Soundproofing your bathroom

Now granted, we don't get a lot of calls for bathroom soundproofing, however, there are those of you out there who would rather not hear or deal with (invasive) bathroom noise, especially while trying to sleep. Soundproofing a bathroom is relatively easy due to the fact that it is not really feasible to float walls or ceilings, when bathroom space is so precious. This does not mean though, that you cannot get your bathroom as soundproofed as most 5 star hotels in the world. There are a few simple steps that need to be taken for effective bathroom soundproofing. If the plan calls for the bathroom to be completely gutted, then your have the opportunity to do a great soundproofing job as opposed to a good one. By gutted, I am referring to having the wallboard completely removed to where you are able to get to all the pipes. Once your have stripped the bathroom walls to the bare studs, you will be able to soundproof the pipes with our Ameriwrap pipe wrap. This is a wonderful way to keep unwanted plumbing/toilet sounds from permeating your new bathroom walls. The next step would be to staple up a layer of the American Mass Loaded Vinyl directly to the stud structure. Now if you are dead serious about your bathroom soundproofing, then we highly recommend that you staple up a layer of the ¼" (2 lb per sq. ft.) MLV. This will insure a very quiet bathroom for years to come. Keep in mind, that not even the most expensive or exclusive homes in the United States have this technology, so generally they had to settle for multi-layers of sheetrock, thus taking up more precious bathroom area. The American Mass Loaded Vinyl should be stapled directly to the studs as well as to the ceiling joists (if the ceiling is to be soundproofed also). It will be necessary to over lap the seams and then to caulk in-between the over lapped seam. Once your have caulked all of the over lapped seams, as well as the entire perimeter of the MLV, you will need to tape each seam with either the 5 mil. Lead tape or a quality seam tape. You're doing great so far. Now finally, you'll layer over the MLV with a nice fresh layer of my favorite drywall, 5/8" fire code rock. Here's a little hint, always butter the edge of the drywall with the OSI-175 acoustical caulk, believe me, when you are soundproofing a bathroom, you want every STC point you can get, right? Your last step is to tape, mud, and paint the drywall to match the décor of your bathroom Presto! You now have a state of the art soundproofed bathroom, and will now be the envy of all your neighbors. For more helpful tips on bathroom soundproofing, please call the experts at Soundproofing America, Inc.

Soundproofing your bathroom
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