Whether it’s a condo ceiling, master bedroom, or home office, proper room soundproofing delivers real privacy. Below you’ll find our best practice for sound control applications for Walls, Ceilings, Floors, Doors, and Windows.
“Soundproofing a room” is one of the most common questions we get at Trademark Soundproofing. This guide links to detailed articles and shows how the four Components (Insulation/Absorption, Decoupling, Damping, Mass, and Finishing/Sealing) fit into real assemblies.
On a fully open project (down to studs), you can implement all four Components (see a more details at our "How To Soundproof" article). In an existing room, you will typically implement two (not the insulation and decoupling).
Your walls and ceiling need insulation to absorb sound. If your studs are exposed, wrap the electrical boxes with Acoustical Putty Pads, then insulate the bays with fiberglass batts or mineral wool between studs. Wrap noisy ducts with Duct Wrap.
If your drywall is already in place and you don’t want to remove it, dense-pack cellulose can be blown into wall cavities.
Decoupling dissipates vibration and can add an astounding 15 STC points to your wall/ceiling. With open studs, install Sound Isolation Clips and hat channel and install your drywall onto the channels. If your drywall is already up, we generally do not recommend decoupling over an existing layer—see our Triple Leaf Effect article.
For footstep/impact noise from above, decoupling the ceiling is essential and we recommend that you remove the existing ceiling, insulate and install clips channel and drywall.
Adding weight and damping the your wall/ceiling helps vibration die out before reaching the other side. The most effective approach is to install a second layer of 5/8″ drywall with Green Glue Noiseproofing Compound between layers (and between subfloor layers on floors).
Even if the walls are the main path we still recommend treating the ceiling too—sound often flanks over walls, especially where there’s shared attic or crawl space above.
Seal the perimeter of walls and ceilings with Acoustical Caulk. Also seal around all electrical boxes (add our Acoustic Electric Box Seal). Small gaps can seriously undermine isolation.
Using all four Components together typically yields 30+ STC points over a standard wall/ceiling. Using insulation + mass + damping (with good sealing) commonly yields around ~80% noise reduction.
For more details: see Soundproofing Existing Walls & Ceilings or, for new builds/major remodels, How to Soundproof.
In new construction, insulate and isolate floor joists by adding Joist Gasket Tape, and use two layers of subfloor with Green Glue in between. Top with Rubber Underlayment before installing the finished floor. More details can be found in our How to Soundproof article.
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If you are dealing with a finished floor, remove the carpet and install our Premium Carpet Underlayment then replace the carpet. (adding a second subfloor with Green Glue improves results). For hardwood floors, install Rubber Underlayment beneath. If you already have a a finished hardwood floor, focus on treating the ceiling below.
Doors are thin and leaky around the perimeter. Upgrading to a solid core door is a good start. Then address the edges and bottom gap.
Pack Soundproofing Rubber and seal with Acoustical Caulk between the frame and the wall.
Add a Soundproof Door Panel to increase mass, absorption and to seal the edges. If you are a DIY'r attach a 1/2″ MDF layer to the door and apply Green Glue Compoundin between.
Seal the gaps at the jambs and header with a Door Gasket Kit or self-adhesive weatherstrip, and install a sound-rated automatic door bottom to close the large gap at the bottom of the door. See How to Soundproof a Door for more details.
Windows are another weak link for sound isolation. Your options include a secondary window, a sealed vision lite, or a heavy curtain.
Install a second window layer (interior or exterior) to add mass and an airtight air gap.
If operability isn’t needed, our Acoustic Vision Lite provides a strong perimeter seal and lets you add your own thicker glass.
Our Sound & Light Barrier Curtains are custom-sized and available in many colors. They mount with velcro or grommets/pegs.
Modern homes with hard surfaces, minimal furniture and open foyers tend to carry sound between floors. Address the door gaps as mentioned above, then add Acoustic Panels strategically in halls, stairways, and echo-prone spaces to absorb reflections.
