Soundproofing hardwood and tile floors

I have been getting a lot of requests of late to discuss soundproofing a wood or tile floor in an upper apartment or condo unit. The solutions are pretty simple if you're installing wall-to-wall carpeting, but things get a little more complicated when you're dealing with hardwoods, ceramic or vinyl flooring. To begin with, when a manufacturers STC (Sound Transmission Class) claims appear to be too high always read the fine print. Generally they mean that you can only reach this high STC value in conjunction with a myriad of other products that must to be added to your floor or ceiling assembly. For example, if you're looking at ¼"cork as a floor underlayment and the manufacturer claims that it will give you 55-57 STC, keep in mind that this value will only be attained with at least 3 inches of gypcrete (light weight concrete) poured overtop of the existing sub-floor and most likely the addition of a couple of layers of cement board (Hardy or Wonder board) will be needed as well. All of the STC values of these products are additive and so the manufacturer makes his claim hoping you Won't read the fine print. Even though these values are additive, there is always the law of diminishing returns to contend with, so you still may not reach your goals even though it says you do on paper. Many times the call out for a floor or ceiling assembly is such that ceiling below must be floated on sound clips and furring channels or resilient channels in order to obtain the 55-57 STC values that some manufacturers claim to get from their product. Basically, no soundproofing product on it's own will give you a 55-57 STC value. If you find one that does, please let me know and I'll get it on the website immediately. There are no magic formulas. What it boils down to is simply this, very few products on the market today can give you an STC value greater than 32 to 35 STC on their own, and thus these high STC claims are very misleading to say the least. I had a customer who told me that a 1/8" cork mat would give him an STC rating of 55- 57 when laid beneath carpet and pad. I smiled and had him show me the cut sheet (spec. sheet) for the cork. The sheet called for the addition of a poured gypcrete sub floor and numerous other items that I can't recall off hand, that were needed in order to meet the 55-57 STC. Needless to say, he was shocked. Its back to that old adage, if it sounds too good to be true, it is! That being said, the absolute best way to soundproof an upstairs unit from a lower one is by floating the ceiling in the lower unit using The Americlips and furring channel (hat channel). This method is described in detail if you click this link: http://www.soundproofingamerica.com/ceiling_soundproofing.asp. There you will find an in-depth guide that gives you detailed information on the proper methods for floating a lower unit ceiling. Another floating method is the use of resilient channel. This is the most common method used by contractors who have done any type soundproofing in their careers. This method, though more economical than the Americlip System, is only about ½ as effective and is generally installed improperly even by the most competent of contractors. The difference in cost for the Americlips is well worth it to effectively soundproof a ceiling from impact or airborne noise from above. Now there are other materials that can be placed over the subfloor above that will help stop impact noise as well as block most airborne noise from below or above. We carry 2 products for this express purpose, one is called American Impact Pro, and the other is called American Impact. These products are specifically designed to be installed beneath hardwood or tile floors and work well under carpet and pad as well. Mass loaded vinyl on it's own is not really good for soundproofing floors, it needs to have a breathing space in order for it to resonate and work to it's optimal best. This can only be accomplished by adding a decoupler to the MLV and that can get costly. When dealing with a hardwood floor, you can also use a product called America's Best, which is a mass loaded vinyl that is bonded to a layer of ¼" closed cell foam mat. This material will provide a certain amount of floor resilience that's prevents much of the impact noise from traveling downward, however the only way this system will work properly is if the wood planks are at least 6' in length, it is also preferred that planks be interlocking on the sides. The America's Best is a resilient product and will allow the new hardwood floor to actually flex when walked on. This resilience adds to the footfall protection to the ceiling below. Long planked wood floors are the only hard surfaced floors that will work with America's Best vinyl. Other floors such as vinyl or ceramic tile or Pergo floor systems will not work with this product as these surfaces will have a tendency to separate or crack. Finally, if your association board has a call out for IIC (impact isolation coefficient) then you will need to call one the professionals here at Soundproofing America and they will discuss with you the procedures you'll need to follow in order to meet that particular IIC call out. Impact isolation is a whole other chapter in the Soundproofing Bible according to Dr. Bob and will have to wait until next time! Thanks for reading and if you have questions, please give us a call.

