Soundproofing Options: What WORKS and What Doesn’t
If you have a home theater with surround sound, a family room where the kids raise the roof or a connecting wall with another home or condo, then you’ve probably considered soundproofing.
We often receive soundproofing requests from homeowners who have discovered on their own what doesn’t work. For example, concrete walls might seem enough keep surround sound or loud kid noises inside a basement-level family room, but the noise travels up through the ceiling and into every room above the basement. Here is what won’t work: a normal carpet on the walls or floor; soundproofing paint; foam insulation (which is great for regulating heat and cold but not noise); and normal drapes or blankets on walls or windows. Of all these inadequate fixes, soundproofing paint gives you the least return on investment.
Recently, the WORKS by JD team soundproofed a playroom below the kitchen and living room in a North Shore house. The loud sounds of excited play, TV programs, movies and music rose right through the ceiling and drove the adults crazy; they might as well have moved their kitchen and living room into the playroom.
Our soundproofing solutions started with the ceiling. We chose denim insulation, made from recycled blue jeans. This eco-friendly insulation absorbs sound from the loudest surround sound system, let alone a pack of children. Over the insulation we placed an 8-inch membrane as a further sound barrier. We strapped the membrane into place. Metal strapping is best, although other products can be used if the room dimensions do not allow for metal strapping. We plastered over the strapping and then painted.
The resulting soundproofing was equal to building a 12-inch concrete ceiling between the playroom and the upstairs room. Peace and quiet reigned upstairs for the first time in years. The same system used between walls in a condo or semi-attached house keeps sound inside each dwelling where it belongs.
If your prized surround sound system, home theater, playroom or family room is rocking the house with noise, please contact WORKS by Jesse DeBenedictis. We know what controls sound and what doesn’t.
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