With the right soundproofing products and guidance, sound control doesn’t have to be complicated. We’re here to help spec the right assembly for your room. If you have any questions you can reach one of our friendly soundproofing experts via email, phone or Whatsapp. Additionally browse the question and answers at the bottom of this page for real world application advice and feel free to drop your own question below.
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1) Bud: Our bedroom wall is about 20' from our neighbors Heat Pump and pool pump. His house is brick - our house walls are 6' studs with fiberglass insulation with Masonite with vinyl siding on top and sheet rock on the inside. We have several storm windows (3) which I have installed 2 layers of plexaglass about 3/16' thick. His pool pump runs 12 hours a day and is getting quite loud. There is a fence between the houses which I recently rebuilt using 1/2 particle board then fiberglass insulation then 1/2' particle board then the standard 1/2' pressure treated pine fence material. The sound comes over the fence and some through it - into our bedroom and our back porch which we spend lots of time on. I figure my options are 1. to offer to buy him a smart pump which is very quiet which will be installed about $1000 or 2. try to put something up on my side of the fence to reflect or absorb the noise. The fence is ~6' so would assume would need to be higher than that with maybe the top portion angled to reflect the sound back toward the pump. I know that this is peanuts to what you all do but would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks,
Hi Bud, If a new pump would do the trick you may want to consider it as soundproofing your fence is not that cheap. Take a look at our exterior Sound Barrier Curtains and you would want your fence to be at least 8 feet tall (Keep in mind it is still an open air space above your fence).
2) Ernest: Hello, I currently live in a townhouse (in Canada), with one shared wall, including one side of our master bedroom. On occasion, we can hear our neighbours talking in the next room (very faint mumbling, but we cannot make out what they are saying). We also hear heavy footsteps on the rare occasion. I had a local contractor come do an assessment. When we drilled a hole, we found fiberglass as insulation between the concrete wall and drwall. When we took a look at the attic and found that there was a sheet drywall separating our units. From a building code perspective, I would assume that the concrete wall goes all the way to the roof. The insulation in our roof is also fiberglass. The contractor suggested adding a 5/8 in drywall with Green Glue for the shared wall. He also suggested adding cellulose to the roof. With regards to the thumping and lower frequencies, I would like to know if there is merit to decouple the roof with sound clips? I am also open to any suggestions you may have to make the optimal mitigation strategy. Thank you for your help. Ernest
Hi Ernest. I agree with your contractor that adding a 2nd layer to your with GG makes the most sense for your situation. I would do the same thing to your ceiling in order to stop sound that is flanking through the ceiling. You will have a hard time stopping the heavy thumping sound as that is most likely coming through the floor.
3) Ernest : Hello, Thank you for your insight. With regards to the roof, I would like to clarify that we are adding drywall + GG along the entire roof surface? Or just a portion of it? Should I do anything to add insulation to the roof (e.g. cellulose vs. fiberglass)? Regards, Ernest
Add to the entire ceiling of the room or rooms that you are having the noise issue in. If there is sufficient Fiberglass in the ceiling, then you can leave it alone.
4) Emil: Hello, I've just renovated my apartment and I was trying to reduce noise from my neighbors, however I fear I might have messed up. It is a concrete building, so in the living room to reduce noise from downstairs neighbors I put 'pressure resistant' insulation with fiberboard on top, as a floating floor. On top of the fiberboard I also have one layer of sheetrock and then the wooden floor. Sadly I am experiencing a 'booming' sound when walking on this floor now, like a drum. It's surprising to me as I thought the insulation would be dense enough to absorb any sound. I was recommended this procedure when talking to professionals about sound-insulating a floor. I was wondering if someone could explain to me what is going on with this floor? Triple-leafing effect should not occur as to my knowledge there would be only one airspace in this floor. Concrete + airspace/insulation + fibreboard + sheetrock. Have this floor actually made it worse? Making the noise from my neighbors resonate? *** I also insulated the wall. 2x4 on the wall with insulation in between, then a layer of sheetrock. Did this also worsen the situation? The wall was originally just concrete with wallpaper on it, as you can see in the photos. So I'd appreciate if you professionals at TMsoundproofing could try to explain to me what has gone wrong with this renovation process.. As for the wall - Should I just have used sheetrock straight onto the concrete with no wooden frame?
