin for error is this product is greatly reduced.
Basically a sound clip is an isloating device that is attached to the structure (studs or joists) via screws, generally drywall screws. There are many different types, one in particular, the PAC RSIC-1 can be installed to the structure first and then the furring channels fitted afterwards. The Americlips must be attached to the furring channels first and then the entire assembly installed to the structure as one unit. The Americalips attach with 2 screws while the RSIC-1 attaches with only one screw. Both clips have their advantages and disadvantages. The RSIC-1 can be installed parallel or perpendicular to the studs or joists, but the Americlip due to it's design of having a 2 screw connection can only be installed parallel to the studs or joists and the furring channels will be held perpendicular to the joists or studs. In my opinion the Americ clip is a more stable device simply due to the dual attach points. Both products offer over twice the soundproofing of common RC-1 or RC-2 (which is used for ceiling mostly). If installed properly, a floated ceiling using RSIC-1's or the Americlips can offer an STC rating of upwards of 38STC. There are some other products that can be added to the assembly which would increase this STC value greatly.
Installing a layer of Mass Loaded Vinyl on the ceiling or wall first would add upwards of 26 STC points to the ceiling or wall assembly. The use of mineral wool or rockwool (Roxul) between the rows of soundclips and furring channels will also be helpful in increasing the STC rating of the wall or ceiling you are soundproofing. The sound clips only lower the ceiling by 3" or less.
Here is basically what the sound clips and furring channels are accomplishing in a floated ceiling for example. They combat the impact noise from the unit or room above by breaking the sound
transmission circuit of the impact of walking and or dropping things. This impact noise is stopped at the connnection point of the sound clips to the ceiling joist assembly. There is a rubber insulator on the sound clips that breaks the joist or stud impact transmission.
As for the airborne noise such as stereo's, TV's telephones etc. the resilience of the ceiling is such that when these sounds come down from above or even try to go up from the unit below, they vibrate the resilient floated ceiling's drywall, and the sound is unable to pass through the drywall and disappates rapidly. The installation of mineral wool or rockwool between the rows of sound clips and furring channels prevents both the impact and the airborne noise from flanking into adjoining wall structures.
In any floated assembly there is also a 1/4" gap that must be maintained around the entire perimeter in order to keep the ceiling isolated from the adjoining walls. This gap is filled with a resilient acoustical caulk which will both add to the soundproofing and maintain the resilience of the floated ceiling. The gap can also be filled with a closed cell foam backer square which is adhered to the edge of the drywall on the sides, that would usually meet with the adjoining walls. The backer square must however still be caulked to maintain a seal at the drywalls edge as well as to maintain the resilience of the floated ceiling assembly. Sealing in the soundproofing game is essential.
A well floated wall or ceiling is a quality of life issue. The sound of footsteps or voices from above can make you feel that your neighbor is actually living with you in your unit. We all want our privacy and floating a wall or ceiling properly can give us just that!!
I welcome your comments, and if you have any questions about floating a ceiling or wall, or any soundproofing questions at all, please feel free to e-mail me or call Soundproofing America. Thank you.

Dr. Bob
www.soundproofingamerica.com
dr.bob@soundproofing.com

The pitfalls of Resilient Channel

Most contractors today are aware of a building product known as resilient channel, it is also referred to as "Chicago Bar" or R.C. It is a thin 20 to 25 guage galvanized steel channel that has a small flange to screw it to the studs or joists and a wider flange that the drywall is screwed into. It looks like an "L" or a "Z" channel. These channels generally are 3/8" (give or take) off of the face of the studs or joists and hold the drywall suspended and isolated from the studs/joists as well as the adjoining walls/ceiling. There must be a 1/4" gap around the edge of the newly installed drywall all the way around the perimeter where the drywall does not touch the adjoining walls or ceiling. This gap must be caulked in with an acoustical caulk or a combination of acoustical caulk and backer square. Backer square is a foam roll material 1/2" square and is similar to backer rod (which is round) and is used to help fill in the 1/4" gap around the perimeter of the drywall. It is best to get a backer square that is made of vinyl nitrile closed cell foam, that way you are not simply filling in this gap, but are adding to the soundproofing.
Many contractors and home improvement DIY folks drop the ball right here. They are not aware of just how important this gap really is. The 1/4" gap is imperative in order to keep the newly floated wall or ceiling from contacting the adjoining structures and shorting out the entire assembly. The key is to completely isolate the floated wall or ceiling from the studs/joists as well as the adjoining walls, floor and ceiling. Isolation is what you need when employing a floated ceiling or wall system. The 1/4" gap can not be compromised, it must completely isolate floated assembly from the surrounding structures.
The other area where mistakes are often made is when the drywall is being screwed into the R.C. If only 1 screw goes through the drywall into the channel and then screws into a joist or stud, you have short circuited any soundproofing you might have gotten from the floated wall or ceiling.
There are 2 types of Resilient channel, RC-1 and RC-2. There are others, but these are the 2 most common used today. The RC-2 is similar to the RC-1 except for the fact that it has 2 screw in flanges as opposed to just 1. The RC-2 is generally used in ceiling floats because it is much more stable. Keep in mind that with any floated ceiling assembly the RC is completely weight bearing. This holds true for sound clips and furring channels as well, but we'll talk about them at another time.
I hope this helps you to understand the basics of R.C. and though it is not the most effective sound isolator, it is the most widely known.

