Sound Blocking
Blocking unwanted sound through a wall, floor or ceiling is the most common requirement we are faced with. Traditional answers have been pretty amusing, and unfortunately not very effective. You may have heard some of these already: pack it full of insulation, add additional layers of drywall, put carpet on the wall, use egg cartons, fill the wall with expandable foam and our favorite - use ear plugs! There is are several more effective ways to block sound. |
Absorbing noise is based on allowing noise to pass through a product and is measured in NRC, Noise Reduction Coefficient. To create privacy between rooms, noise needs to be blocked, not just absorbed. Noise blocking requires mass, mechanical isolation / decoupling and air spaces. Noise blocking is measured in STC, Sound Transmission Classification.
The creation of a mechanical break will provide the highest performance partition, and can now be created at the lowest possible cost (see our ISOMAX Clips) for floated walls and ceilings.
Better than more layers of the same material, sound is actually confused by layers of dissimilar materials. Lab testing has shown repeatedly that changing densities, thicknesses and using larger air-spaces will always produce better soundproofing results. Excellent products to be used for this approach are Green Glue and our Soundproof Barrier.