Soundproofing a Wall

Building a soundproof wall to block sound transmission requires materials that are mass loaded, dense, and/or resilient. You would use these materials in the construction assembly of a wall, floor, or ceiling. You can achieve your sound-blocking goals by using the materials outlined in this post. Most of these methods will pertain to blocking sound for wall applications, however, you can apply many of the same principles for ceilings and floors.

Inherently, you will need to construct an assembly that contains multiple layers. The layers will be comprised of dense materials and components to separate the structures. The objective will be to structurally seal, isolate and decouple the adjacent structures from one another.

Blocking sound requires the complete area to be reinforced or a sealed enclosure around the sound source, as it takes a system of materials to construct a soundproof wall.

Wall / Ceiling Assembly Examples

Please reference construction assembly examples below as a guide for a typical sound-blocking wall when in the pre-construction phase. A soundproof wall construction may consist of various materials that include AudioSeal® Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV) Soundproofing Barrier, Green Glue Noiseproofing Compound, RSIC Clips, sound sealant, and other basic construction materials.

Ceiling Assembly Example

Blocking sound in a ceiling assembly follows the same principles as wall construction. Below is an example of a ceiling assembly using insulation, AudioSeal^® Mass Loaded Vinyl Soundproofing Barrier, Resilient Isolation Clips, Green Glue, and multiple layers of sheetrock or drywall. Using Iso-step^® Soundproofing Underlayment on the floor above provides an impact-resistant layer underneath the flooring. This will help prevent footfall noise and airborne sound from transmitting through the structure. To read more about using Iso-Step^® Soundproofing Underlayment, read this post on using Iso-step^® Soundproofing Underlayment to reduce Impact Noise.

Why Mass Loaded Barrier? Because it’s as heavy as lead, weighing in at 1 Pound Per Square Foot. At only 1/8″ thick, you will save space in your wall construction. Installing AudioSeal^® Mass Loaded Vinyl Soundproofing Barrier on the studs prior to building a finished wall will add a limp mass barrier to the construction. This improves the STC value of the complete assembly. Line the stud cavities with fluffy insulation. This helps prevent resonance and ringing in the open cavities, also improving STC value. The AudioSeal® Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV) Soundproofing Barrier is available on rolls typically 54″ wide x 30′ long. This easily cuts with a utility knife.

The MLV barrier can be tacked or nailed to existing studs or glued in between layers of sheet rock. If installing over existing sheetrock, you can glue the barrier using a vinyl construction adhesive. Large head roofing nails at the top will help suspend the weight of the sound barrier while the adhesive dries. You can see how to install sound barrier in this video.