[Scott01C5]

I'm finishing out my basement and we are starting to get over budget on some of the areas. We've decided to put in a dedicated media room, game room, and a bar/lounge. The entire basement is an adult retreat for when the kids are asleep. Once they go to sleep, I want to keep them that way. Our house is a two story with no living space on the main level. All of the bedrooms are on the 2nd floor, so some sound transmission is -okay- but I would like to limit it as much as possible, for the daytime activity.


I've already installed a double layer of insulation in the ceiling joists and I can tell a huge difference, however, there is still lots of noise from the upstairs when I fire up the SVS sub. I've planned to install a double layer of drywall on the ceiling, but what else can I do to help reduce sound transmission upstairs to an acceptable level?


I know of the green glue and the RSC clips, resiliant channel, but if you had to do something on a budge, of this three, which would be more cost effective? I have three rooms that I'd like to insulate, media (14x22) game (14x22) and bar (12x20).


I don't think my budget will allow me to put a layer of glue between the sheets of drywall but would it be worth it to just do it on the ceiling joists, or use some of the tape that www.soundproofing.org sells?

 

[chiltown]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott01C5 I don't think my budget will allow me to put a layer of glue between the sheets of drywall but would it be worth it to just do it on the ceiling joists, or use some of the tape that www.soundproofing.org sells?

Go to Home Depot and get caulk for Subfloors. This is the cheapest minor improvement you could make. Haven't heard anyone talk about the tape. Which one are you referring to?

 

[BasementBob]

Scott01C5:


Find and treat the weakest link first. Where most of the noise is coming from.


Fire up that SVS sub using a 40hz tone that you can hear and loud (110db or so - but don't burn out the sub). (If you can't generate one yourself from one of the HT test DVDs or something like that , perhaps Ethan's downloadable tones would help.


Some likely suspects

a) holes in the ceiling (around ducts, plumbing, electrical, natural gas lines, cable tv lines, furnace control lines, and any other kind of hole), and up the stairwell

b) HVAC (hot air runs to the kids rooms, return air ducts from the basement to the main floor

c) flanking noise (down, over, up, up, and in) -- this may be louder with your ear on your matress than just standing in the middle of the upstairs bedroom.


Holes in the ceiling can be taped, stairwell doors can be closed and have seals.


HVAC can be replaced with superduct or mufflers.


Flanking noise might be treatable with a sand filled riser.


An alternative is to turn down the noise, via buttkickers etc.


Beyond that, you'd have to go the whole-nine-yards with walls, thick doors, and proper hvac control.


I doubt either the tape from Soundproofing.org nor Liquid Nails For Subfloors, will do much for soundproofing. Soundproofing.org is disavowed by a soundproofing expert known as Steve Knightfly (yea, I know, 'knightfly' doesn't sound like a name you can trust, but I do). And I think Brian Ravnaas (of Green Glue fame and local king of vibration analysis) didn't like Liquid Nails For Subfloors relative to Green Glue.

 

[handcuff]

You spoke of "that soundproofing tape" - I went looking at what they sell at the site, and it seems like it is very similar (if not the same) product as 'Integrity Gasket'. The key difference I saw was that Integrity Gasket is 1 7/8 inch wide, where this other tape is 3 inches wide. The other key factor was price. I bought 1000 ft of integrity gasket for $110, where 100 ft of this other tape is about $48. Don't know how well the other works, but I know IG works fairly well for Sub noises. It dampens them better than one would expect, but isn't a silver bullet (then again, its much cheaper than the silver bullet also).


If you are looking for bang-for-the-buck, budget savings, I would suggest Integrity Gasket to be a great place to start. If you can get past that, go for the double drywall and the Green-Glue. I'm still thinking of putting DD/GG on my media room...or at least my ceilings to try to reduce transmission to the upstairs.


Hope this helps.

-Cuff

 

[a.j.]

Handcuff ,When you say integrity gasket do you mean them green rubber stripes you put on the studs before you screw the drywall on? if so for a cheap alterative cant you use that spongy door weather stripping that comes in a roll and its sticky on one side? Im just a newbe

but always looking to save a dollar here and their. as an all out do it your selfer i learned you can always find that works just as good at a cheaper price if you look hard enough.

 

[Brian Ravnaas]

Scott, all,


you could always start by sealing the ship. Seal the walls thoroughly, including outlet boxes and the like, perhaps seal or replace the door. Not all situations need alot of isolation, and most REALLY BAD cases of sound isolation stem from lack of any type of effective seal. Moulding and trim IS NOT a seal, and should be removed and caulk used to fill whatever cracks you find.


From there, there aren't any shortcuts. It is massively likely that an extra drywlal layer will outperform IG or GG used on the studs only, and that (one extra drywall layer) might be expected to add 3-4dB of sound isolation.


And i guess from there the options get progressively more expensive, and if selected wisely, considerably more effective.


Brian