The Pros and Cons of Deciboard for Soundproofing: Should You Use It?
Aug 12, 2024When it comes to soundproofing, the materials you choose can make all the difference in achieving your ideal isolation. One such option on the market is Deciboard. In this blog, I'll dive into what Deciboard is, its benefits, and its limitations, helping you decide whether it’s the right choice for your project.
1) What is Deciboard?
Deciboard is a type of soundproofing panel designed to reduce the transmission of sound through walls. It is marketed as not only effective, but also extremely easy to install. Now, as far as I could tell Deciboard does not say what the board is made of, but by the looks of it on their video it is probably made of dense mass loaded material with open cell foam attached to the back to help with decoupling. The panels are glued to the existing wall using a proprietary construction adhesive.
Ironically, Philip Newell has used this same approach for years in his own studio designs. However, Newell uses rebond foam for decoupling and drywall for mass and still uses construction adhesive to attach to the existing walls.
2) How Does Deciboard Compare to Other Soundproofing Methods?
If you have followed me for a while, you knew this was coming. What we need is mass for sound isolation, so how much does deciboard weigh?
On their website they state that deciboard comes in 90cm x 60cm boards. Each board weighs 13kg. So, for comparison to other materials we want to know the weight per square meter and square foot.
Deciboard Weight per Square Meter = 24.07kg/m2
Deciboard Weight Per Square Foot = 4.93 lb/square foot
Now let's compare these weights to two layers of 5/8" Drywall, which is what I use as a standard soundproofing mass wall.
Two layers of 5/8" Type X Drywall (kg/m2) = 21.48kg/m2
Two layers of 5/8" Type X Drywall (lb/ft2) = 4.4lb/ft2
We can see that deciboard weighs a bit more than two layers of 5/8" drywall so it should have slightly better isolation than our two layers of drywall.
3) How Much Does Deciboard Cost?
Now we have to look at the cost of materials and the potential savings you may have in labor when using Deciboard. Deciboard costs $141/box and there are two panels per box. Now we need to figure out the cost per square meter and square foot to compare it's material cost to our Type X drywall.
Deciboard Cost per m2 = $130.56/m2
Deciboard Cost per ft2 = $12.13/ft2
5/8" Drywall Cost per m2 ($17 Per Panel Avg) = $5.72/m2 x2 = $11.44 (two layers of drywall)
5/8" Drywall Cost per ft2 ($17 Per Panel Avg) = $0.53/ft2 x2 = $1.06 (two layers of drywall)
So not surprisingly, the cost of drywall is significantly cheaper than deciboard. In fact, adding a third layer of drywall would also surpass the weight of deciboard and only add a small amount more in cost of materials. So, why would you use deciboard at all if it costs so much?
4) When I Would Use Deciboard over Drywall
Now, to be fair, this comparison is not 100% equal on price. Deciboard does have some benefits in east of installation and the decoupling with the foam backing. However, to essentially copy deciboard you could use three layers of drywall with rebond foam and get better results for less. However, it would be more complex and more labor intensive than deciboard.
For this reason, I think there is a use for deciboard out there. I think people who want to improve the isolation of their walls with little to know effort and don't mind paying premium would find deciboard appealing. I think you should expect to get decent results in a reduced volume of sound such as talking, TV noise and other normal household noises.
I would not recommend Deciboard for any professional or home studio application or for areas where you need more sound isolation such as for loud music, bands, or drummers.
As always, simply addressing walls and not ceilings, floors, doors and windows will not be a proper soundproofing job. Deciboard is meant to be a solution for one aspect of your sound isolation needs and not the only solution.
Conclusion
Like many soundproofing products out on the market they tend to cost more for convenience rather than improved isolation. As we have seen you can get similar if not better isolation for far less in material cost, but labor costs do add up.
For those looking to isolate existing walls without having to demo those walls and want an easy and fast solution I think Deciboard is a fair choice. It is very expensive, but you get what you pay for and in this case it is time back.
However, I still feel those who are committed to doing a proper soundproofing job will find traditional methods when done right to be far cheaper and more effective in the long run. When you factor in HVAC, doors, windows, floors and ceilings Deciboard suddenly becomes a very expensive tool that doesn't help with the overall system needed to properly isolate a room. There is not silver bullet when it comes to sound isolation, at least not yet that I have seen.
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