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RyanGi
8875 posts
and
59 followers
in over 3 years
in over 3 years
Noise reduction from inside to outside the shop…
So, I’ve done a fair amount of research on this, and I understand what the internet says, but I’m hoping some of you have real-life experience with this as I’m having a hard time separating truth from advertising …
I want to build in some noise reduction into the walls and ceiling of the shop. This is two fold: reduce the noise that gets out to the neighbors, and reduce the noise that gets into the house through the ceiling of the shop. I’m not interested in R value or thermal control. This is just for noise abatement.
The internet says double walls with an air gap between them, Rockwool Safe n Sound insulation, with doubled Sheetrock mounted on decoupling resilience channels on the outsides of the walls. Double walls separate the wall diaphragms from each other. Double Sheetrock adds mass to the wall which absorbs sound, and resilience channels remove the physical attachment btwn the Sheetrock and the studs, thus reducing vibration transfer. Add noise reducing caulking around the edges to seal it all up. The Rockwool deadens airborne noise that makes it through the wall diaphragms. Easy peasy…and expensive, but that’s what all the companies selling noise proofing pitch…as I said before, truth vs advertising.
Does anyone have any real world experience with this? I’m particularly interested in how different regular fiberglass insulation is compared to Rockwool. 1/2” vs 5/8” Sheetrock, etc. Again, I understand the theoretical advantages, but I’m looking for how much any of it makes a real difference.
Thanks in advance!
I want to build in some noise reduction into the walls and ceiling of the shop. This is two fold: reduce the noise that gets out to the neighbors, and reduce the noise that gets into the house through the ceiling of the shop. I’m not interested in R value or thermal control. This is just for noise abatement.
The internet says double walls with an air gap between them, Rockwool Safe n Sound insulation, with doubled Sheetrock mounted on decoupling resilience channels on the outsides of the walls. Double walls separate the wall diaphragms from each other. Double Sheetrock adds mass to the wall which absorbs sound, and resilience channels remove the physical attachment btwn the Sheetrock and the studs, thus reducing vibration transfer. Add noise reducing caulking around the edges to seal it all up. The Rockwool deadens airborne noise that makes it through the wall diaphragms. Easy peasy…and expensive, but that’s what all the companies selling noise proofing pitch…as I said before, truth vs advertising.
Does anyone have any real world experience with this? I’m particularly interested in how different regular fiberglass insulation is compared to Rockwool. 1/2” vs 5/8” Sheetrock, etc. Again, I understand the theoretical advantages, but I’m looking for how much any of it makes a real difference.
Thanks in advance!
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
12 Replies
No experience yet but I have been thinking about building a closet for my Supercell, which is my biggest noise generator, so that I can concentrate the soundproofing on a smaller space. It will need some powered ventilation to send the heat it generates outside but I figure that will also help with the sound levels and heat build up inside the shop too.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
The only real world info I can offer is from working on noise reduction in printers - double walls, mass, and reducing airborne sound with foam were the tricks. Often we went with mass alone just for cost, but double walls are really effective.
Rockwool was around forever before fiberglass, very dense. My detached garage/shop has it and it does help a bit versus fiberglass.
You can buy acoustic panels (think music studio) but that is $$$ as well.
My guess is the best bang for the buck would be the extra isolated layer of sheet rock. comparatively Easy enough to slap up versus tearing out everything to get at the insulation which in my experience only can provide minimal effect.
You can buy acoustic panels (think music studio) but that is $$$ as well.
My guess is the best bang for the buck would be the extra isolated layer of sheet rock. comparatively Easy enough to slap up versus tearing out everything to get at the insulation which in my experience only can provide minimal effect.
The walls are open, so I can do whatever I’d like. I’m also looking at potentially metal studs around the dc and compressor to wall them in and separate them from the room.
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
If you can put a second set of studs in between the existing ones you can get a double wall without significant loss of space. The second set is not structural so you can just notch them for wiring and plumbing. You don't need much gap.
at the company i worked for we sold Roxul which is a product of Rockwool. it is made from volcanic lava. one demonstration they showed us was the guy put a load siren inside a box lined with roxul closed the lid and you could just barely here it. and it was ear piercing loud ! also fire resistant. if your walls are open it would be easy to install. the insulation alone would kill most of your noise issues.