As Always, Dr. Bob

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

Soundproofing for your 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 narrative. 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 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 American Soundproofing 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 solidly barriered 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 that 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 our fellow musician friends.

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

Building and soundproofing a home theater

In today's rushed world, most people don't have the time or the money to waste taking the entire family to the movies (up to $50 to $60 per shot) so why not build out a Home Theater in your garage, basement, or spare bedroom? The construction and soundproofing of a Home Theater is much the same as would be used in building a soundproof music studio for practice or recording. The only major difference is that with a Home Theater, you are less concerned with sound coming into the Theater, than you would be if you were doing recording or voice-overs for a major studio or movie production company. The most effective method for building your Home Theater is to actually construct a room within a room. Basically this means framing out new walls within the existing room. This is a lot simpler than it sounds. If you possess tool skills and are better with them than "Tim Taylor" on "Tool Time", then you most likely are qualified to undertake this project. You will want to frame out new walls within the existing room, this is pretty easy in a basement situation, where at least 2 of the walls are most likely poured concrete or concrete block, and are generally Earthen backed. They need NO soundproofing whatsoever. By framing out the room within a room, you are taking all of the negatives in the room that were working against your soundproofing endeavor, and now making them more friendly in the form of "dead air space". Dead air space (if it is sealed) is good soundproofer in itself, but you will still need a little more soundproofing horsepower if you plan to watch Star Wars or The Matrix (cranked) in your new Home Theater. Once the new walls are framed out, it is time to soundproof. We have found that good batt insulation such as Roxul AFB or Roxul Safe is very effective when placed in the stud and joist cavities. If you are unable to find the Roxul products, then use a good quality rock wool or mineral wool to fill those cavities. The next step would be to adhere a layer of American Mass Loaded Vinyl directly to the stud structure. Attaching the MLV directly to the studs or joists allows the vinyl to resonate or move with the sound. If the MLV is able to resonate, it will work to it's full potential and will give you the sound blocking required for a well-soundproofed theater. The MLV will be stapled (industrial air drive stapler) or nailed (using roofing nails with the large plastic heads) to the studs or joists. If you are able to over lap the seams that would be great, however, if that is not possible, you will want to butt the seams together tightly and caulk both the butted seams as well as the entire perimeter of the newly installed MLV. You want the MLV to act as a soundproof membrane on your walls and ceilings. Caulking and taping the seams is essential for effective soundproofing. The caulked seams will also need to be taped with a quality MLV sealer tape before installing your new drywall. Now it is time to install the drywall. We recommend using 2 layers of ½" drywall for all of the walls as well as the ceiling. Now if this becomes too costly then a single layer of 5/8" fire code drywall will be sufficient. This should complete the soundproofing portion of your home theater. We also carry a complete line of home theater and studio acoustical treatments, so please call us for more information on those. In rare cases, it may become necessary to float the walls or ceiling of your new Home Theater. If you feel that floating the walls or ceiling are in order, then please call the experts at Soundproofing America, Inc. to learn about floating walls and ceilings. It is all about your peace of mind. We know your needs and your concerns, so please don't hesitate to call us. Never forget, the more you know about soundproofing, the more you need Soundproofing America.

As Always, Bob O.

