In this video we are testing the Soundproofing between Condo units, plus showing how we did the sound control. For more on this topic visit my blog at www.MattRisinger.com -Matt Risinger Risinger Homes in Austin TX
Most condo's are built by careless morons. You would think that sound control would be at the top of the list for a condo, but no! It is usually "I have been building these for X years and no one has complained". Thanks for the video, Matt.
Actually, they're built to maximize profits. So, if you want super premium condos, then you better be able to pay for it. Otherwise, I would recommend soundproofing before moving in.
@@kickyouinhalf that's not even the point. People shouldn't have to go to mad efforts to soundproof there apartment. Whether it's expensive or not. We should be able to expect people to have the sense of mind about them and not be selfish cunts and buy bass speakers and what not. 😂🤷♂️ Especially on upper floors...of course you can expect unintentional noise such as the occasional sound of someone above being a little heavy footed... Or them flushing there toilet chain or even there washer dryer vibrating on the floor above you, but nobody should have to spend 1000's on sound proofing because some selfish little council estate type loser is blasting out bass heavy music 😂🤷♂️
@@kickyouinhalf I paid 800k for a brand new 1b1b unit in NYC and the soundproof is still shit. I can hear my next door neighbor dragging heavy objects across their floor and any loud conversation
My old neighbors were so quiet but I just had a new couple move next door and the guy's voice is very deep. It's like a base that vibrates the walls when he talks. And man does this guy talk for hours. So definitely looking to help to soundproof my bedroom wall. It's been 3 weeks and I'm going insane.
The perfect way: *Close off all electrical outlots and Inside the VP channel of the cables with special Clay he shows you. *Use Celluse fibre>Rockwool>Fibreglass, Cellulose is the best for sound absorpion. *Use resilient aluminium channels that fasten with clips to fasten the gipsum sheets to the wood, It separates contact with the wood beams that might vibrate. *fasten double layers of floor gipsum in a overlapping fashion to prevent airgaps. Floor gipsum is harder and thus better for low frequency sound like base. The panels should be fastened to the resilliant Alu channel, NOT the wood beams. *Use 2tubes of green glue per gipsum sheet inbetween them, green glue never hardens fully and absorbs some of the vibration. *Use sealant tape or silicone around the edges of the wall to prevent air leakage.
I learn so much from watching these videos, I love it. I would be curious to see how well the work stands up to low frequencies and impact noise. That speaker can pump out mid-range only at a limited sound pressure level. At most, the volume is at par with or possibly under the amplitude of someone singing properly or yelling. Even non-sealed walls can block most of the sound of that speaker.
I lived in a townhouse with (for the time) high tech soundproofing. Its effectiveness depended on the frequency of the sound. The only time I was bothered by sound from a neighbor was when he was practicing on his cello (he was a member of the Baltimore Symphony). It used to drive me crazy.
I'm looking to buy a second floor condo with concrete floors. I want to completely soundproof the unit before I move in. What's the best way to soundproof the floors? How would I adjust for the higher floors with whatever soundproofing product I use for the doors, especially the entrance from the outside?
In the 2016 condo I'm in there is a dead space that is in between me and the person next to me the 2 units are connected but never meet! I never here a thing
Mid/higher frequencies are much easier to block than low frequencies, and it would have been interesting in the video to see how well low frequencies get thru that wall (like when someone is listening to music or watching a movie with "decent" speakers or even a subwoofer). Matt you sound like a very knowledgable and conscientious builder, but there are SO many who aren't...who to profit another nickle, will skimp big time on noise isolation between units, or not pay any attention AT ALL. Question: are there any noise transmission building codes anywhere in the country? Do any building inspectors actually measure noise transmission between units? Or at least look/inspect for certain specific noise isolation methods? Or is it just up to the contractor to "eyeball it"? Thanks...
this sounds good. Between upstairs condo ceiling hearing neighbor snoring and side walls hearing neighbors talking I'm sandwiched in. On a budget how do people afford this sound proofing? any suggestions
Why not Quiet Rock on both sides of the wall? I know it's pricey, but it seems like you'll get the most effective results that way. Also, what about closed cell spray foam in between the walls? That'd give you your air gap closure without the putty pads and good sound absorption as well. Obviously you have good results, I'm just curious and really would like to learn more. Thanks!
+Travis Zochert Great video as always Matt. Loving the sound transmission videos. I'm curious about a similar thing as Travis, why the different treatment on each side as far as sheeting? Also, would there be any advantage or disadvantage to using two 2x4 frames that aren't touching through the plates instead of staggering with a 2x6 top and bottom plate like you did?