Hi Emil, I am not sure what 'pressure resistant' insulation is, however that seems to be the culprit here. It is probably acting as a very thin air space thereby causing that resonance that can amplify certain frequencies and give you that hollow ring when you walk on it. We would have recommended going with a 'heavy' floor with layers of damping compound in between. If you want to create a floating floor you should to that with proper framing on rubber joist isolaters with fluffy insulation between the joists. As for your wall we would recommend that you frame a new wall to allow for a larger air gap which can be filled with insulation then double drywall and Green Glue. You can decouple that wall from the concrete with these specialized resilient sound clips.
5) Emil: Hi, Thanks for your reply. The 'pressure resistant' insulation is a 50mm high density compact rockwool. I had no particular wish to make a floating floor, but I was advised to do so by some other sound professional. Is insulation the same as an air space? You say you would have recommended a heavy floor. Would that be to put several layers of sheetrock and green glue directly on the concrete slab? I live on the top floor with neighbors underneath me, that is the airborne sound I am trying to eliminate. As for the wall, I cannot build it out any more into the room. Would you then recommend removing the joists and insulation completely? Have I actually made it worse with this setup?
It is the same as air space except that it also absorbs some sound energy. On the floor I would recommend layers of plywood rather than drywall. You can leave the wall just add another 1 or 2 layers of drywall with the Green Glue in between.
6) Emil: I could leave the wall, but would the wall be better without the airspace? Have I made it worse than nothing? It sounds like it
7) Emil: Thank you for your help on the subject as I am inexperienced. Could you not argue that the airspace in the wall has accentuated and made louder some frequencies? Music for instance. It feels like I can hear my neighbours even more now, but maybe my mind is playing tricks on me
8) Nathan: I am now starting my home soundproofing project that I was researching in November. I?ve gently taken the existing drywall down in the room I?m going to soundproof. My question is, before I put in batt insulation between the studs, would it improve the STC if I cut the old drywall in lengths that would fit between the studs and then attach it to the inside of the drywall in the adjacent room? (It?s one way to recycle and repurpose this perfectly good drywall.) And would this additional amount of drywall work better for sound damping if I ran a bead of acoustic caulk around the perimeter of each piece? Nathan
Hi Nathan, Good idea if you have extra drywall. Don't bother with the caulk. Green Glue between the layers will help.
9) Nathan: Thank you for your answer about adding extra drywall. I know Green Glue isn't technically glue, but will it provide enough adhesion by itself to hold the drywall in place over time? Otherwise I could secure it mechanically with something to prevent it from moving. Nathan
10) Nathan: Thank you for your willingness and time to answer my detailed questions. I'm now considering a different soundproofing project in our house. I'd like to do as much as possible to soundproof the indoor mechanical closet (next to the bedrooms) where the HVAC air handler is. I plan to use joint gasket tape under two layers of drywall (with Green Glue) on the inside of the closet walls and ceiling. Also joint tape under the wooden floor if I can. Two questions: What can I do to reduce the vibration/noise of the fan/motor especially through the floor of the plenum? And what is the best insulation to use between the studs in order to further dampen the sound transfer? Since it is a relatively small space and I wouldn't be buying a lot, would recycled cotton batt be more effective than fiberglass batt? Thanks, Nathan
Hi Nathan, We do not see any head to head testing showing that one insulation is better than the other. Therefore we usually just stick to fiberglass batts for the cost savings (stay away from spray foam). We will have a sheet metal damping compound available in another 2-3 months, for now I can only suggest using duct liner.
11) Richard M: Hi, We moved into a new construction home with all hardwood floors. Unfortunately we weren't prepared for the hollow floors/walls to transmit so much sound! I don't think it's financially feasible to do the entire house, but I'd like to know if it's possible to add another layer of ceiling below the master bedroom (so we don't rip out the flooring), coupled with adding door insulation, to improve the situation? Thank you.
