[mastiff34]

Hey all,

I've been lurking for quite some time reading and absorbing as best as possible. I'll probably start an official build thread sometime in the near future as I have already started constructing my walls in my 3rd floor attic.


My question is this, what is the best way to deaden the floor in terms

of sound?


My quest is to keep the sound leaking downstairs and causing the kids to wake up, if I were to watch a movie during the evening with my wife.


I am not really concerned with leakage to the left, right and top of the theatre, mainly just the floor.


What is the best way to do this? Acouistblock with a 1/2 piece of plywood on top?


Thoughts and suggestions are welcome.

 

[Brian Ravnaas]

hi mastiff,


you want to keep sound from going down...


the big pain-in-the-rear of that is sound can go down via the walls, and not just through the floor. into a wall, down the framework, out somewhere in the space below.


normal floor/ceiling combo's with the sub-floor and the drywall fastened directly to the joists suffer from considerable resonance problems and the direct connection between the floor and ceiling panels (sound going through the joists)


adding a resilient layer under additional wood will have more of an effect on impact noise than airborne noise, and adding resilient layers under more wood isn't without potential drawbacks


some nice options include


1. using a sound clip or resilient channel to the ceiling below. (hang the ceiling below on RSIC clips, would have to remove the existing ceiling or cut holes in it). that will greatly improve performance at all but lowest frequencies. it would be sensible to use two layers of drywall on the clips. various types of clip and channel are available.


2. use a damping material and another layer of sub-floor (make a sandwich). also, adding damping and another drywall layer to the ceiling below is an option. various damping methods are available.


both methods will improve airborne and impact noise, you may use them in combination.


3. go all out and modify the walls in your upstairs theater as well.


i guess this post is a bit more brief than it could have been, but lunchtime is up.


good luck and i'm sure more responses will come


Brian

 

[mastiff34]

Thanks for the quick reply.


I'll have to search around for some damping masteries, I thought that was

what acouticblock was.


Modifying the cielling below is unfortunately not an option. But modifying

anything on the 3rd floor is still on the table, as I am still framing the walls.


Thanks again for the tips!


-Matt

 

[Dennis Erskine]

As Brian pointed out, you'll have to treat the walls of the whole room otherwise the sound will simply 'flank' around your barrier. There are several approaches you can take depending on your time, skills and budget. There are far better products for this purpose, for less cost, than Acoustiblock.