Green Glue does not reduce noise coming IN - Page 2

Originally Posted by P-Dizzoh

I wanted to start with a large corner walk-in closet to test green glue performance. The objective was to eliminate or greatly reduce barking dogs and rude neighbors that sit outside and drink beer and yell all night about 50 feet from this corner closet. I read all the reviews and looked at the lab results so I decided to give it a try. I drywalled the ceiling with additional 1/2 inch drywall and the walls with additional 5/8 inch drywall. Wall square footage = 222. I used 12 tubes of GG. All boards were cut and fit together with minimum spacing, fastened with 1 5/8 inch screws and taped with paper. As I was mudding today I enjoyed the sounds of neighborhood dogs and people yelling. As I put my head against the wall I could CLEARLY hear the barking dogs. I went into another part of the bedroom, put my head up to the drywall, and boom... same noise. I didn't need to put my head to the wall in the closet, I just did it to find the source of the noise. The noise was clearly coming in. And for the GG diehards, there are NO other places for noise to come into this closet AND I'm not hearing it coming from someplace else. Simple test, put head to the wall with GG and hear noise, put head to wall w/o GG and hear same noise. The noise isn't really even muffled in the closet. Also, I followed the instructions to a T. (Random pattern on board with about a 2 inch border) 2 tubes per 8X4 board.

Maybe this stuff helps reduce home theater noise going out, but it is useless for preventing noise coming in the home. Please don't respond and ask obvious questions. I drywalled correctly and installed GG correctly. I'm positive someone will quote this out and insist on making an assumption about installation or room environment and I'll respond.

I did read this stuff takes 30 days to cure but what is frightening is I really hear no difference. To me, the product works if you can experience it working first hand. I can't imagine this stuff will go from providing minimal reduction to the great product everyone rants and raves over. Come to think of it, I haven't found a single post about someone who has used this stuff in my scenario and had significant results. Maybe this is why I can only post to the theater design section.

My advice, and take this from first hand experience from someone using his ears, don't use this product to eliminate outside noises.

Here's my advice, if you want quiet move into a solid brick home on a few acres out in the country. Don't try and GG some drywall in a house made from 1/2 drywall and exterior vinyl siding.

I shut my door into my newly GG'd closet and listen to loud engines, neighbors ,and barking dogs.

I have an extra case and I want my money back. I busted my butt this weekend with hope and instead all I got is my clothes spread out all over the house.

And for those of you telling me it works great in your home theaters,

A.) I can't validate that by listening with my EARS.
B.) I don't want to get into a comparison of how many drywall layers, tubes, etc.

I can just say, one additional layer installed as mentioned above had a VERY minimal effect.

Originally Posted by P-Dizzoh

Well sound must be getting in someplace else because I can clearly hear it. I realize I have not let the product cure. I also realize that a vinyl siding house with 1/2 inch drywall provides NO sound insulation from the outside world. It should be a crime to build homes like this. I also have learned an expensive (in terms of money, time, and effort) lesson. Trying to block sound in phases in a home that is constructed like I mentioned is foolish and will not work. Is there sound flanking around the structure as some have mentioned... of course. I'd bet on it. The cheap mass produced house is probably filled with places sound can get in that I would spend a lifetime trying to seal up.

Last night I applied the second coat of mud. I have one or two more to go. (Hopefully I can get it to look good with one) And then I have to apply knockdown texture and acoustical texture to the walls and ceiling respectively. All skills I did not want to possess. Currently I have a mess to work with. I'm not going to endlessly tear my house apart trying to reduce the sound coming in.

I tried dealing with these rednecks by talking to them directly, calling the police (myself and other neighbors), and now with windows and GG. I wanted to get a head start before the spring and summer. (Great hot tub and pool weather!!) There are NO sound ordinances in my town so if anyone out there likes to party I have the community for you. The worst that will happen is the police will knock at your door and tell you to turn it down. At that point you can just tell them to kiss your ass.... and they will.

If you share a common wall with someone in a townhouse/apartment scenario I'd put more hope in this as a solution. Trying to undo construction that has no sound reducing intent behind it by adding another layer of drywall and some damping compound in select spots is like pissing in the wind. I just hope others who are considering this realize the extent you must go to achieve reduced sound.