The foams mostly only good for thermal insulation. Stuff like Rockwool and Fiberglass are much denser and capable of deadening the sound. The denser the material the more energy required to pass through it and with the rockwool and fiber it's about as dense as you can get with the interlocking fibers to really put a dent in those soundwaves on top of being great for thermals too!
My guess is that they used quietrock on one side as they didn't/couldn't lose the extra space on that side. 2 sheets of 5/8 with dampening compound performs better than the single quietrock sheet they put in. Also, as a side benefit they could be dampening frequencies better since, not being exactly the same, they won't resonate at the same frequencies.
One thought on the QuietRock only being on one side is to do with the resonant frequency of the material. Every material has a frequency at which it ‘likes’ to vibrate at including drywall. When a sound wave of this same resonant frequency hits a barrier like drywall, the sound more easily passes through the barrier as the material naturally vibrates at that particular frequency. One method of soundproofing is to put different thicknesses of drywall on each side of the wall (such as 1/2” on one side and 5/8” on the other side) as the different thicknesses naturally vibrate at different frequencies. Where one side of the wall will let sound of a particular frequency of sound through, the other side will not have a weakness at this same frequency (and vice versa). I’m guessing Quiet Rock is engineered to minimize this frequency weakness I’m talking about, but using a different wall on the other side just seems like it would block a wider range of noise to me. Double 5/8” drywall with green glue in-between is a solid sound stopper. Anyway, these walls look very solid all around!
Hi, what you meant in min 4:28 saying about take care with green glue? can you please be more specific? In my opinion the use of green glue is more comfortable than QuietRock becouse weight. At the end QuietRock is same acoustic principle than Green Glue. Great Video Matt!!!
This is great for new construction, but what about a condo built in the 70"s and you want to put a home theater in your room with out driving the neighbors crazy?
I'm saving up money for my dream home and I hope I come across a contractor with your knowledge. I'm saving all these good videos and I'm going to interview the contractors I come across lmao
There are a few different methods and materials you can use. 1. Hang a second layer of drywall placed directly over the existing ceiling with a layer of Green Glue between the layers. Then, seal all the cracks with an acoustical sealant. I like Green Glue's product because it's not toxic. Be sure to stagger the drywall sheets so they overlap the seams. This works pretty well but by the nature of acoustics is not an end-all solution. Sound will travel directly through any two surfaces that are physically connected - including the frame of the building. This means any sound transferred into the walls and floor of the condo above will travel through the frame of the condo below. It is possible some sound will leak around the secondary ceiling layer. A drop ceiling can also help, but you'll lose some two to four inches or more from the room height.
staggering studs is really not practical in existing homes as the wall frame is already there. I used Roxul to fill the cavity then used 5/8 Quietrock EZ snap, used the sealant around the perimeter and it made a major difference. When adding two layers of drywall it complicates electrical as all the outlets and boxes need to be moved up to accomodate the added depth of the drywall.
@Matt Risinger - If you see this comment I could really use some advice. I need to know if I should bother with spray foam to deaden sound through an existing wall. We built our home with an attached mother-in-law apartment. I had the builder put a 6 inch wall instead of 4 inch dividing the residences, and had them install fiberglass insulation, but it was not enough, not by a long shot. The build is almost finished (we move in in a week or so) and my wife and I can easily hold a conversation through the wall. I've done a little research and know that I'll have to add some quite board etc, but I'm wondering if foam would be helpful or even worth it.
@@gabrielboisjoly8615 Nope. Moving in was chaos and took precedence over fixing it, plus we were out of cash. If I can ever get it done I think I'm going to use some of the green glue stuff to deaden the wall on mother-in-law side, then build and frame out a thin false wall with quiet board.
So a dB meter that has a lower limit of 20dB would have made a differnce for Result measurment. And you could have used Resiliant Channels to fasten the gipsum boards instead of straight to the wood to make it even better.
Thing is, ...people use surround systems with a bass unit. No drywall sound proofing will keep deep bass anywhere near sound proof. A portable cheap radio player with micky mouse speakers proves nothing.
It's usually from low frequency like heavy bass, low hums, foot stsps thumps. Condo sound proofing sucks. North american condo sucks. 4:00 room echos so much. Walls are hollow and fiberglass does not do much. Hollow wall means it will act as acoustic medium like wood speaker. Sigh....
Not that your test was legit, but it sounds like the expensive "sound proofing" products didn't add much value, the staggard stud partition is doing all the work...
