soundproofing again...

[Charley711]

Hi, over a year of son in headphones, him hearing our tv, us hearing his tv. Him hearing ... Ummmmmm you get my drift. He is getting older and I want my privacy. I've read a lot here and although there isn't much hope, it isn't like I am trying to quiet a home theater, just ummmmm!!

What I know:

Installing standard or sound deading sheetrock isn't a good idea because of expansion/contraction/cracking. OK, get that part.
I've read people have insulated the walls with little success.
I've read to use 3 1/2" insulation/ non paper on interior walls.
Also to insulate both sides of the wall.

I am still willing to try this- one side at a time. I am painting his room his favorite team colors so his side first. I'm in this for the long haul and will post my results, but first .....

I NEED SOME HELP!!

Now, I've taking the strips down and have no idea how to get the wallboard off without damaging it. Lots of staples.

I believe it is a late 90's home. 94-96 doublewide.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP AND ANY SUGGESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE!

[flcruising]

First, why do you say that installing sheetrock is not a good idea? Lots of people on here have sheetrock throughout and don't have any problems (myself included). Most MH wallboard is gypsum core anyway, it just has a decorative pattern on the face. The seams are what MIGHT need reinforced (mesh) tape, but that's minimal.

Secondly, is there a reason why you want to take off your wallboard? Are you remodeling and looking to redo the room completely anyways? I ask because there are numerous ways to appoach sound deadening (attenuating) products, but the level of demolition you plan on doing has bearing on the approach.

[Charley711]

Hi and Thanks for responding.

The reason is because my son and I share a wall and if I drop a tissue in my room he hears it. Sorry, but if his tv is on even low I can hear it as if I am in the same room. I do not understand the manufactures of these homes... No privacy. I looked at homes that had the master bedroom off the kitchen, now I know WHY!!!!

I was told by many people that mudding for the sheetrocking can be disasterous in regards to cracking and there are a few cracks already in the popcorn ceilings. Anyway, I do not care about the "slats" on the wall. Funny, in my bathroom the wall panels are 1/4 apart and in my son's room they are right up tight to each other. I got the slats off without breaking tem! WOO HOOO! I was told to

1) take the wall panels down GULP - sounds messy.

2) Add insulated - paperless for interior wall

3) install the sound deadening sheets - like cardboard almost. Staple gun and glue - not too hard.

4) extend the electrical box - need assistance.

5) hang the sheetrock the same way the old wall panel was with the gap for the slat to cover - but.....

a) I've never hung sheetrock
b) I was told there is a beveled edge on the sides for the tape and mud that the strap won't cover.

I don't care about the straps on the walls. I own a mobil home. The wall, when done is being painted red and blue (Patriots) I just don't want any problems once the wall is up. I'm painting the team logo on it and do not want cracks through it later on down the road.

Thanks!

Charlene

[Dean3]

Back in the 80s the boss and I sheetrocked and taped a huge restaurant/hotel. Between each hotel room the walls were;

6" studs-Insulated with fiberglass-RC channel-5/8" sheetrock on both sides. When We were on the opposite side of a wall We couldn't hear a yell. Other factors come into play too,like sound travelling through hollow core doors,vents,outlets and such. The RC(resilient channel)helps prevent the sheetrock from acting as a big speaker cone and transferring sound. Some of the above are commercial building practices but could be used in a home if willing to go the extra mile.

RC is similar to Hat channel(old names)but Hat chan will not serve the same purpose. When using RC it must be done correctly and with the proper fasteners(screw lengths/threads),both to attache the RC to studs and to attache the sheetrock to the RC.

You can make each room a nearly silent cell but it may become costly and You may need to do more walls than just the common wall.

Dean

[Charley711]

I just have 1 wall between my son's room and mine. I just need to put something between there to deaden/muffle what we can hear from each other. I'm not talking a home theater surround sound blasting just voices/tvs/guitar I mean he can hear my humidifier humming! It is close to the wall we are talking about so it isn't the vent or hollow core doors - I am working on them also!

I have to do something to say I did SOMETHING to fix this problem. 7 years I've got before hope and pray he goes to college

I'm willing to taking his side of the wall down and putting batt or foam insulation, put a sound deading board up (need help on how to do this exactly) and cut sheetrock panels to match the size of the existing panels (cutting off the beveled/mudding edges) don't know how to install the sheetrock either and put the straps back up to match the rest of the room. One wall - can it be that hard?