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

Constructing a sound control booth

There hasn't been much written about sound control booths per se, but the need for this type of structure is growing daily. I get questions from people in big cities asking how they can construct or build a sound isolation booth so they can practice an instrument, or sing loudly. They need a place where they can play an electric guitar or a saxophone or even a set of drums and not disturb the neighbors above or below or to the sides of them. There are also professionals who live in condominiums or apartments who need to do voice-overs at home for film production companies. These booths are also great for the growing population of D. J.'s in this country. If you are in an apartment or condo setting, you might want to make your booth portable or easily dis-assembled. That way if you do have to move, the sound isolation booth can go with you. The best way to construct your booth is to basically frame it out with 2'X4's. You don't want the booth to be too heavy, so 2'X4's are a good choice. You'd frame out the 4 walls to the dimensions desired, and then joist out (frame out) a ceiling for the booth. You will require a floor assembly separate from the floor of the condo or apartment, especially if you are in an upstairs unit. The next step would be to add some sort of wallboard to the outside of the booth: drywall, soundboard, OSB, MDF, (medium density fiber board) or Homasote. Any of these materials should work fine, because the major sound isolation will be taking place on the inside of the booth. Once you are framed out and you have placed a wallboard on the outsides as well as the ceiling of the booth, it's time to soundproof. The first step would be to line the inner walls (between the studs) with a closed cell vinyl nitrile foam mat. America Mat is an excellent choice, and the thicker the better. The mat will be glued to the inside of the stud and joist cavities. Now remember, you are Not filling the cavities only lining them. You will see as this project progresses, that the reason for this foam mat is threefold, 1st it blocks and absorbs sound, 2nd it blocks and absorbs vibration, and 3rd and most importantly, it seals off the dead airspace between the studs cavities and joists cavities of the ceiling. Remember, sealed dead airspace is an excellent soundproofer in itself, so we might as well take advantage of nature's soundproofing. The next step would be to staple up a layer of mass loaded vinyl (MLV) directly to the studs and the joists. Chances are the seams will not land directly on a stud or joist every time, so it is necessary to over lap the seams, caulking the over lapped (MLV) and then finally taping the seams with a quality seam tape. The last step would be to layer up a final layer of wallboard, similar to what was used on the outside of the walls and ceiling. I would also recommend a double layer of the mass loaded vinyl (MLV) on the floor of the sound isolation booth, especially if you are in an upstairs unit. Keep in mind that if the final layer of drywall on the inside of the booth is not feasible or takes up too much precious space, then you can forego the interior wallboard and simply paint the MLV with a vinyl or latex paint. There you have it in a nutshell, a quick solution for musicians, singers and D.J 's who live in apartment or condo settings. This booth is also great for violin and cello practice as well. Even though this narrative was a pretty comprehensive describing sound isolation booths, I am sure you will still have questions or will need to order these products, so please call on the experts at Soundproofing America, Inc. whenever you have any soundproofing questions. The more you know about soundproofing, the more you need the professionals at Soundproofing America, Inc.

This is Dr. Bob reminding you that Knowledge is Power.