Dr. Bob
e-mail: dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Call Toll free (877) 530-0139

New Information On Mass Loaded Vinyl Installation

It seems like forever that we have told our customers that Mass Loaded Vinyl installed directly over existing drywall is effective, and though this is true, we have discovered that if you attach 1" (wood) furring strips on to the existing wall or ceiling first and then attach the MLV directly to these furring strips as opposed to directly over the existing drywall, you will create the ability for the MLV to move or flex and act like a floated wall or ceiling to a degree. You will also be a decoupling with a dead air space between the existing stud or joist structure and the new drywall. You'll still want to drywall over top of the MLV attaching the new drywall directly to the furring strips. We are experiencing much better results using this method. It doesn't take that much more work or money and the increase in soundproofing is amazing. At soundproofing America we are always on the quest to find better installation methods as well as the state-of-the art soundproofing materials and products.

Dr Bob.

e-mail: dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Call Toll free (877) 530-0139

Green Glue results coming soon

It looks like our New York contractor will be doing a soundproofing project using the infamous Green Glue" The "Green Glue" is applied between the existing drywall wall and the first layer of new sheetrock. The GG is troweled onto the existing wall and then a new layer of drywall installed over top the existing wallboard. This will be performed twice, meaning there will actually be a 3rd layer of rock trowled with the Green Glue.
I am excited to see the results of this project, though according to manufacturers instructions, the full effect will not be known for at least 10 days after the application/installation.
The green glue is a visco elastic dampening compound that is used for structure dampening and also stops flanking sound transmission within a wall or ceiling cavity. If this experiment is a success, I feel personally that it will revolutionize the soundproofing industry. We are all praying that this install is successful. Stay tuned for the latest results which should be posted here by months end.

As Always,

Dr. Bob
e-mail: dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Call Toll free (877) 530-0139

Those positive feedback days.

I just received a great soundproofing report from one of our customers named Cody S. He used the America mat to soundproof his aquarium. He told me about the ease of installation and that he had also wrapped the America mat around the filter and pump lines which previously sounded like a waterfall. He was able to cut the foam into strips and wrapped all of the filter and pump lines. He also lined the insides of the pedestal where the pump motors are situated.
The bottom line is that he was more than happy with the results and will now tell other aquarium owners about this product. That’s why I stay in this business; it is always nice to get positive feedback from my customers. Thanks Cody.

As Always,

Dr. Bob.
e-mail: dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Call Toll free (877) 530-0139

Argentina and Rhode Island Soundproofing Foam Disasters

The recent fire in Buenos Aires, Argentina was a major tragedy. The fire was caused by someone setting off fireworks at an indoor concert at a niteclub. From news reports, it appears to be a normal practice at some indoor nite clubs to set off sparklers and various other incendiary devices. Well, in this case, those devices ignited sound conditioning urethane foam that was in the ceiling for improving the club's acoustics. The resulting fire and smoke killed around 200 people. This is similar to the tragedy that happened a few years ago in a Rhode Island nite club when the pyrotechnics by the band "Great White" set aflame the panels that were purported to be "soundproofing". Everyone should be aware of two issues that come from these examples: 1. Quite a few of the sound conditioning acoustical products are far from being fireproof. 2. Soundproofing and Sound Conditioning are two entirely different acoustical terms. One needs to be aware of the flammability of any materials purchased for their do-it-yourself (DIY) project.
Soundproof Scott
e-mail: dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Call Toll free (877) 530-0139

