Good Evening,

I am starting my framing within the next week on my HT as soon as my HVAC is finished and I had 1 quick question:

My basemebt is not ideal for installing all the RISC clips due to the height and metal beams I have to deal with,

i still want good sound isolation however,

I can do the 5/8 DD + R13 Insulation + Grenn Glue 100% + staggered stud on 2 walls that are not concrete, spaced 1 inch on concrete walls.

Will this give me good enough isolation that my wife can be upstairs on the second floor and I can be in the basement at moderate volume without being too loud to her?

2 of my 4 walls are concrete as well.

I would say yes.

My HT is in basement. I have 1/2" DD + 100% GG on ceiling, 1/2" DD + 100% GG on adjoing standard stud wall and 1/2" DD + 50% GG on 3 walls that concrete foundation walls.

The only thing that we hear in the rooms above is LFE - if I am watching late I dial down the sub and no one in the house hears anything.

If your doing 5/8" DD + 100% GG all around you should have even better results.

Cheers,
Mark

I am leaning towards just excluding the risc clips at this point. i really would used them, but they would require alot of workaround.

Your walls are already decoupled, so clips on the walls would get you no additional benefit. Also, they can be single stud walls, not staggered next to the flundation. Staggered studs, like clips, would not bring additional isolation on a stud wall separated from the foundation.

The biggest surface that would benefit from clips is the ceiling. The joists are super coupled to the floor above. So if you were to shave cost, go with 24" on center stud walls and consider the clips on the ceiling only.

Thanks Ted and Mark,

1 of the major problems I have is to frame soffits around HVAC that are 3 foot wide. The soffits have to connect to something and if I connect them to the joists, I created a mechanical connection and there goes the reason for decoupling. I was originally planning on using DC04 Clips to connect the top plate of the wall studs to the joists above. But by the time I add up all the clips for a sofit 3 foor wide all the way around a 15x20 rooms, I am looking at 60 clips for the Soffit and 50 Clips for the Ceiling joists.

I am just wondering if there is enough additional bennifit to mechanical decoupoling in addition to Green Glue and Double Drywall.

Thanks,

joe

There is enough benefit in my opinion. Ceilings are really a bugger and I'd recommend throwing everything you have at it. Look at the PAC-V clip for the main ceiling, and the PAC DC04 for the soffits.

Don't forget to seal your lights and cable outlets REALLY well and get a good solid door. Any one of those things can totally blow any work you do on the rest of the room.

Mike

Joe

I myself didn't use any clips but did do DD & GG staggered stud walls R38 in the ceiling and R13 in the walls. I am vary happy with the results I obtained. I can crank it alot louder then I would watch a movie at and can barely hear it in our bedrooms. We have a large ranch house. the HT is under our kitchen and bedrooms are on the other side of the house. I dont think you will hear much of anything on the 2nd floor if you just go this route

1 of the major problems I have is to frame soffits around HVAC that are 3 foot wide. The soffits have to connect to something and if I connect them to the joists, I created a mechanical connection and there goes the reason for decoupling. I was originally planning on using DC04 Clips to connect the top plate of the wall studs to the joists above. But by the time I add up all the clips for a sofit 3 foor wide all the way around a 15x20 rooms, I am looking at 60 clips for the Soffit and 50 Clips for the Ceiling joists.


Joe - I had nearly the same situation. My soffits are ~30" wide. I used DC04 clips on the walls and the sofftis to decouple. It was a PITA compared to regular framing, but hopefully it was worthwhile. I figured I'd rather do it now than wonder alter if I should have done it.

That is all good info thanks,

The area above my HT is all living room and kitchen area, my Bedrooms are on the second floor of the house on the other side.

I will have to think about it for a day or two. 1,000 bucks for clips is almost a projector.

Just 5/8" DD is pretty darn good where each layer is finished off.

I have seen many many builds done like that. Most owners seem happy with it.