New apartments are mostly made of concrete which is still the best soundproofing material available. No amount of insulation, rockwool, air gap... can make up for the lack of mass
Agreed @Esa826! The majority of new apartments are crap in terms of soundproofing. Go into 95% of apartment built in 2023 and you’ll hear everything between units.
Yes! I am so frustrated hearing my neighbors and knowing that they can hear me. Noise cancelling headphones, silicone earplugs at night, no talking to myself, singing by myself and no intense dramatic converations or venting or the neighbors know and will tell everyone and their dog about it!
I added the channel on top of existing drywall, each screw holding the channel has a 1/4” rubber washer . In between the channel I stapled foam that goes under laminate flooring. 1/2 “ drywall on the channel another layer of foam then a 5/8 drywall layer then sealed with green acoustic seal . The wall separates our house from our rental apt . The same on our side too . The only thing we hear is when something large is dropped , no talking , yelling no loud bass music coming thru - nothing .
I love these videos. I’m currently planning a “soundproof” filtered air intake (and possibly an outlet too). I live in a noisy area and have double glazed windows, so if I open the windows for fresh air I lose the sound isolation. Would love to see you do a project like this! Mine will need to be window mounted, which makes it a bit more complicated. I’m currently looking at “sound matrices” which you may have covered - basically mufflers for HVAC systems. I’m trying to decide if I should do a baffled system or (more likely) a coiled, porous tube surrounded by insulation. I’d also need to consider filtration, any noise the fan will make (not sure if Noctua fans would generate enough static pressure), how to make sure the box and mount are soundproof, weather resistance, etc. Quite a project! Nice to see a channel dedicated to this subject.
There are foam pieces cut for switch/outlets that go between the covers and the switch/outlets, typically to reduce air movement on outside walls. I also put them on inside walls. Not a Great reduction of sound but, it all adds up. Self sticking felt pads I originally used on cabinet doors and drawers, to quiet the wood on wood sounds, works well on the 60's hollow doors in our house.
Loved the video. I wish there were more videos on houses made of concrete and bricks though, which is more the norm nowadays, especially in the Southern part of Europe, where houses are hardly made of wood and very few of them use drywall to separate rooms. My house for instance is from the 90s and it's all made of concrete and bricks. My joints and beams are made of concrete, the cealing, party wall and separation walls are made of bricks and cement.
The Home RenoVision DIY channel is a big fan of the "sonopan" product, which he laments is not distributed well in the US. It is a dense fibrous panel product that he uses layered directly under drywall walls or ceiling, or even flooring, and is able to absorb impact sounds.
I've never used Sonopan. The only endorsements I've heard about its effectiveness come from individuals sponsored by Sonopan to promote their products. These are paid reviews, which always leaves me highly skeptical. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that Home RenoVision is being dishonest about the product. Someday I’ll try it.
I’m trying to mitigate sounds between a 1940’s Florida duplex with a long narrow adjoining hallway. The biggest issue is that adding mass or making a resilient channel means each hallway gets far too skinny. So far rockwool seems the only choice. Thanks for all these tips though!
Good advices , beside the safe&sound i also use Sonopan just in the ceiling with safe&sound , both they help but it's not the magic formula to eliminate 100% sounds from above . Had been in rooms with double gypsum layers and the famous magic glue and the results were the same for 10x more the $$$ .
I'm about to start framing a 10x15 space for drums and a guitar iso booth about 3x8 feet. I am thinking hat channel, insulation and a layer of 5/8 but is the goal to go two layers of 5/8 everywhere? I'm not after 100% soundproofing. I've got a buddy in HVAC who is going to run some air/return in there for me but my hope is for a 65-70% reduction in volume and not hearing the drums through the house ductwork. Can I get away with that with hat channel and one layer of 5/8?
I like your videos. I have an old house 60' from a main street. HF attenuation is pretty good but LF is a problem with loud 4-cyl cars and heavy trucks. I'm trying to figure out what to do. It sounds like decoupling and adding mass is the way to go. I read MLV isn't good for LF.
Question, we are currently soundproofing a wall and I’ve noticed there’s a gap between the drywall and the floor (area that will be covered by the baseboard) do you have a recommendation for something to shove between the drywall and floor?
Resilient channel strips directly onto the studs without isolation decouplers will not be very effective because there is no flexible (rubber or silicone ) material decoupling the metal channel from the wood rafters or studs
Hey I’ve watched a few of ur videos and need some advice. Im trying to help out my girlfriend who is in uni accommodation and has rly noisy roommates (and her room backs into the social area of the flat). They have both heavy base, guitars and a dart board against her wall 😑. I just need the most effective way to eliminate the noise from a large portion of the wall for cheap. Her door is pretty well sealed (as it’s a uni flat) and so is her window but it’s mainly coming through the shared wall to the social area. Please any advice would be greatly appreciated as it’s difficult to effective cheap solutions to her issues. The goal isn’t to make the room silent it’s to make the noise level bearable 😂
I have seen Soundproofing store from the UK use their reducto clips and hat channel used over existing drywall without stripping it down to the studs. I thought that this would cause a triple leaf effect and amplify the sound? They do add a rockwool between the hat channel strips. What is your opinion of this?