Soundproofing Issues in New York

It's a well known fact that New Yorkers know how to live large yet in small and confined quarters, and even if their space is underneath a bar or nite club, it's okay cause the rent is cheap. But as time passes that basement apartment or flat begins to grind on your nerves, and you swear if you hear just one more Willy Nelson or even New York Lou Reed ditty from that damned Jukebox, someone's gonna pay. The problem is that usually you are the one who pays with your sleep, or lack there of. This is one of those times when sleep means more than the almighty dollar. It's a proven fact that a lack of sleep can affect every part of your daily life, especially in New York City.
Last June I teamed up with one of the best New Yorkers in the City, who is the Senior Real Estate Columnist for The New York Times, Jay Romano. Jay did a piece on soundproofing in the city and the unique sound issues facing New Yorkers. This city has it all, subway noise, aircraft noise, apartment to apartment noise...Hey, Shaddap Vinny!!!! It is a 7-24 never ending saga. I think the only time it stopped was on September 11th, and then it was only for a few minutes. The noise in New York is definitely unique but the methods for treating it are basically the same. If you are in New York and have soundproofing issues please call the experts at Soundproofing America, Inc. They can help you solve your noise problems and not empty your wallet in the process. If there are soundproofing materials at Home Depot or Lowe's that will work for you, we'll tell you about them. With the price of Real Estate these days, the rest of the country is beginning to feel the pinch just like our New York friends have for nearly 50 years
Thanks for reading.
Dr.Bob Senior Technical Director
e-mail: dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Call Toll free (877) 530-0139

Soundproofing a Garage or Basement for a Rock 'n' Roll band

This is by far the most asked question at Soundproofing America Inc. How do I soundproof my garage, basement, or a bedroom in my single family house or condo so my 4 piece rock band can practice and record and not bother the neighbors? If I had a dollar for every time I was asked this question, I would be in the Bahamas right now, instead of writing this column.
Many factors need to be considered prior to beginning your studio or practice room-soundproofing project. Some of the questions you should be asking yourself are, what type of amplification will the band be using, are the drums going to be acoustic and miked or are they digital. Are we going to be recording live late at night or are we going to be doing "line in" recording only? These questions and many more need to be considered before the actual construction begins. If live recording and rehearsal are the plan, then maximum soundproofing will be needed. The most effective way to soundproof a garage, basement, or bedroom is to actually construct a room within a room (see http://www.auralex.com/) and download the booklet "Acoustics 101" this is a wonderful resource for the home studio builder. Their ideas are solid and pertinent to and studio soundproofing project. The room within a room concept utilizes the sealed dead air space that is captured between the inner walls and the outer walls to help greatly with the soundproofing endeavor. It is probably easiest to frame the walls on the floor and then tilt them up into place thus making dry walling the outside of the walls much easier. It is also highly recommended that another ceiling be joisted out for the room within a room, however, this is oft times impossible due to space constraints. In this case, the existing ceiling and ceiling joists may be used as the ultimate ceiling for the studio, provide that it is adequately soundproofed with materials such as the American vinyl or a combination of American mat and American vinyl. I will elaborate on these materials, as we get further into this study. Once the walls are framed out and the right amount of "Dead air space" is determined, then it is time to install the soundproofing. The first order of business is to consider what needs to be done to the wall cavities prior to installing a barrier and finally the wallboard. I like to line the inside cavities with a closed cell vinyl nitrile foam mat such as American Mat. This mat (generally ¼" thickness) is adhered to the inside cavity walls as well as the studs and joists (if these areas are opened up) Keep in mind that the American Mat is used to line the cavities only, not to fill them up. If thermal insulation is needed, use products such as rock wool, mineral wool, cut wool fibers, or my favorite, Roxul. Roxul is a great thermal rock wool based bat type insulation that has great soundproofing qualities. If thermal insulation is a requirement for the practice room or studio, then Roxul is the way to go. Now we come to a crossroads, it is time to determine if decoupling the walls using resilient channels or American Sound clips is a necessity. De coupling is used when impact transmission or low frequency noise is a factor. Impact would come primarily from the drums (acoustic type) or the bass amplifier. However, if the band is using Marshall high powered amps (50 watt Plexies with 4 X 12 cabinets for example) along with miked acoustic drums and an Ampeg bass system, then decoupling is most likely necessary. These methods and procedures will be explained in later narratives or can found by calling Soundproofing America on our toll free line. If decoupling were determined to be unnecessary, then the next step would be to find a good barrier material such as American vinyl (which is a high grade mass loaded vinyl barrier). This barrier could be stapled directly to the studwork on a wall assembly or directly to the joists. This is a method that is used if cost or space constraints are factors. If the barrier material is to be stapled directly to the stud or joist framing then it is essential that the seams be over lapped, caulked (using OSI acoustical caulking compound) and taped with either a lead tape or a heavy-duty seam tape. These can also be had from Soundproofing America Inc. Once these areas are treated with the Mass Loaded vinyl (MLV) then it time to decide whether or not it is necessary to float the walls and ceiling to prevent the impact and heavy bass sounds from passing through the barrier walls and ceiling. For more information on ceiling and wall floats, please call the toll free number. The last step for your home studio is to layer over the mass loaded vinyl barrier with a fresh layer of 5/8" fire code drywall or sheet rock. It is always advisable to butter the edges of the last layer of drywall with the acoustical caulk. You'll want to gain every STC (sound transmission class) point you can when trying to make your new studio as quiet as possible. Finally you will tape mud and paint the new drywall. We here at Soundproofing America Inc. are also musicians and we understand the plight of our fellow players. Please feel free to call us anytime for free studio soundproofing advice. We're here to help; it's not about making money off fellow musician friends.
Thanks for reading

