Best Method and Order Soundproofing a Party Wall and Ceiling?

Marty Moose

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I’m in the planning stages of my front room revamp. I share a party wall and although I can’t hear virtually anything through from next door 99% of the time, I’m still intending on soundproofing my side (especially as I have had the AV amp and speakers in storage since moving house and have yet to set them up).

I’m opting for the standard wooden batten stud wall, isolated from the party wall and connected to floor and ceiling, stuffed with rockwool and sealed with 2 layers of soundboard treated with green glue. Our bedroom is directly above so I’m also going to strip the ceiling to joist, insulate with rockwool and probably use resilient channel with soundboard (I know the concerns over this system, however I have one eye on the budget).

From reading around I have been able to piece quite a bit together, however I’m struggling to find a whole lot of information on potential flanking noise carried to the ceiling joists via the false wall – is there a way this can be negated? And what order should the wall and ceiling work be done?

If I attach and build the false wall first then fit the ceiling, the wall is directly joined to the ceiling joist which runs from my side to my neighbours – it could be nothing but I’m paranoid that sound could have a direct route from the studs up to the joists and potentially over to their side.

If I sort the ceiling first then build the wall, surely the pressure of a new stud wall system will overly compress and negate the purpose of the resilient channels on the ceiling? Could a genie clip system be used in this way as an (albeit expensive) alternative?

What complicates matters further is the fact the design will include wall mounting of TV and speakers (to the false wall not the original party wall) – so I’m further concerned that this will vibrate the wall and cause flanking issues. Are there any clips/systems out there that can isolate the top batten of a false stud from the ceiling above thus minimising transference?

Any suggestions gratefully received as I’m reaching a standstill with the planning of the project as I just can’t get my head around the logistics of it at all.
 
How about if you stripped the ceiling and fitted Rockwool as you intend, but then fit clips and channel (do a search here for those) or resilient channel, then fit OSB , green glue then plasterboard and make sure they do not touch the walls. Use silicon to seal all gaps at the edges for both layers (and upstairs too around skirtings etc).

Now build your stud wall as you intended with a rubber or foam strip under the footer (do you want to fit a semi isolated floor too? Use rubber matting and T&G flooring before building the stud wall). Fit OSB to the stud wall, then green glue and plasterboard.

My thinking here is that by make sure none of the ceiling is touching the side walls of your house and is isolated via channel the ceiling, you have reduced the flanking path there. The new stud wall will only be attached to the walls (can use a rubber strip there too to reduce transmission surface area) and an isolated ceiling, so in theory you have reduced the flanking path quite a bit.

What do you think? Makes any sense?

You could always try Ted at thesoundproofingcompany.com for a more definitive answer.

Gary.
 
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How about if you stripped the ceiling and fitted Rockwool as you intend, but then fit clips and channel (do a search here for those) or resilient channel, then fit OSB , green glue then plasterboard and make sure they do not touch the walls. Use silicon to seal all gaps at the edges for both layers (and upstairs too around skirtings etc).

Now build your stud wall as you intended with a rubber or foam strip under the footer (do you want to fit a semi isolated floor too? Use rubber matting and T&G flooring before building the stud wall). Fit OSB to the stud wall, then green glue and plasterboard.

My thinking here is that by make sure none of the ceiling is touching the walls and is isolated via channel the ceiling, you have reduced the flanking path there. The new stud wall will only be attached to the walls (can use a rubber strip there too to reduce transmission surface area) and an isolated ceiling, so in theory you have reduced the flanking path quite a bit.

What do you think? Makes any sense?

You could always try Ted at thesoundproofingcompany.com for a more definitive answer.

Gary.
Thanks Gary, that does make sense. In retrospect I would imagine the extra outlay for a genie clip probably makes more sense in terms of minimising problems with ceiling construction. Would you secure your stud wall to the false ceiling along a channel line? And is there a rationale behind a layer of OSB as opposed to 2 layers of plasterboard?
 
Hi,

The reason I say use OSB is because it gives you a fixing anywhere on the wall or ceiling, so you're not relying on a stud or joist. The thicker the OSB the better for the wall if you're going to be attaching a heavy tv I would think, as you will need deeper/stronger fisings unless you place some studwork specifically for the purpose. You can still use two layers of PB if you want of course because the extra mass will help, but with the ceiling you will have to make sure the clips/channel are placed at closer intervals to take into account the extra weight.

I think 12mm OSB is around 20kg and 12.5mm PB is around 24kgs, so 18mm OSB could be as much as 30kgs.

Gary
 
I'm in the process of soundproofing my room (build link in signature), and for the ceiling I stuffed the space between the joists with Rockwool. Then used Genie clips and furring channel, 19mm plasterboard, Green Glue and 15mm plasterboard.

The walls I've built out of metal C stud and screwed to the furring channel, and the floor which is a floating floor sort of construction.

Each Genie clip can support 16kg of weight, my construction above comes in at an average of 8kg per clip, so well within.
 

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