Quietrock installation

To date, we have not acoustically tested QuietRock on exterior wall assemblies. The multitude of exterior wall assembly types and materials used therein make it impractical and not economically feasible to test each and every possible variation.

Wood or metal lath and plaster presents a challenge when looking for the best way to increase the STC value of the wall.

In order for QuietRock to work, it needs to be able to flex at a minute level to attenuate or reduce sound transmission through it. Thin-set mortar products contain too much water which can result in mold growth over time on the surface of drywall and may cause the drywall to fail over time. Thin-set mortars should never be used on paper-faced gypsum drywall products.

For tile application, it is suggested to install QuietRock first, then a cement or fiber based backer board over the QuietRock, then install your tile on the backer board. When installing QuietRock panels, it is preferred that the panels be installed on the open stud.

Because QuietRock needs to be allowed to flex, when it is installed over an existing surface, the more rigid the surface or the assembly it is installed on, the less effective QuietRock becomes at attenuating sound. Generally, QuietRock panels perform better when installed on the open stud as opposed to being installed over an existing layer of drywall.

This is because QuietRock panels need to flex when sound energy vibration hits the panel. When this is inhibited by direct application to a rigid or semi-rigid panel such as another layer of drywall , this ability to flex is reduced and the panels ability to attenuate sound is also reduced.

Consult with the manufacturer of the channel to confirm that their product will carry the weight of the wall or ceiling panels that the system will need to support. QuietRock attenuates airborne noise rated by STC. It is denser than comparable thicknesses and blocks more sound movement.

Frequently used in media rooms, or rooms requiring less noise intrusion or disruption. For comparison with the QuietRock, the wall assemblies are the same. Doubling the drywall on steel studs brings the STC to 58, plus it doubles the fire rating to 2 hours. Doubling the drywall on wooden studs with insulation has an acoustic performance of 52 and two hours of fire rating.

Using Green Glue to damp sound requires two layers of drywall. The first layer of gypsum is attached to the studs. A coating of Green Glue is applied to the second sheet of drywall before it is attached to the first. Offset the seams of the second layer from those of the first, and to screw to the drywall, not the studs.

The benefit of a double thickness of drywall with Green Glue sandwiched between is less noise penetration. The drywall adds mass, which prevents sound wave penetration, especially lower frequency, and the Glue absorbs sound vibration-damping sound vibration movement. When soundproofing a room or space, remember that the aim is to decrease the transmission of sound into or out of a room. Whether renovating or building, the cost is always a factor, as is time — which is also money.

Adding QuietRock over an existing layer of drywall will add to the mass and reduce sound transmission. It will improve the STC value by about 5 points. Drywall addresses the mass requirement, and works best for airborne sound, not impact or flanking noise.

The sound transmission class ratings are compared in the table. Making a room quieter means addressing the four elements of soundproofing — absorption, damping, decoupling, and adding mass. Drywall with Green Glue and QuietRock add mass and damping and address airborne sound. Outlets, switch boxes, light fixtures, and vents are possible ways for sound to by-pass your drywall soundproofing efforts.

Frequency vibrations can bounce from room to room unless they are damped too. Putty pads are a viscoelastic material that can be used to wrap electrical boxes and vents to quiet noise transfer. Acoustic caulking is another way to damp vibration movement. There should be a gap between the drywall and the floor, ceiling, and adjacent walls. Filling the gaps with the caulking helps prevent sound movement.

Resilient clips and channels are an effective way to decrease vibrational sound waves by decoupling the wall layers. Use of resilient clips and channels can improve the STC by between 12 and 15 points. Reducing the sound disruption in your home or business is a matter of controlling the four elements of sound — adding mass, damping, absorption, and decoupling. Adding fiberglass or rock wool between the studs adds absorption, and double-drywall with Green Glue or QuietRock add mass and damping.

If you are serious about stopping the sound, doubling the drywall and adding a viscoelastic material like Green Glue, bump it 8 to 11 STC marks. Now that is sound stopping! Hope you found this article of value. If you know someone who might benefit from it, pass it on. Your comments and suggestions are always appreciated. I work with noise all day, so I enjoy any peace and quiet I can find. I began looking at ways to improve the sound quality of my home and to make a soundproof office for myself.