Dr. Bob
e-mail: dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Call Toll free (877) 530-0139

Free Downloads On www.soundproofingamerica.com

On our website, if you scroll down the tool bar you will find a header that reads " free downloads". Please feel free to download "Acoustics 101" which is for all of you home studio builders or the EPA reprint of "Quieting, a practical guide to noise control"for most of your home soundproofing issues. The EPA download does not touch on every aspect of soundproofing and it is not up-to-date with the latest innovations in todays soundproofing industry, but it does deal with many common soundproofing issues such as traffic, trains, air conditioning ducting and a host of other common sound issues which are still pertinent today. It will give you the insight and ideas you can use to solve most common soundproofing issues in the home.
If you have further questions, or these e-booklets do not cover your particular sound issues, please feel free to call us toll free @ (877) 530-0139 and we will be glad to assist you.

As Always,

Dr. Bob
www.soundproofingamerica.com

Soundproofing and Sound Conditioning, the Difference

Many people get the terms "Soundproofing" and "Sound Conditioning" confused. Soundproofing is keeping sound in or out of a certain area or space. A good example is a home recording studio. Not only are you concerned about sound not escaping from the studio, but you are equally concerned about not having sound intrude into the studio and ruining your session. This is what is know as soundproofing and is generally accomplished by decoupling (sound clips or resilient channels) the walls and ceiling as well as adding mass to them. These procedures are explained in detail on our website: www.soundproofingamerica.com or you can go to another link and read acoustics 101 which is a detailed e-booklet on studio construction and soundproofing Go to: http://www.acoustics101.com/ is written by Eric T. Smith the founder of Auralex and is very informative. Soundproofing is also used in residential applications such as soundproofing a condo or apartment from neighboring units.
Now that we know a little bit about soundproofing, lets talk about sound conditioning. Sound conditioning deals with the deadening of the reflective sound in a given room or space. These reflective sounds are bouncing around freely in a room with multiple hard or rigid surfaces. Sound conditioning is primarily sccomplished with sound absorbent foams, fabric covered furniture and Fab Tech panels, to name a few. There are formulas that will tell you exactly the amount of absorbent material that is needed to reduce reverberation times in any given area. Sound conditioning is not limited to studio's or home theaters. If you have a living room or dining area that has too many hard surfaces such as marble, stone, plaster, or tile then sound conditioning would be in order for these spaces. Even your nice hardwood floor is a sound reflector, ain't that the pits?
Sound conditioning is something that many resturaunts are in dire need of. I'm sure you have been in an upscale resturaunt where you were unable to hear the person you were dining with, but had absolutely no problem hearing the people 5 tables away. If you look around the resturaunt, you'll notice that nearly every surface is made of a non-absorbent highly rigid materials. I'll even bet the chairs themselves are hardbacked with leather cushions. For the sound to be properly dispersed and to stop reflective and reverberative sounds from bouncing about the room, there must be a degree of sound absorbency in that space. The amount depends upon a myriad of factors. If you need to sound condition any room in your house or apartment, please feel free to call one of the professionals at Soundproofing America or go to: www.soundproofingamerica.com and we will be glad to assist you. Now that you know the difference between "Soundproofing and "Sound Conditioning" my job has become much easier. Thank you for reading.