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
Things I have observed
Sharing Bruce's experience with Rockwool, been around a long time, that in itself is an endorsement. Any so so product in that vein tends to fall by the wayside as newer, better, higher preforming products come out.
A friend did some work on his basement shop to abate the sounds going up, he just used Rockwool and his Wife was very pleased with the result so he stopped there. He did his ceiling, had planned to also do the walls thinking the sound would follow up them, and get to the house above. In the end he never did stage 2.
On my shop I have standard insulation in the 2x4 walls R 15, and R 10 wallboard outside under the siding, and R 60 of blown in fiberglass in the ceiling. I also have the luxury of an detached building on several acres of land, with closest neighbors house at 100 yards. I can work 24/7 and nobody ever hears machines running. For that matter the closest neighbors are also the youngest, and frequently come in late. Seeing the lights on in the shop Jason called me to let me know.. I didn't hear the phone between machinery running, and hearing protection. I did note it when I got done a few minutes later, and called him back. I asked if he just got in, and he said yeah. So he was outside, and still didn't hear anything. Not sure there if it's distance, or just standard insulation numbers for a building today?
Sharing Bruce's experience with Rockwool, been around a long time, that in itself is an endorsement. Any so so product in that vein tends to fall by the wayside as newer, better, higher preforming products come out.
A friend did some work on his basement shop to abate the sounds going up, he just used Rockwool and his Wife was very pleased with the result so he stopped there. He did his ceiling, had planned to also do the walls thinking the sound would follow up them, and get to the house above. In the end he never did stage 2.
On my shop I have standard insulation in the 2x4 walls R 15, and R 10 wallboard outside under the siding, and R 60 of blown in fiberglass in the ceiling. I also have the luxury of an detached building on several acres of land, with closest neighbors house at 100 yards. I can work 24/7 and nobody ever hears machines running. For that matter the closest neighbors are also the youngest, and frequently come in late. Seeing the lights on in the shop Jason called me to let me know.. I didn't hear the phone between machinery running, and hearing protection. I did note it when I got done a few minutes later, and called him back. I asked if he just got in, and he said yeah. So he was outside, and still didn't hear anything. Not sure there if it's distance, or just standard insulation numbers for a building today?
Awhile back I was working on a renovation at Lincoln Center. Of the the rooms they wanted sound proofing they used a sheet rock with a thin metal layer in it. I looked it up back then and it was a lot for one sheet. I wanted to sound proof as much as I could for my son's room when he was a baby. The ceiling is theramafiber insulation then 3/4 plywood then 5/8 sheetrock on the ceiling. It does a good job at stopping noise coming from above the room.
Thanks for the input. I’ve looked at staggered studs, but it appears 25g steel studs at 24oc is even better and cheaper. Since it’s non-load bearing, it doesn’t matter. Then rockwool, then resilience channels and prob 5/8” drywall. This is just for the compressor/DC cabinet. The rest of the walls I’ll prob just do with fiberglass and resilience channels, then 1/2” drywall to close them off. I’m thinking rockwool and 5/8” for the ceiling, also on resilience channels.
The problem with decoupling using resilience channels (which, by all accounts is arguably the largest vibration based sound reducer)is it means you can’t hang things off the walls…unless you back it with 1/2” ply first I suppose.
I’ve got time. Still collecting info.
The problem with decoupling using resilience channels (which, by all accounts is arguably the largest vibration based sound reducer)is it means you can’t hang things off the walls…unless you back it with 1/2” ply first I suppose.
I’ve got time. Still collecting info.
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
All i can say is sound panels did very little at golf club outdoor dining. Spay foam sound retardant did very little as well.
When we had our house built i asked for Rockwool. They could not get it. We got regular fiberglass insulation. It did nothing.
I'm still pissed about that.
When we had our house built i asked for Rockwool. They could not get it. We got regular fiberglass insulation. It did nothing.
I'm still pissed about that.
Petey
I don’t have any firsthand experience but I can tell you that having a double wall with air gap between will make a difference. We did recently use sound absorbing panels at work to make an enclosure for testing lovomotive horns and it did a phenomenal job. But not cheap at all.
I was talking to one of the guy's that were working on the music room. They were caulking around receptacles and any other space there was a gap. They had to eliminate as much air flow as possible. They said the air carries the sound. This was a long time ago things changed since then