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

Soundproofing your Garage or Basement for band practice

Soundproofing a garage involves a little more than you might think. In most garages you have certain things that are working against you when attempting to do an effective soundproofing job. One is the garage door, even the insulated metal doors are not soundproof enough to hold in the sound of a garage rock 'n' roll band, especially if they have acoustic drums. The best and most effective way to soundproof your garage is to actually construct a "room within a room". This will require framing and a bit of construction know how, but as I have said time and again, "It is NOT Rocket Science." Framing out the new room should be done with 2 X 6's (if possible) as opposed to 2 X 4's, though a 2 X 4' frame will work effectively. The reason I recommend the 2 X 6' frame out, is because it will allow for more sealed dead air space once the room is completed. After the framing is completed, including a newly joisted out ceiling, then it's time for some good old 5/8" fire code drywall to be installed on the outer studs and joists. We will be doing the actual soundproofing from within the new room. Once the outside walls and ceiling are dry walled, it is time to go inside of the room and begin soundproofing. The first order of business is to adhere a layer of ¼" closed cell foam to the inside joist and stud cavities. Now remember, we are not filling the cavities, only lining them. The closed cell foam mat can be adhered with a good spray adhesive (such as 3M-77 or 3M-80). There are two different sides to the foam mat, one is smooth and the other is pebbly, you want to glue the smooth side down and have the rough side facing the inside of the cavity. The closed cell foam has a 3-fold purpose. First, it will block and absorb sound, secondly it will block and absorb vibration, but third and most importantly, it will seal off the dead air spaces between the studs and joists. Dead air space is nature's soundproofer, provided it is well sealed. Now we come to a crossroads, if you feel that the sound generated from your band are extremely bassey or there is a lot of vibration from the acoustic drums or the bass guitar, you might opt to float the walls and ceiling. To learn more about floating walls and ceilings, please click onto the links below: Soundproofing against a noisy neighbor Soundproofing a Party Wall If you have determined that a float is not necessary, then the next step would be to staple up a layer of mass loaded vinyl directly to the studs and the ceiling joists. I would recommend using the 1lb per sq ft mass loaded vinyl, or our American Mass Loaded Vinyl for this application. Now I personally like putting up a layer of ½" drywall, or Homasote, or even soundboard prior to installing the MLV, that way the vinyl has a nice flat surface to lay out on, and it is much easier to caulk and tape. However, if there are money constraints or space issues, the MLV can be stapled directly to the studs and joists. You will need to over lap the seams in this case unless by some odd chance, your seams all land on studs and joists. This seldom happens, so the over lap is probably in order. Once the MLV is up, you will need to caulk all of the seams as well as the perimeter of the vinyl. The OSI-175 caulk is an excellent choice for this application. After you have liberally caulked these areas it will be necessary to tape the seams of the butted MLV with either a lead foil tape or a quality seam tape. These can be had from Soundproofing America, Inc. Hey, we're almost finished folks! Now that all the soundproofing is up and sealed it is time for the final layer of 5/8" fire code drywall. This will sandwich in the MLV and will add greatly to the over all soundproofing system. After the drywall is up, you simply tape, mud, and paint as usual. This method of soundproofing a garage works well in a basement also. You should experience some remarkable soundproofing results from the room within a room concept. You have now tamed the soundproofing enemies in your garage and have a place to play or practice at 2:30 AM, which is usually when most musicians get inspired. I know it's when I do. I hope this has helped you in your quest for the perfect garage studio. It has worked remarkably for countless musicians throughout the United States and Canada. Thanks for learning about building and soundproofing a garage studio. As

Always, Dr. Bob


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

Shooting Range soundproofing

Many cities and municipalities are looking for more state of the art soundproofing procedures and methods for soundproofing a public, private, or even a home shooting range. The materials used must be impervious to the mist and smoke as well as gunpowder residue and it must be resilient and easy to clean. Some folks feel that convoluted foam mat (basically bedding or egg crate foam) will work in such applications. This is a totally false assumption because convoluted foam is an open celled foam and has no soundproofing qualities whatsoever. Keep in mind that it does possess the ability to cushion sound and stop it from reflecting off of the firing tunnel walls for example, but mere cushioning does not in any way dissipate or diminish the sound of a firing weapon that generally reflects off the hard concrete or brick range walls. Also keep in mind that common open cell foam is not at all resistant to deterioration or flaking when exposed to water or humidity. So how do you get both absorption and sound blocking from one product, that is impervious to moisture and will stand up the rigors of a live firing range? Many large cities have contacted me desperately looking for just such a material and believe it or not we have exactly what they are looking for. It's the closed cell vinyl nitrile America mat and it has been used in many different ranges throughout the country. It is extremely flame retardant and only absorbs water into the first 6% to 8% of the mat. We have found through real life experience that this absorbed moisture dissipates rapidly and never causes mold, mildew, or deterioration. The America mat is both a blocker and absorber that is extremely resilient and versatile in the shooting environment. The mat comes in thick nesses of ¼" all the way up to 2" thick, but we have found that in most instances the ½" America mat does the job. This foam mat would be adhered directly to the walls and ceiling of the range tunnel and in some cases it would even be adhered to the floor. This will provide complete coverage thus forcing the sound to be absorbed into the mat and with no way out it dissipates rapidly. Major shooting ranges have used this foam mat even on outdoor ranges where the material is exposed to the elements. Now we really don't recommend direct exposure of this material to the elements (especially in the snow), but the feedback we have received in such applications has been favorable indeed. This material has been used in the cities of Boston, New York, Oceanside California, and Kansas City and all the feedback was positive. The thicker the foam, the better the results, but for a basic handgun range, the ½" America mat should be sufficient. There are many other applications for America mat, but one of the most popular is for shooting ranges. It is a phenomenal product. If you have further questions about shooting range soundproofing or about the America mat in general, please feel free to call or e-mail us at your earliest convenience. Thanks for reading about shooting range soundproofing, and remember knowledge is power.