As Always,

Dr.Bob
e-mail: dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Call Toll free (877) 530-0139

Why do Soundproofing Contractors charge a consultation fee

I get this question from time to time, why do your soundproofing contractors charge a consultation fee and regular contrators don't? It's a valid question. Keep in mind that soundproofing and acoustical contractors are a very rare breed, there are generally 1 per every 4 to 5 Million people in most given areas. This fact in itself makes their time extremely valuable.
It's funny that nobody complains when a acoustical consultant charges anywhere from $1500 to $3000 for an acoustical consultation, and once they have assessed your situation and are able to give you a very detailed report as to what the problem is. The customer is generally inclined to ask, well what can I do to fix it? This is the point at which your $1500 to $3000 consultation ends. For the most part the majority of acoustical consulatants don't know where to begin when it comes to soundproofing a high end condo or townhome. So, what did you get for your $1500 to $3000? You got a detailed report telling you basically what you already knew. This is not always the case, but 9 out of 10 times it is.
On the other hand if a soundproofing contractor is forced to leave a job in progress to come over to you and give you an assessment of you problem, he will in essence be walking away from a $250 to $300 per hour paying job. If soundproofing contractors were a dime a dozen, then of course they would give free consultations, but they are not.
I am often amazed that people have no problem shelling out fees in the thousands for an acoustical consultant, yet they balk at paying $150 to $300 for someone specially trained to deal with your situation, and will actually get his hands dirty fixing the problem. The funny thing is most soundproofing contractors will rebate the consultation fee back to you if they get the job, so what are you out? Try to get a rebate from an acoustical consultant! Careful, you may lose an arm.
Here's my point, if you are serious about fixing a soundproofing problem then you should have no problem paying a consultation fee from a specialist in that field. Now if your acoustical consultant can glue that detailed report to your ceiling and stop the footfall noise from the neighbor above, then by all means shell out the $1500 to $3000 for his services.
The bottomline is simply this, a college education does not solve soundproofing issues, if it did, we would all be standing in the unemployment line. That's my perspective, what's yours?

Dr.Bob,
Technical director
Soundproofing America, Inc.
e-mail: dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Call Toll free (877) 530-0139

Sound control Fences

You don’t find too much information on the Internet or in hardware stores about “Sound control” walls or fences. I have found that a lot of landscaping professionals are getting tasked with building these fence/wall projects and they really don’t know where to turn. Now there is a place, Soundproofing America has developed many proven and innovative means for building an effective sound control fence or wall. Obviously, the best sound control wall is a masonry or stone, but even with that much mass the wall still needs to be at least 8’ above the noise source to be effective, and these walls are often very costly to construct.
In this narrative we will be discussing wood fences (the type with the dog-eared slats). Once again for this or any barrier fence to be effective it needs to be at least 8’ above the noise source. Your first step will be to frame out the fence and slat the inside portion only with the dog-eared slats. The inside slats must be tightly butted together and caulking them with acoustical caulk is always a good idea. Once you have the inside slats nailed up and tightly butted together, you are ready to begin the soundproofing.
We will be doing the soundproofing from the outside of the fence, the area facing the noise source. Something I always suggest is to line the backside of the slats with a layer of 1 Lb. Mass loaded vinyl (MLV). The MLV will be glued or stapled to the back of the freshly installed slats to line that backs of them. It is advisable to caulk the MLV at all seams as well as around the perimeter with an acoustical caulking compound. The MLV will provide a good solid barrier and will work in conjunction with the next step, which is the installation of a 1” closed cell foam mat. The closed cell foam is glued (contact cement or construction adhesive) directly to the MLV. This is the horsepower for our new sound control fence. The foam absorbs the offending noises and the MLV blocks any sound that should happen to pass thru the foam. The closed cell foam is quite weather resistant, but it is strongly recommended that an outer layer of dog-eared slats be nailed up to the outside portion of the new fence, this is both to protect the foam and to make the fence much more aesthetically pleasing. The outer layer of slats should be gapped at 1/8” to ¼” apart to allow the septum to do it’s job.
In essence we have created an absorbent cavity inside of the fence itself. I would seriously recommend purchasing the 1” thick closed cell foam mat at a minimum or even the 2” thick foam if the budget permits.
For the most part you now have a sound blocking and sound-absorbing barrier fence. The closed cell foam is very weather resistant and the double layer of slats will help it to last even longer.
This system is not a cure all, but is an economical way to quell unwanted noise from polluting your backyard. Our goal is to keep the noise at tolerable levels. If you need more information on sound-control fences or walls, please call us here at Soundproofing America. Thanks for your time and never forget that Knowledge is power.