Originally Posted by richard_af

Here's what I did to stop my neighbour's TV noise (not deafening, just annoying):

1. GG'd standard 10mm plasterboard and stuck it to the wall.

2. GG'd standard 10mm plasterboard and stuck that over the top of the first layer.

Waited 30 days between the 2 steps.

Result:
TV noise not impeded at all. No worse; no better. But now have lost 2cm from my living space , and lost a few hundred UK pounds. Now going for olde worlde resilient bars, etc. Bah!!!

Originally Posted by nasdaddy

Green Glue does not work...at least not for me
either. I have only waited one day and not 30, but like the OP, I don't notice ANY difference. If by some miracle the GGG (Green Glue Gods) cure it after 30 days then I will repost, but I'm guessing OP didn't repost because there was nothing to add. (I probably won't repost either, will be too busy cursing).

My situation is in a 1929 brick semi-detached house. The party wall is made of plaster on top of very thick (at least 10 inches) of stone block. I should note that the block is original and was seemingly fashioned out of small stones held together by tar...pitcure if you will a giant rice krispy square with pebbles as the rice krispies and tar as the marshmallows. Perhaps this was done on the cheap (stock market crash anyone?) but it seems that construction is how the noise (talking, tv, music, sneezing, urinating) comes right through.

At any rate, it is a very small house with narrow hallways that doesn't afford me room to frame a new insulated wall. In comes GG and 5/8" drywall, seemingly the best and most labour efficient way to address the problem. In my case I can say with confidence there is no flanking issue because I addressed the problem in the kitchen and master bedroom where there was room to frame a new wall....the problem improved 95%.

I used drywall nails (the only method to grab the concrete/plaster) as sparingly as I could around the perimeter only of each sheet since I realize they could be flanking points, but I can clearly hear right through the center of each sheet as well. I followed GG instructions as well.

What I recommend for others is 1) AVOID GREEN GLUE
2) Frame out a new wall with steel studs or resilient channels on clips....from what I have read this will use at LEAST two inches based on 1/2" dryway....2 inches would have made my front door look oddly off-center and put my wall-mounted coat rack as an eye-level obstacle, but it probably would have been worth it.

The next step is to shove rockwool into your frames...in Canada this is made by Roxul and is called Safe n Sound, is a great product to work with, cuts much easier than pink fibreglass and doesn't have those little itchy glass shards as a side effect. Even if you have to pull apart the 3-inch thick batts, 1.5 inches of Rockwool is better than GG, and cheaper too.

Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC

From the narrative it sounds like he installed a single layer of drywall to the plaster wall with some GG sandwiched in there. I don't think this is an approved use.

Originally Posted by mikieson

...I just cant wrap my head around the GG. ...that lil gap it produces along with its supposed absorption properties just dont add up.

Originally Posted by Ted White

I would mention that insufficient contact between the two drywall layers can drastically drop damping performance. The drywall is still oscillating, however insufficient damping material is being sheared. The damping material needs to be significantly compressed to function, otherwise it may as well be construction adhesive.

Originally Posted by brausch

So I have a quick question regarding GG application. From the paragraph above, it would seem that applying more small beads of GG would be better than fewer larger beads. I understand it will spread when squeezed between the sheets, but is there a measurable (or noticable) difference.

I just want to be sure when I get to that stage of my build.

Originally Posted by xb1032

I have modified my drywall in several cases and when I cut out some of the drywall (small pieces) the drywall was literally "glued" together as if it was one piece and when I seperated the pieces of drywall by force the green glue was very hard and dry (I thought the purpose of it was to stay rubbery and have some give to it like silicone?).

Originally Posted by xb1032


RISC clips to stop vibrations and such from transferring to joists makes sense but I think if I do a room again I'll invest in the clips and skip the green glue. I'm just not convinced that the results from the glue justifies the very high price of material. I haven't done any type of scientific experiments to prove one way or the other so it's just my unscientific statement but I do question how much this stuff really helps.