As Always, Dr. Bob

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

Do-it-yourself Soundproofing

An amateur builder or basically anyone handy with tools can easily complete the majority of our soundproofing projects. You don't need to be Bob Vila, or Norm Abram to do a wonderful professional looking soundproofing or sound conditioning project. If you are able to listen and read the detailed instructions provided on this website www.soundproofingamerica.com, you will be able to tackle any soundproofing or sound conditioning project like a pro. Sure, you are bound to have questions, and that's what the professional's at Soundproofing America. Inc. are here for. We offer sound and practical advice to the "do it yourselfer" and professional alike. Believe me, I get my share of calls from contractors who have been in the business for over 30 plus years. If you are willing to learn and to admit that you don't know everything about everything, there is nothing you can't accomplish. I have talked musicians through the framing and construction of their garage and basement studio's or practice rooms. These guys admitted that they didn't have a clue about building or soundproofing a room within a room, now they are actually doing soundproofing projects for their friends and fellow musicians. It's not Rocket Science friends! If you want go for it and really feel you can tackle a soundproofing project, the pros at Soundproofing America will be with you every step of the way. That's a promise! There may be a little trial and error action going on at first due to the fact that all buildings and homes are not built equally, but eventually we will get you to where you need to be soundproofing wise. We always do. We will get you there and you won't have to mortgage your house in the process. That's a promise as well!

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

What is Mass Loaded Vinyl???

What exactly is mass loaded vinyl? This is a question that we get quite often from our novice soundproofing friends. Mass loaded vinyl or MLV as it is better known, is a processed vinyl material that is impregnated with barium salts and silica’s, that give it, the same sound blocking characteristics as lead sheeting. Lead to this day is the world’s best soundproof barrier material, however it is heavy and very awkward to work with. MLV on the other hand contains no lead, but offers that same and sometimes better soundproofing than lead sheeting, and is very easy to work with.
MLV is a reflective barrier, meaning that it has no absorptive qualities; it simply blocks or contains the sound and keeps it either inside of a room or prevents outside sounds from entering into the room. The advantage of MLV is that it contains no hazardous materials and in most cases is considered a class C building material. It will also act as a barrier no matter which side of the wall it is installed on. MLV used in conjunction with other soundproofing agents such as sound clips and furring channels, or even multiple layers of drywall which can prove to be a very effective soundproofing system.
MLV adds mass to any wall or ceiling that it is adhered to. The mass helps to block out a lot of the airborne noise (telephones, TV’s, stereo’s and voices). Keep in mind however, that MLV is not very effective on it’s own against impact noise (walking noise or foot fall noise from above). To combat impact noise, you will need a combination of MLV along with a ceiling or wall floated system such as Americlips (sound clips and furring channels) The sound clips system suspends the ceiling or wall and isolates it from the joist or stud structure which breaks the circuit or the path of the impact noise. Impact noise is structure borne noise and can only be stopped by isolating the structure from the newly installed ceiling or wallboard.
MLV is a multi purpose-soundproofing agent that can be used to soundproof a fence, an air conditioning compressor enclosure, studio walls and ceiling as well as many commercial and industrial applications.
Many retailers of MLV would like you to believe that they actually manufacture their own mass loaded vinyl. The truth is that there are only 3 to 4 manufacturers of MLV in the country and the majority of retailers purchase this product from one or more of these manufacturers.
Mass loaded vinyl is reasonably priced and is a great soundproofing agent when installed properly. It is used in professional recording studios, high-end home theaters, radio stations as well as a vast array of residential, industrial, and commercial applications.
When you purchase MLV from Soundproofing America, you are guaranteed to get the best and most effective product on the market today. We provide in-depth product information and expert installation instructions. Count on Soundproofing America for all of your soundproofing and Acoustical treatment needs.

As Always,

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