As Always,

Dr. Bob!
e-mail: dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Call Toll free (877) 530-0139

The poor mans ceiling and wall float

When soundproofing your home cost is always an issue, however doing nothing should never be an option. I’m sure many of you have read the method for ceiling and wall soundproofing using resilient channels or the Americlip and furring channels. These are both great methods for stopping sound transmission from one room to another or from floor to ceiling in a multi level unit. Keep in mind that the sound clips are by far the most effective method, yet they can be costly depending on the amount of area you need to cover.
If you are building on a strict budget there is another method that can be use that is not widely known. We here at Soundproofing America call it “The poor man’s float” It is a simple method of placing a specialized isolation tape directly onto the face studs or ceiling joists prior to screwing in your drywall. With this method you would not necessarily need to maintain the ¼” gap around the perimeter of your wall or ceiling. Basically this method actually alleviates the direct wall to stud or drywall to joist contact. This procedure, in conjunction with a Roxul (rock wool) or a mineral wool bat sound insulator installed in the wall or ceiling cavity, helps to stop the sound transmission from room to room or from floor to ceiling.
The Sound Isolation tape is available from Soundproofing America as are detailed instructions for its installation. This method though not as effective as a full sound clip and furring channel float, it is however still an effective method for soundproofing on a budget. This tape can also be used to give your walls the staggered stud effect, without actually staggering them. Please feel free to call our toll free help line for this and other innovative soundproofing ideas. Thanks for reading and learning.

As Always,

Dr. Bob!
Soundproofing America, Inc.
www.soundproofingamerica.com

Alternative Mass Loaded Vinyl installation procedures

There is more than one method for installing mass loaded vinyl to obtain maximum effect. The standard of the industry is to install the MLV directly to the stud or joist framing using an industrial stapler or heavy-duty roofing nails that have the large plastic heads. This method is known as the membrane or septum method. The MLV works well when placed on a wall or ceiling in a membrane fashion. It should never be sandwiched between layers of drywall unless you can provide a dead air space where in the MLV can resonate or move with the sound waves. This can be accomplished with the use 1” furring channels that will allow the MLV to resonate between 2 layers of drywall. For more information on installing mass loaded vinyl over existing drywall, please call or e-mail us before you purchase or install this material.
You have a choice of 1lb or 2lb mass loaded vinyl. Obviously the 2 Lb will be more effective (32STC) as opposed to (26 STC) for the 1lb, but it is more costly and that extra cost may not be necessary. A lot depends on your soundproofing issues. There is not a lot of information on the Internet in regards to the installation of mass loaded vinyl, hopefully we will be able to separate the fact from fiction
. If you are constructing walls using the staggered stud method, it would be beneficial to actually weave the vinyl in an out of the staggered stud assembly itself. The above picture gives you a rough idea of how this would look. The key to weaving MLV (or any barrier material) is to seal the vinyl as best as possible at the seams and around the perimeter. In the case of a horizontal weave (the most common weave) it is best to overlap the seams by at least 1" and seal that overlap with acoustical caulking as well as a quality seam tape. The weaving of MLV also aids in the defusing of sound waves. The weave also allows the vinyl to resonate or move with the sound. As you know, it is important that the MLV be able to resonate in order to work to it’s full potential.You can also use the weave on a standard stud wall provided there is no drywall installed on either side of the studs. (just open studs) This weaving method can be hampered however by stud cross members, so it is best to have only vertically installed studs if you are planning to do the weave. If you weave the MLV on a normally studded wall, there may be problems with the drywall sitting level on the studs. If your studs are 16" on center, then every other stud will have 1/8" of increased width compared to the studs that don't have the MLV weaved a top of them. To keep the drywall even on both sides, a sound isolation tape can be adhered to every other stud that that is not covered with the weaved MLV this will make all of the stud surfaces flat and even and the drywall will rest evenly on the studs. From the feedback of our contractors in the field, we have discovered that the more a wood structure is dampened, the better the soundproofing will be in a wall or ceiling assembly. This is especially true for impact noise from above. There are many ways to dampen a wood frame assembly and some are more effective than others. Some contractors have used blown in cellulose in order to dampen the joist or stud structures, but cellulose has no mass and though it will help to a degree, it is much less effective than using blown in closed cell foam. We have obtained the best results by installing Roxul mineral wool in the stud and joist cavities. Roxul is a mineral wool sound insulation that also maintains the R factor of thermal insulation. The Roxul can be used along with standard fiberglass insulation in order to completely fill the joist or stud cavities. Once the cavities are filled with the mineral wool you are ready to add the mass loaded vinyl. The MLV will be stapled or nailed directly to the studs or joists. The MLV needs to be like a membrane across the stud or joists. Once this is complete you will need to caulk the seams as well as the entire perimeter of the vinyl membrane, and then tape the caulked seams. It is not necessary to tape the perimeter but caulking this area is essential. Once the sealing of the vinyl is complete, all that is left is to install the drywall. For the best soundproofing, we recommend installing 2 layers of ½” drywall. If this is not possible, then 1 layer of 5/8” fire code drywall will suffice. This has been a brief description on alternative methods of installing mass loaded vinyl. I hope this little narrative has helped clear up the misconceptions about the installation of MLV. Thanks for reading and learning.

