How to Soundproof A Concrete Wall
One of everyone’s goals in their houses is to live and do their jobs without having to deal with distracting noise. The transmission of noise pollution from room to room is a common problem in many houses, and many people want to find a solution. How to soundproof a concrete wall? This question worries many people.
Concrete has become one of the most widely used building materials in the globe over time. It’s a popular choice both for residential and commercial buildings. Because of its density, durability, sturdiness, and other unique features, concrete is often assumed to have strong soundproofing properties. But the fact is that concrete isn’t as soundproof as many people believe. The question remains unanswered: ‘why?’ Because concrete is an excellent sound conductor. In this article we will delve deeper in many ways to soundproof a concrete.
What Is Concrete’s Soundproofing Capacity?
Concrete, as we said above, has properties like thickness, sturdiness, and durability that lead many people to assume it is an excellent sound barrier. This, however, is not the case. The thickness of a material does not guarantee that it will offer the amount of noise reduction that most homeowners desire. The soundproofing capabilities of concrete walls are reduced in most buildings because they are cast without cavities.
Because many general contractors rarely consider the sanctity of the interior building during construction, they design ordinary walls that allow noise to readily pass through. And this will necessitate a greater investment than you would have made at the start in terms of keeping noises in or out of a room. Walking on a concrete floor or pounding on a concrete wall makes an audible sound, as you may have observed. The impact on the floor or wall, as well as the rigidity of concrete, causes this sound.
But, How Is Sound Delivered?
Sound is a form of energy that requires a never-ending vehicle to travel. This implies that sound is transmitted across a medium from its source to other locations (most notably human ears). Anything other than a vacuum may be used as this medium, such as air or a strong substance.
The greatest medium through which sound travels is air. The composition and mass of air allow particles to be near but free. As a result, when sound is transmitted, the waves vibrate the first particle(s) they come into contact with, and they continue to vibrate subsequent particles until the sound reaches an ear or the wavelength is reduced. Stable waves, on the other hand, pass through strong materials by vibrating the particles that make up the solids.
So, How to Soundproof A Concrete Wall?
If unwanted sources of noise are currently being created by concrete floors or walls in your bedroom or home office, a few precautionary actions can help you achieve the quiet you seek. Remove any unnecessary distractions and enjoy the tranquility of the silence you’ll need to complete each of your everyday activities successfully. Don’t put up with the noise. Instead, invest in soundproofing!
1. Putting Up A Stud Wall
Installing a stud wall over an existing concrete wall might be an excellent method to keep impact noise out of the space. However, if you do so, it is critical that you avoid a common blunder.
Do not nail the drywall to the studs directly! Because the studs will be fastened directly to the concrete wall, impact vibrations will be transmitted directly through the studs and into the room if the drywall is fastened directly to the studs, we mentioned this in our article How to Soundproof A Basement.
The noise will be just as loud, and you will have wasted a lot of time and effort! Resilient channels are thin metal rails that prevent drywall from coming into direct touch with the wall studs. They’re an excellent technique in soundproofing a wall. Rather than attaching drywall to the wood frame directly, the resilient channel is attached to the timber frame and the drywall is attached to the resilient channel. Instead, you must guarantee that resilient channels are placed across the studs once they have been installed.
Video: How to build a stud wall
2. Make Use of Double Studs
Building a stud wall with two rows of studs with a space between them is an alternative to building a stud wall with resilient channels. The first set of studs is fastened to the concrete wall, while the second set is merely secured at the top and bottom to the stud frame. This means that when you hang the drywall on the frame, there will be no direct channel for vibrations from the concrete wall to go through your drywall, thus soundproofing your concrete wall. Keep in mind that this method takes up more floor area, so if you’re short on room, this isn’t the best alternative.
3. Install Blanket Insulation
Sound absorption is excellent with blanket insulation! Filling the space with blanket insulation while installing a stud wall might help reduce impact noises even further. However, do not overpack the space with insulation. If the insulation is too dense, vibrations will pass through it. Ideally, the cavity should still have a little air gap (read more about blanket insulation on halfpriceinsulation.com).
Video: A guide to installing an insulation blanket
4. Add A Soundproof DryWall
The additional layer sandwiched in the center of soundproof drywall, also known as soundproofing plasterboard or sound dampening gypsum board, is made of gypsum, viscoelastic polymers, and ceramic soundproofing materials. These function as a layer in the drywall, helping to attenuate any impact vibrations that come into contact with it. Without the need of studs, this form of drywall may be installed directly onto a concrete wall. But, be aware that it is typically more costly than regular drywall (more info about acoustic plasterboard on soundproofpros.com).
5. Room Within a Room
The most popular and successful method of decoupling walls is to build a room within a room. To create a room within a room, you must construct two completely separate walls. The air cavity is created by the space between the surfaces of these walls (stud layers). The lack of a physical link between the walls prevents sound from being transferred from one wall to the other.
6. Install Staggered Stud Wall
This is a more cost-effective and space-saving alternative to the room-within-a-room layout. A 24 pair of studs is positioned on either side of a base plate, preferably six inch wide, in the staggered wall arrangement. The broad studs generate a huge air cavity, which helps to achieve the goal of decoupling. After decoupling with one of the methods listed above, loose insulation is installed between the studs to absorb any sound that enters the cavity. Low frequencies can sometimes get through these insulators. On the plus side, high frequencies are kept under control.
7. Fill Up Any Gaps
Airborne sound can possibly penetrate all the way through cracks in a concrete wall, especially if it’s coming from outside noise, and impact noises can appear louder as a result. To fill up cracks, use an epoxy-based sealer. Epoxy takes a long time to dry, but once it does, it will be as rigid as concrete. You may also use a polyurethane-based sealer, which will not dry as firmly as epoxy and will not provide structural restoration, but will undoubtedly assist if your main issue is avoiding noise transmission.
Video: How To Repair Cracked Concrete Patio Slab
8. Apply Soundproof Paint
Soundproof paint is a real thing. All you have to do is put it on your concrete wall and boom! Your soundproofing is complete! It sounds nice, but keep in mind that even the greatest soundproof paint will never be as effective as any of the soundproofing methods we’ve discussed so far. It works best as a supplement to other soundproofing measures or to help tune out very weak background noises. If you do decide to use paint, keep in mind that it will take a lot of layers to create a significant impression.
9. Clips of Sound Isolation
Instead of constructing a resilient channel that spans the whole width of a single stud wall, sound dampening clips can be installed on the studs. The sound isolation clips have hat channels. The drywall is then screwed to the channel in such a way that it does not come into touch with the studs. The whisper clips are a common type of sound isolation clip. They contain a unique method for reducing vibrations in the headwear channel.
10. Increase the Wall’s Mass
With enough mass on each side of the wall, it is less likely to shake and has better sound-absorbing properties. Keep in mind that more mass means higher density. You can add additional insulation for greater results, but remember to leave some air in the cavity for absorption. This lowers the resonance point to the point where only the lowest vibrations may escape.
In Conclusion
Every homeowner expects a comfortable living environment from their house, even if you are living in a condo, or an apartment, so any sort of disruption will have a negative impact. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to study or sleep effectively in a room where you can hear everything that’s going on in the next room. It doesn’t have to be tough to create soundproof concrete walls. If you carefully follow these techniques, you will definitely discover one that meets your requirements!
Finally, soundproofing your home’s concrete walls may not be adequate to keep rattling sounds out of earshot in some situations. To get the best effects, soundproof your doors and windows as well.