Hi Richard. It is definitely possible. You can add another layer of drywall with Green Glue to the ceiling below, however I would suggest that you blow in insulation first if you want good results. The door is very important in bedrooms and lots of sound gets in there. Please see our How To Soundproof a Door article for proper door soundproofing. Thank You,
12) Richard: What kind of blown insulation do you recommend? Open cell foam or blown cellulose (wet). Thank you, Richard
Blown Cellulose, wet or dry. We do not recommend any type of spray or injection foam
13) Rebecca D: Hello, I have a soundproofing issue. We turned a bedroom into a studio apartment. The double wood doors to enter the room from the rest of the house is where the sound is coming through. We put additional double wood doors up and there is about a 1 1/2 inch space between the doors that I want to put some material to reduce and dampen the sound coming through the doors. What do you suggest
Hi Rebecca. Please see the Door Astragel here. Thank You
14) Rebecca D: Thank you for getting back to me. I didn't explain my situation very well. I have blocked off a room from the rest of the house. It has a separate entrance and we have rented it out. The place where the room meets the rest of the house is a double door that will not be used to enter or exit the room. We have locked the double door from the inside of the rental so that we cannot access that room from the rest of the house. In addition, we put another double door next to it that is locked from our side of the house - the renter cannot access the rest of the house through this door. So, there is a double door, a space that is 1 1/2 inches of airspace and then another double door. It is this 1 1/2 inch airspace that is the size of the double door - 78' high and 66' wide that I want to fill with something to cut down on the noise that comes through the doors. I was thinking that drywall with green glue in-between two pieces cut to fit the entire space would be best. What do you think? In addition, I was thinking of affixing a rubber seal around the edges to complete the seal. I appreciate your comments. Thank You, Rebecca
Hi Rebecca, If you plan on not using the doors anymore than you can actually attache 1 or 2 layers of drywall to the doors with Green Glue in between. If you want something that you can take on and off you can consider our custom made door sound control panels here. Thank You
15) Vlad Z: Hi, I am planning to soundproof existing party wall in semi-detached house from my side (to reduce noise coming from neighbor's side) and because most likely cannot do demo, so considering laminating over existing drywall (with green glue) either with 1 layer of 5/8' gypsum board or 2 layers (and additional green glue of course). Existing wall is 16' o.c. wood studs, insulation and single layer of drywall. Can you please advise if second scenario (2 layers and additional green glue) make noticeable difference compare to first scenario (green glue and single layer of new drywall), approximately how many STC points in each scenario? Thank you! Vlad. P.S. What is standard shipping time for GG delivery to Staten Island, NY?
Hi Vlad, The 1st layer of drywall with GG will give you about 9 STC points. An additional layer with GG will give you about another 4 points. Keep in mind that if you share an attic over the wall you would need to treat your ceiling as well. Orders by 1 pm ET usually ship same day and arrive in NY the next business day. Thank You.
16) Scott F: Good Afternoon, The flooring for the second story in my house is one-and-a-half inch T & G pine boards. The bottom of these boards is also the ceiling of my first floor (so no joists, etc.). I was thinking of putting Green Glue or MLV down, and then a layer of 5.5mm underlayment. On top of that I will put 1/2 inch carpet pad and carpeting. Will this work for drastically reducing upstairs noise being heard downstairs? If so, which would work better, the Green Glue or the MLV? Thanks for answering my questions. Scott Franklin
17) Joe M: I have a problem. I have 99 3/4 inch high walls, but I'm dealing with 96 inch drywall sheets How do I go about soundproofing the rest of the wall? I'm about ready to soundproof one wall.
18) Robert M: In the master bedroom of our town home , we are hearing unintelligible voice sounds and TV noise from the adjoining neighbors master bedroom. The existing construction is: В· 5/8 drywall В· R-13 fiberglass insulation В· Firewall В· ВЅ air space В· 5/8 drywall В· R-13 fiberglass insulation В· 5/8 drywall The attic areas are separated by the firewall which extends to the roof. 1. What kind of STC improvement should I expect from adding Green Glue and another 5/8? drywall to the existing drywall? 2. Would there be any advantage to substituting sound board (e.g., Silent FX) rather than using 5/8? drywall? 3. If so, what sound board would you recommend? 4. Do you know of any contractors in my area (zip: 61615) with experience in such soundproofing?
