Soundproofing - interior wall

[alexander___]

Hello!
I am going to build an interior wall (wood studs and drywall) with a door (between two rooms). However, I will not fasten it to the floor as it needs to be able to move. I assume it's a good idea to place some kind of material under the sole plate for a bit of soundproofing. But which one? Someone suggested regular weatherstripping used for windows. But I don't know, so I'm asking you!

 

[vectrex]

Hello!
I'm going to build an internal wall (wooden studs and plasterboard) with a door (between two rooms). However, I should not attach it to the floor as it needs to be able to move. I assume it's good to put some form of material under the bottom plate to dampen sound a little. But which one? Someone suggested regular weatherstripping used for windows. But I'm not sure, so I'm asking you!

Sounds highly sketchy not to attach the wall to the floor. In that case, make sure the door is never slammed shut hard or that someone gets tackled into the wall.

To answer your question, sill insulation is very suitable to have between the bottom plate and the floor. For example:
https://www.byggmax.se/syllisolerin...OLOsn9iu_aLtjFDQmakIp4mujySsvhohoCJXEQAvD_BwE

 

[claym]

Agree with vectrex: it's scary not to attach the wall to the floor. Now I don't know the length, height of the wall but regardless it weighs quite a bit...

 

[alexander___]

Sounds extremely sketchy not to attach the wall to the floor. In that case, make sure the door never slams shut hard or that someone doesn't get tackled into the wall.

To answer your question, well, sylltätning is extremely suitable to have between the sill and the floor. For example,
[link]

Thanks for the quick responses! The surface is 1260mm wide and the door is 860mm wide, so there isn't much wall. I just assumed I shouldn't attach it to the floor since it moves somewhat summer/winter.

 

[claym]

Tricky... I know others have built walls without attaching them to the floor, just letting the vertical studs tension up so a certain pressure is created. From your measurements, it looks like it's a small wall/stub that needs to be built, so it might work or not, hard to say.

If it should be done correctly, the floor should be cut open and the wall placed/fastened to the floor joists, but I assume you don't want this?

Alternatively, you could skip fastening it to the floor as you mentioned. If problems arise, you could remove the lower floor trim and angle screw the wall in afterwards?

 

[useless]

However, I should not attach it to the floor as it needs to be able to move.

Why does it need to be able to move?

 

[alexander___]

Why does it have to be able to move?

Because it's placed in the basement (like ten years ago by previous owners - we are going to tear everything out in a couple of years and do it right).

 

[claym]

Ahh but if you are going to redo it in a couple of years, I would have stretched the wall and attached it to the ceiling and walls, not to the floor. If this becomes a problem, then screw it at an angle as I wrote earlier.
Regardless, it is not a catastrophe if things don't turn out well since you are going to redo the basement in a couple of years anyway.

 

[alexander___]

While I have your knowledgeable presence. The pipes to a radiator run through the ceiling where the wall is supposed to be. Is it just a matter of making holes for these in the drywall and placing regular insulation around, or is there anything extra I should consider here? Thanks

 

[claym]

While I have you experts on the thread. The pipes to a radiator run through the ceiling where the wall will be. Is it just a matter of making holes for them in the drywall and placing regular insulation around them, or is there something extra I should consider here? Thanks

That's how I would solve it. I find it hard to see that it would become a problem.

 

[claym]

Another thought: since you are building the wall in the basement, I assume (maybe incorrectly) that it might be a bit damp, especially on the floor? If that's the case, you should run a metal stud on the floor to avoid moisture in the floor stud (if this had been made of wood). Of course, you can use wood on the floor and risk moisture and mold, and it might be okay since you're going to renovate the basement in a couple of years anyway...

just a thought

 

[alexander___]

@claym yes was thinking about steel studs at first, but as you say; only a few years and the rest around are wood (which is wrong).

One more question: the only two air vents in the basement are in the room I'm now building a wall against. Should I put a vent in this new wall then? I have those fresh air vents that are used for exterior walls left from the last renovation.

 

[RoAd]

@claym yes was considering metal studs first, but as you say; only a couple of years and the rest around is wood (which is wrong).

Things that should be "redone in a couple of years" tend to not get done in a couple of years

I would place a metal stud against the floor just in case. I don't see what the problem would be with mixing metal and wood. I have done so myself in my basement.

But it almost sounds like you already have wood as flooring when you talk about it "moving." In that case, of course, it doesn't matter if you place a wooden stud on top of it.

 

[alexander___]

But it almost sounds like you already have wood as flooring when you talk about it "moving"? In that case, it doesn't really matter if you lay a wooden frame on top of it.

Correct. There is some form of wooden floor there...

 

[RoAd]

Then there is no point in using anything other than wood when it comes to moisture risk.

However, the floor and ceiling moldings I've seen in metal have had a sealing strip glued to them from the start, so that might solve your original question.