What Materials Do You Need To Soundproof A Room?
Sep 05, 2022Soundproofing is not like normal construction and there are specific materials you will need to soundproof your home studio. In this article I will go over the special soundproofing products I used and recommend for your own Soundproofing project.
1) Acoustic Putty Pads
Acoustic putty pads go on the backs of all of your electrical outlet boxes. They can also be used for wrapping around wires that enter your studio or refrigerant lines from you mini split. They are an essential product for making sure sound does not pass through your electrical boxes into your room. Every light switch, outlet and light fixture box needs an acoustic putty pad around it.
2) IB-3 Acoustic Clips
IB-3 Clips are special acoustic clips that will attach your inside wall to your ceiling rafters. These clips stabilize the inside wall when you are building a double wall system while also reducing the amount of sound that transfers from your ceiling roof rafters to your inside walls.
3) IB-1 Clips and Furring Channel
Using 7/8" Furring Channel and IB-1 acoustic clips you can create a soundproof ceiling or wall. The IB-1 Clips attach directly to the studs and the hat channel goes horizontally across your walls or ceilings. These clips are specifically designed to reduce sound from transferring from the studs to your drywall.
4) 5/8" Drywall
Now drywall is an important part of any home construction, but what makes soundproofing different is you want to use two layers of heavy 5/8" thick drywall to reduce the amount of sound coming through your walls and ceilings. Don't use the ultra light stuff or the thinner layers of drywall. It is all about mass when it comes to soundproofing.
5) Green Glue
Green glue is a damping compound that goes in between your two layers of drywall. It helps to reduce the sound traveling through your drywall. Although it is not 100 percent necessary it does improve the sound reduction in your walls and ceilings.
6) Acoustic Caulk
Acoustic caulk goes around the perimeter of all of your walls and ceilings. It can also seal around electrical boxes and in any place where there might be air gaps in your structure. It is mostly used to seal where the drywall meets the floor and the ceiling and where the two walls meet in corners. It is best to leave an 1/8" gap between you layers of drywall and the acoustic caulk fills that gap.
7) Tempered and Laminate Glass
If you have any windows in your soundproof room then you will want to use tempered or laminate glass. All other types of glass will not soundproof your room well. Although it is a bit more expensive it is well worth it when it comes to proper soundproofing.
8) Solid Core Doors
Just like you need heavy walls, you also need heavy doors. Using two solid core doors in what is known as a communicating style door design provides great sound isolation. Solid core doors have more mass than your typical house door and should be used for all soundproof rooms.
9) Weather Stripping
Lastly, we have weather stripping. It is important to seal all air gaps around your door. Use weather stripping around the entire door and then add an extra layer of magnetic weather stripping on the inside of your door. This will ensure your door is absolutely airtight keeping out any unwanted sound that could seep through air-gaps.
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