I want to get the room done this weekend so have to move on this fast!

[Yanita]

Hi,

OK, you can remove the panels simply by removing the battens (the strips over lapping each panel). Use a pry bar and or hammer to remove the existing wallboards. A good pair of bull nose pliers works great for removing the thousands of staples that will get left behind.

You sound apprehensive about your abilities to tape and mud the joints of sheetrock...not a hard job but it is a skill. IF you do not want to by the supplies needed and try your hand then don't. Simply get a few pieces of decorative trim molding and install over the joints of the new sheetrock. Like making your batten strips.

Personally I think you are wasting your efforts, you may gain some sound proofing but not what you are wanting...BTDT.

Sheetrock is hung with screws..hopefully you have a cordless drill. Sheetrock and insulation are both cut with a sharp utility knife. Just measure your openings and cut the new piece to those measurements.

Hope I helped.

Yanita

[Charley711]

Something is better than nothing right?

What does BTDT mean?

I just feel that I have to do something. Hard or easy - at least I can try.

Muffle/reduced volume - not much else am I expecting, but I have to try.

I'm going to measure the panels tonight and see how many sheets I am going to need. I have every tool imaginable. Yes I saw all the staples. What is with that?

I just have to try.

Charlene

[Yanita]

Hi,

You do not have to measure to see how much sheetrock you need. If the wall you are doing has 4 pieces of wallboard, then you will need 4 pieces of sheetrock, or whatever the amount is.... You will need to know your ceiling height so you get the correct length of rock.

LOL, BTDT, means Been there done that.

Now in another post, (this is not a quote) I think I read something about vents etc...please unless you know what you are doing do not alter these vents, they may be above the doors, short doors or even in the doors. Do not close/block these off. This is used by your furnace as a cold air return.

Good luck with your project, it is not difficult, and just think how happy you will be when you completed it!

Yanita

[Charley711]

On the list is to change the doors to solid and putting an insulated vent in them. My ex is an oil burner tech and he told me what I could and couldn't do regarding the furnace. It is important to know about that because you can really screw up your system if you do not know what you are doing.

I was told to put a very good carpet padding down too. That will happen when it comes time, but in the mean time, my son is getting a large football grided area rug.

Please anyone who is reading and can contribute something, please feel free to!

Thanks!
Charlene

[flcruising]

Here's a combination of double-wall and resilient channel construction at a studio.

http://mobtownstudios.com/double-wall-construction/

[Charley711]

Aaron,

Thank you. this "floating wall" really sounds like a solution and I will move the shared power box - friend is an electrian. I will float the master bedroom wall and leave my son's wall alone. TV will not be mounted to the wall - a lot of reading and learned and learned and learned. Float the wall, wool batting insulation, no shared boxes, seal edges.

The double wall looks awesome. I guess a sound studio would need that.

Thank you and I hope what you have said will help more than just me with this ongoing problem.

Thank you~!

Charlene

[flcruising]

Charlene, glad to assist. I'll post my IM comments to you if you don't mind, just for informational purposes.

[flcruising]

You are taking a good approach. Insulation between the studs will minimize the resonant sounds between the wallboard. And the sound deadening sheets will isolate the sheetrock from the studs somewhat, which is good. I say continue as you are. But if you could substitute fiberglass for rock (mineral) wool insulation, you will have a higher density product that would perform better.

Either way, the studs are still your 'weakest link' in the system since they are the solid bridging between rooms, meaning that once you insulate the space between them, you really can't do any more for the sound, outside of building a second wall with an air space between them to completely isolate the room. And that's probably more trouble than it's worth for now.

Stay encouraged! Glad I could help.

[flcruising]

No problem. Nice to share.

The sure way to sound isolate rooms is to have 2 seperate walls - drywalled on both sides and insulated, with a 1" dead air space between the walls. Both walls would go from floor to ceiling, and they would not be tied together anywhere. The biggest problem with retrofit, is you may not have any blocking in the ceiling to attach the new wall to.

Another method (and probably cheaper/simpler) is, as Dean mentioned, use resilient channels. This would in essence hang the drywall off the studs, in that it is not attached hard to the solid framing and transfering sound through conduction. Here's a good read on resilient channels and soundproofing.

http://www.soundproofing.org/infopages/channel.htm

[Greg]

Charley, Try this link, or do a google for soundproofing a room. Greg




http://www.ehow.com/how_15992_soundproof-room.html