Hello!'
I am planning to convert a space in an older, very sound-transmitting wooden house into a hotel room. It is crucial to create very good soundproofing against existing apartments to avoid disturbing or being disturbed by current tenants.
I am considering different ways to soundproof the apartment, focusing on the ceiling and walls. I want to keep the wall around 10cm thick to avoid making the room too small. The ceiling has a good height over 270cm.
My thoughts for the wall are:
Option 1: Cover the existing wall with 5 layers of plasterboard + OSB + plasterboard. Quick but perhaps not the most effective.
Option 2: Frame (metal) a 45mm wall freestanding a few centimeters from the existing one, insulate, then OSB + 3 layers of plasterboard.
Option 3: Frame (metal) a 45mm wall freestanding a few centimeters from the existing one with OSB on both sides. Fill with sand and then 2 layers of plasterboard.
In addition, the existing wall should be filled with insulation as it is likely lacking. Alternatively, fill with sand if it doesn't require too much sealing work.
For the ceiling, it should be opened and:
Option 1: Insulate against the upper floor, 95-145mm. Install the ceiling with soundproof beams/hangers consisting of OSB + 2 layers of plasterboard. A 45mm insulation lies on top.
Option 2: Same as above but without insulating against the upper floor. Avoid having to tear down the existing ceiling.
In general, it seems one should aim to eliminate vibrations by separating the surfaces on the two sides of a wall or floor with two frameworks with as little contact as possible between them. Then it's about physical mass, i.e., in my case, plasterboard or sand. Additionally, it seems desirable to have an air gap, not insulating the entire space. It's also important that all gaps are sealed, preferably with special sealant. This is what I've gathered from my research.
If you have experience with soundproofing, please feel free to share your insights on these suggestions and what you think of my proposals.
I am planning to convert a space in an older, very sound-transmitting wooden house into a hotel room. It is crucial to create very good soundproofing against existing apartments to avoid disturbing or being disturbed by current tenants.
I am considering different ways to soundproof the apartment, focusing on the ceiling and walls. I want to keep the wall around 10cm thick to avoid making the room too small. The ceiling has a good height over 270cm.
My thoughts for the wall are:
Option 1: Cover the existing wall with 5 layers of plasterboard + OSB + plasterboard. Quick but perhaps not the most effective.
Option 2: Frame (metal) a 45mm wall freestanding a few centimeters from the existing one, insulate, then OSB + 3 layers of plasterboard.
Option 3: Frame (metal) a 45mm wall freestanding a few centimeters from the existing one with OSB on both sides. Fill with sand and then 2 layers of plasterboard.
In addition, the existing wall should be filled with insulation as it is likely lacking. Alternatively, fill with sand if it doesn't require too much sealing work.
For the ceiling, it should be opened and:
Option 1: Insulate against the upper floor, 95-145mm. Install the ceiling with soundproof beams/hangers consisting of OSB + 2 layers of plasterboard. A 45mm insulation lies on top.
Option 2: Same as above but without insulating against the upper floor. Avoid having to tear down the existing ceiling.
In general, it seems one should aim to eliminate vibrations by separating the surfaces on the two sides of a wall or floor with two frameworks with as little contact as possible between them. Then it's about physical mass, i.e., in my case, plasterboard or sand. Additionally, it seems desirable to have an air gap, not insulating the entire space. It's also important that all gaps are sealed, preferably with special sealant. This is what I've gathered from my research.
If you have experience with soundproofing, please feel free to share your insights on these suggestions and what you think of my proposals.
Tool enthusiast
· Stockholm
· 1 399 posts
What you found through Google is correct.
The best sound reduction is achieved with separate stud frameworks. This means you open up one side of the existing partition wall and glue drywall to the backside in the stud cavities. Seal all slots and penetrations carefully. The new wall is framed with as large a gap as the space allows and is only sheeted on one side with at least three layers of overlapping drywall. Loosely packed insulation in the cavities, such as Flexibatt stone wool.
The same principle applies to the ceiling. The best impact and airborne sound insulation is achieved with a suspended hanger ceiling (mechanically decoupled sub-ceiling). Feel free to upload pictures as there are many pitfalls with old constructions.
The best sound reduction is achieved with separate stud frameworks. This means you open up one side of the existing partition wall and glue drywall to the backside in the stud cavities. Seal all slots and penetrations carefully. The new wall is framed with as large a gap as the space allows and is only sheeted on one side with at least three layers of overlapping drywall. Loosely packed insulation in the cavities, such as Flexibatt stone wool.
The same principle applies to the ceiling. The best impact and airborne sound insulation is achieved with a suspended hanger ceiling (mechanically decoupled sub-ceiling). Feel free to upload pictures as there are many pitfalls with old constructions.
When it comes to soundproofing, weight is what matters. So drywall is much better than framing and adding insulation. However, insulation is more effective against high-frequency sounds, but these do not travel as far as low-frequency sounds.
What you should also keep in mind is that a gap or a hole can make a huge difference.
Two on the ball but agree with the above.
What you should also keep in mind is that a gap or a hole can make a huge difference.
Two on the ball but agree with the above.
Know-It-All
· Västra Götaland
· 12 296 posts
Two separated walls filled with sand would probably be the best. Gypsum has decent mass but is also compact and rigid, so it transmits sound waves well.
You can take down one side of the existing wall so you don't build with two cavities. Do not use OSB boards in the walls. If the wall needs to be as thin as possible, you can use Fermacell fiber gypsum boards that weigh a bit more. Two layers of 18 mm weigh just over 40 kg/sqm if I remember correctly. The stiffness can be addressed with damping glue, DG-A2 from Swedac. With separate stud frames, you can achieve very good results with increased cavity depth.
Well, if it's a partition wall from your future hotel room to an apartment, a special firewall is needed. This also meets the sound requirements, which is why I asked. The municipality will definitely impose requirements on this that you and your KA must address.