As Always,
Bob O.
e-mail: dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Call Toll free (877) 530-0139

Structural Dampening for Soundproofing

As of this posting, we are working on research in our New York facility to test the effectiveness of a product called "Green Glue" This is a dampening agent that is applied wet between 2 layers of gypsum (drywall). The theory, which my NYC contractor likes is simply this, if you dampen the floor joists from either the top or the bottom unit in a multi level dwelling, you will have most of the soundproofing licked. In other words, the sound of impact noise, (footfalls) will be dramatically reduced once the floor joist assembly is dampened. This goes against many of my beliefs about soundproofing, beliefs such as you need added mass for soundproofing.
The contractor has years of field soundproofing experience and his feeling has always been to dampen the joist or stud structure prior to adding any mass or absorption agents.
We here at Soundproofing America as very interested do see the results of using the infamous " Green Glue".
When utilizing the added mass approach you are able to block the majority of airborne noise, but impact noise which is structurally borne is an entirely different animal. The dampening of the structure supposedly will alleviate a lot of that structure borne sound simply by changing the resonant frequency of the 2 drywall layers. It indeed sounds good in theory, but as my contractor says, " The proof is in the puddin'" I will update this weblog and keep our readers posted on our results. This could revolutionize the soundproofing industry and Lord knows it needs a little revolution. Thanks for reading and learning together.

As Always,

Dr. Bob
e-mail: dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Call Toll free (877) 530-0139

Soundproofing America

I would like to introduce myself and my company. I am Dr. Bob and along with my partner Scott, we run a soundproofing supply company in Southern California called Soundproofing America, Inc. Our premier product is knowledge and it is free when you visit : www.soundproofingamerica.com We know that giving our customers complete information about soundproofing, we are fostering an immediate trust with them and they are at ease when they call us. Potential customers feel comfortable learning about soundproofing on their own. Soundproofing has come a long way over the years and we feel that the more knowledgable our customers are, the happier they will be with their results. As it states on our website, soundproofing is not "rocket science," however, as in any construction project, attention to detail is imperative to obtain the results you need for your home theater, recording studio, sound control booth or any soundproofing project you are undertaking. We specialize in soundproof floors, walls, ceilings, and entire rooms. We have sound conditioning products as well as a vast array of soundproofing products specifically geared to the do it yourselfer (DIY).
I have made a commitment to my customers and to myself to keep this blog up to date with the latest and greatest soundproofing and sound conditioning news. Please feel free to visit our website at your leisure and thank you for trusting Soundproofing America, with all of your soundproofing and sound conditioning needs.

As Always,

Dr. Bob
e-mail: dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Call Toll free (877) 530-0139