19) Robert: What kind of STC improvement should I expect with another layer of Green Glue and wallboard?
20) Eric S: I'm doing some research on what materials I need and how much. I have a condo that was built in the 70's. The sound proofing doesn't seem all that well since a new neighbor moved in about 8 months ago. I inspected some areas. One good thing is the common wall to an adjacent unit is a double wall. However there is no insulation. I plan to use insulation and double 5/8 drywall with Green glue. The floor system between my first and second floor is a 2x4 open truss design. I cant tell the spacing but it appears greater than 16'. The height appears 16'. its hard to tell but it appears hollow all the way to the adjacent unit. I suspect this is why I get some flanking sound already. I have a pretty good idea what I need to do as far as green glue ceilings and walls. However, how is it best to sound proof my bathroom and kitchen. The kitchen I have cabinets hanging on the wall. I plan to redo the walls with double 5/8'. If I decide to tile and use rockboard, is green glue still effective? This question also applies to the bathroom. And as far as insulating the truss system, I plan on hanging the 1st floor ceiling drywall first, then just laying fiberglass batts between the floors just for sound dampening purposes. Is this effective enough? Do I need to close up the open air space that continues to the adjacent unit? Thank you
21) David K: I have a wall in my duplex that separates the two kitchens. The noise level is quite high from side to side. If I were to remove the drywall on one side, insulate and add hat channel and clips, with new drywall, would I still be able to hang cabinets on that wall, or would the weight of the cabinets be too much for it?
22) Ryan C: Hi. Reading all of these Q&A's leaves me jealous. With the military I will not be able to permanently reside in a location for approximately 10 years and thus I am stuck living in apartments. I like to work out to loud music and I am hoping to get a microphone and amplifier for electronic instruments - point being I would like to keep my sound to myself. If possible, I was hoping for guidance on what sorts of apartments I should be looking for, and maybe different price ranges that I should expect to incur for different degrees of soundproofing (i.e. xxxx$ for a LxWxH room with Z% of soundproofing - a few scenarios would be fantastic). Sorry if this is a strange question, and thanks so much.
23) Willie: Hello there, i am an aspiring sound mixer and like to mix my music super loud (with a giant sub) unfortunatly my living space does not permit this level of noise. I would like to soundproof my room as much as possible and then after that acoustically treat the room to control the sound reflections. is this possible? or will the soundproofing deaden the room so much that acoustic treatment wont make a difference or be ineffective. is there anything that i can do to create a great mixing environment as well as soundproof my room heavily?
Hi Willie, Sound proofing/damping the walls will not effect your ability to acoustically treat the walls afterwards with acoustic panels etc in any way. If anything it will enhance the acoustics of the room as well.
24) Sue W: Do you have an installer in Livonia, MI.
25) Jamie: Hi there, I am looking into soundproofing options for a meeting space in our office. Our building was designed as a home and the room has wainscoting. What are our soundproofing options that won't require the removal of our drywall and the wainscoting? Unfortunately, sound panels aren't able to be used as most of the wall space is being used.
If you don't mind covering the drywall and wainscoting then you can use Mass Loaded Vinyl to cover the entire wall. Otherwise best you can do is treat the doors. https://www.tmsoundproofing.com/How-To-Soundproof-a-Door.html
26) Ken: Hi there! I will be soundproofing a basement room for use as a vocal recording studio. I will be building decoupled walls encapsulating it, and using resilient channel + clips on the ceiling. All surfaces will be covered with 2 sheets of 5/8in drywall with green glue between them and well insulated between joists/studs. Will adding mass loaded vinyl anywhere in the construction make an appreciable difference on outside sound penetrating into the space? I have read that it would have minimal impact on the decoupled walls and on a resilient channel ceiling. Any insight on this? Thanks!