Can you talk about underground home (perhaps doubling as a bunker) for completely soundproof against aircraft? What would the shortcomings be? I think you'd still feel the vibrations from construction or tractors nearby.
@@billvojtech5686 Right but soundproofing above ground homes seems to have its limitations. You are talking to someone who averages around 5 hours of sleep a night due to noise pollution, even after strategically moving multiple times recently and trying numerous Airbnbs. I have to choose my trade-offs. I wouldn't want to spend 50K on soundproofing my bedroom only to find out that some prop. plane or construction noise or vibrations still comes through. Plus, I don't think all that 50K would reflect in the re-sale value of the house, probably little of it if any. Would have to wait a long time for a niche buyer. On the other hand, bunkers are hot right now and have a usage beyond soundproofing .You'd likely get back the 100-150K you invested and likely more, in the event you had to sell.
Have you tried other Red Devil products like de Window & Door caulk? If so, how do you compare it with the Lifetime Ultra 230? I'm asking because for some reason the Ultra 230 can't be delivered to my country, and I don't seem to find any seller that does it, only for the Window & Door and some others.
use Carpet and a thick carpet pad and thick floors the carpet and carpet bad can absorb the shock of things being dropped or footsteps, and help insulate, the thick solid floors will help deaden it further... I don't like pink insulation all it has going for it is it is cheap, Rock wool is far superior to fiberglass or foam for many reasons, especially for FIRE safety.
I'm trying to contain the LFE of a sub in a HT - I've used resilient channels + DW. There is still some leakage at low frequencies. Is it possible/advisable to add another resilient channel into the existing resilient channel (not joist) + DW - Creating double decoupling?
Do you have suggestions or a video about soundproofing a ceiling that has exposed ceiling beams? Like in a historic home. After watching your video, we’re thinking maybe we can add nailer strips and a layer of that green dense stuff (Sono-pan?) between each beam, possibly install the res cgannel between each beam onto the nailers, then cut the drywall to fit between each beam. The beam height wiki be reduced of course with adding that between each but we don’t want to completely cover tbem up bc they’re old and gorgeous! What would you suggest?
I realize, you are not asking me. Sounds like you have the right idea. I’d post your question on several channels that deal with soundproofing and also good builder channels, asking best method to achieve and type screws or hardware that would hold the heavy drywall strong yet cause least damage to the beams. Also, I wonder if there is a special silicone or alternative that would apply neat and remove easily if needed. Good luck. Your ceiling beams sound beautiful.
Oh, and before you start, I’ve always found hardware store specialists are a great help, even over the phone. I had a hardware store guy help me create a door pulley and invent a human e. Trap for a fast traumatized cat. They can give you advice on just about anything!
Why would you recommend removing an existing drywall ceiling in order to install RC direct to the joists? Send like having the extra mass would only help, with the only drawback being the extra difficulty in locating the joists to attach the RC.
Installing RC directly on joist: This method is typically more effective for soundproofing. By attaching the resilient channel directly to the joists, you create a decoupling effect, reducing the pathway for sound vibrations. It ensures a more stable and secure attachment, which is important for the longevity and effectiveness of the soundproofing. Attaching Over Existing Drywall: This method is often used in retrofit situations where removing the existing drywall is not practical. While still beneficial, the effectiveness in sound reduction might be slightly less compared to direct joist installation. The existing layer of drywall can potentially transmit some vibrations to the joist.
@@soundproofguide Thanks for the reply. Been watching your videos non-stop and researching because my upstairs neighbor is making my life a living hell. There really should be better codes on soundproofing in apartments. I shouldn't have to hear my upstairs neighbor pee and be able to shazam their songs. If they have bass boosted sound systems, you're basically in a living hell. Also, thank you so much for your videos. I've learned a lot, and I like how informative and honest you are.
@@EM-rm2xh I'm sorry this is happening to you. You're right, building codes should definitely be updated to make soundproofing mandatory when building apartment buildings. And, soundproof paint will not help in this case. Best of luck.
The best way to soundproof footsteps from an upstairs room is: Either A. 1. Go to engineering shop, buy 6mm steel in lengths of 2m by 10cm. Have it drilled. 2. Lift floorboards on upstairs room. 3. Bolt 6mm steel to side of joists for vastly improved strength. Or B. 1. Buy appropriately sized I beams and fit. Then, lay down 22mm marine ply or moisture resistant tongue and grove flooring. Now pour down 10cm of concrete with reinforcing. Floorboards go back on top. Equals no sound.
It works to seal gaps but noise typically freely passes through foam spray. One other thing you can use that works very well, and I should have mentioned it is plumbers putty.
Thanks Jim! Yes I have used Gino’s clips in the past. They work very well and also is easier to install than the resilient channel and leaves less room for error. It would make the soundproofing project more expensive but could definitely be worth it to some people!