I created this blog to share what I learned and to make it easier for you to improve your quiet space too. Very informative and well written. Thank you. I now understand exactly what I need to do for my project.

I really appreciate your research and valuable information! The building has the air condition units mounted to the roof which sends the vibrations through my walls whenever other units run their air or heat. Maybe a combination of methods? You may also want to give some consideration to decoupling because of the vibration. Whichever method you choose, you will have to extend plug, switch and light boxes. While doing that, make sure you close off the gaps between box and drywall with insulation, spray foam, or caulking.

Noise loves gaps and holes. Source: Me -from my former and current sound mitigating remodels. Terry, adding clips and channel to an existing sheetrock layer would actually make vibration much worse due to triple leaf effect. The existing layer must be removed before applying clips and channel. Check in with Ted White at thesoundproofingcompany. Your biggest problems with old lath and plaster are: 1 You probably have cobwebs for insulation and 2 The plaster is the consistency of concrete that might have to be drilled before you can screw into it.

So just hanging drywall of any type can be a challenge. And tearing it down is usually a horror show. If you need great soundproofing, building a room-within-a-room is the answer. I have an article coming out in a couple of days on the subject. You might want to check it out. Thank you for your post-it was very helpful! I am going to use your recommendations of drywall, green glue, and isolation clips to help with noise traveling from the court, but would like your opinion on reducing noise within the court.

We will be using a high-impact polypropylene copolymer tile with acoustical underlying on the floor. Any ideas for us? Thank you! You could try a combination of sound absorbing blankets and acoustic foam panels. If you want to get really creative, hang a few sound diffusers on the upper wall also. Hi, Good article laying out the differences.

I would be interested as to your source for your STC ratings in the chart. For STC ratings go to quietrock. For double drywall go to STCratings. If you happen to have an amazingly cheap supplier please let us know so we can order from them! Not sure if we made a typo or found a sale that day. But you are correct. Hello Terry, We will be adding drywall to existing walls in a bedroom. We will also be adding Endow window inserts to the windows storm windows. By doing both we are hoping to get a 10 decibel reduction in sound.

My question, is there any benefit to adding QuietRock drywall over the pre-existing drywall Versus standard dry wall? We do feel very slight vibrations in the room. Thank you and my apologies if you already this question. QuietRock is better, specially with Green Glue, but it is three to four times more expensive. I am not sure that the storm windows will do what you want unless they are laminated glass.

You could also consider Shut-Eye shutters which reduce noise by 25 — 50 decibels or AcousticCurtain which reduce noise by 21 — 25 decibels, for the windows. Hi, We are in duplex and single connect wall with tenant, we wanna make this existing wall sound proof. The best way to make the wall soundproof is to build another wall. That will get you as close to totally soundproof as possible.

If you want to quiet it down, you can hang sound absorbing blankets or Nicetown soundproof curtains on the wall using self-adhesive hooks instead of curtain rods. Another option is Mass Loaded Vinyl which can be painted. All of these are available on Amazon. None of them will make it totally soundproof but will certainly dampen the noise quite a bit. As for needing an expert, it depends on your abilities. If you are fairly handy, you can do most of this yourself—including building a wall.

If not, you might want to talk to a contractor or three who have done some soundproofing work. Before I invest in the drywall, please confirm that two layers of regular drywall sandwiched with green glue is just as effective as the expensive Quietrock? Having read your blog and the comments, my question is whats the best solution for me to soundproof my bedroom ceiling, the green glue and drywall?

My ceilings are 9 foot so it would be doable. My neighbors living space is directly above my bedroom! If your ceiling is textured in any way, Green Glue will not work without scraping it down to smooth drywall. The glue has to be in contact with both surfaces to dampen noise. For extra soundproofing you can decouple the new drywall from the existing using either Isolation clips and hat channel, or Resilient channel.

I plan to knock out the existing drywall that will be replaced by QuietRock wall to block the elevator noise. Could you please tell me what are the right procedures to get the best sound reduction? High performance acoustical compound designed to be cost effective for do-it-yourself projects and small commercial applications.

The latest generation of QuietRock products continued to exceed builders expectations. Here are just a few of our signature projects. Use this tool to locate a certified Quiet products dealer or distributor near you.

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