# sound-proofing on a finished wall



## Spike7 (May 18, 2012)

i have a bid to sound-proof 3 conference rooms in a law office 
i`m going to change the ceiling tiles to a better sound-proof tile , and also , i`ll make sure the dividing walls have drywall going all the way up inside the drop ceilings 
if thats not enough , anyone know of any way to sound proof the walls without openning them up? it`s on the 8th floor . we have to do the work at nights , and we cannot make a big dusty mess.
only thing i can think of is to install some type of decorative ( sound-proof-type panels on the surface, maybe cover them witha fabric


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## Mike(VA) (Jan 9, 2008)

Apply new drywall or your decorative panels with this product. One way to do it. 

http://www.greengluecompany.com/


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## Spike7 (May 18, 2012)

*spike7*

problem is , i`d have to remove the base , and door casing , and its all stained mahogony . also all the switch-plates , and recepticles would have to be brought out.


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## Old Grumpy (Mar 11, 2009)

Check out Tectum panels. It sounds as if you aren't against a surface applied solution. I have used them 3 times. Once in a military flight control tower as a part solution against transmitted noise (along with lead, double framing, etc) a second time in a mechanical coin counting room to reduce reflected noise ( think buckets and buckets of coins crashing along metal tracks and machines.) and once at my place...just because. At home I made some oversized bolection moldings and ended up with a somewhat raised panel look. Maybe it won't work for your situation but it's worth a look.


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## TLHWindows (Jan 5, 2012)

http://www.atsacoustics.com/cat--ATS-Suede-Acoustic-Panels--109.html

This?


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## otislilly (May 30, 2012)

I done some soundproofing in a drs office last year. 
I lucked up and the wall framing went higher than the drywall.
so it was a simple matter of filling the walls with packing peanuts (that I picked up for free) and we installed insolation over the ceiling tiles. 3 rooms in 1 night, 3 people.
even if the walls dont extend into ceiling cavity, cut holes in the drywall 6" below the ceiling tracks, and build yourself a funnel to dump buckets of foam into. we made our own system using the shopvac to siphen them out of barrels and blow them into wall. so even if you need holes you only need like a 3" hole if you use 2' vacume hose like we did. buy extra lengths of vacume hose, ( we had like 5 trashed units with hoses in the shop) using the hard straight attachments cut a peice out of it so you can attach a second end on it at a angle. (we always laughed that it would have been faster to go to lowes and buy a 2"long sweep T, but we made ours night before while goofing off cause someone said it couldnt be done. it can with a roll of duct tape LOL) and duct tape the hoses in it. pop the vac hose in the exaust, instead of the intake - through the straight part of hose, tossed the other hose into the barrel and blew peanuts everywhere (need 2 guys one to man the hose and another to turn on/off vac. timing has a learning curve but who cares its clean starfoam peanuts. buy the inso. that is in its own bag, and cleanup will be a breeze.


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## Sar-Con (Jun 23, 2010)

Sound proofing in a law office? Easy. Gag the lawyers:laughing:


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## sunkist (Apr 27, 2012)

so there in there own office on there own floor in a high rise surrouned by there own poeple, mr holder turn up the radio, or install quiet rock its not cheap but lawyers aint.


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## otislilly (May 30, 2012)

Sar-Con said:


> Sound proofing in a law office? Easy. Gag the lawyers:laughing:


The thought of that is funnier than witnessing a flying ferret fart. 
I have been argumentative today, but when I quit laughing (and change my shorts) I will be in a better mood. Heck its bedtime anyways.:laughing:


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

You could alway's spray an a acoustical texture on the walls you need soundproofed. :thumbsup:


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## Ted White (Jun 23, 2009)

Lots of ideas in this thread, and many won't soundproof. In general the words "lightweight" and "Soundproof" are not used in the same sentence. You will need mass to stop sound from penetrating a wall. This generally means drywall.

You may have been given a task that can't be achieved. They are relying on you to come up with the plan. What happens if the results are poor? Are these guys going to pay you for soundproofing when they can still hear conversations next door?

Keep in mind that you could install a Kryptonite wall, but if there's ceiling tile (completely un-soundproof) sound will simply pass through the tile and pass over the Kryptonite wall. Or through the outlets in the wall, or through the gap under the drywall that's hidden by the base molding, or through the ventilation, etc.

And no dust? At night? This is more like a full-scale remodel than just hanging curtains. It's clear the client has no earthly clue what they're asking for and they're likely to get disappointing results from whomever installs some product. Your problem will be who will they pay if they don't see the results?


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## Spike7 (May 18, 2012)

*spike7*

yes that true .
i can`t guaranty any specific sound-proof rating .
i`m mosty likely going to tell them that we should first make sure that drywall does go all the way up 
also next i would price out , and just change the ceiling tiles . they have a few that are made just for sound-proofing .
after these 2 items are finished , i`ll ask them to try it out for a few days or a week , and let me know if they fee they still need more sound-proofing 
but , i have to make sure and let them know that all i can truly do is make " quieter" than it was , and not specifically " sound-proof"

at that point i`ll present them with the gags, and the flying ferret farts , and the phone numbers of all you funny guys !


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## Ted White (Jun 23, 2009)

Drywall going up to the deck would be best. Even adding drywall there if there's none would help.

There are no soundproof ceiling tiles. That's a lot of cash spent on acoustic tiles that will not soundproof.


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## Roseann (Apr 25, 2014)

Probably a bit late in responding, but wall-mounted acoustic panels are great solutions without opening up an existing wall... the right company will customize construction to fit your requirements (whether it is sound absorption or a sound barrier).


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## Ted White (Jun 23, 2009)

The acoustic panels do a great job of reducing the reverberation - echo. This is treating the sound that remains in the room. Not to be confused with soundproofing, which is preventing sound from leaving the room. 

Two different tasks and two different strategies.


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## Roseann (Apr 25, 2014)

You can acoustically treat the walls with custom panels for reverb reduction or for sound blocking... in this case, an acoustic membrane, sound-absorbent batting and wrapped with a "transparent" fabric. If the panels are mounted onto the entire wall - it can dramatically reduce sound... by absorbing the waves first before hitting the membrane. 

Of course, the appropriate sound membrane would be necessary... Just random input, without tearing a wall down.


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## GCTony (Oct 26, 2012)

Roseann said:


> You can acoustically treat the walls with custom panels for reverb reduction or for sound blocking... in this case, an acoustic membrane, sound-absorbent batting and wrapped with a "transparent" fabric. If the panels are mounted onto the entire wall - it can dramatically reduce sound... by absorbing the waves first before hitting the membrane.
> 
> Of course, the appropriate sound membrane would be necessary... Just random input, without tearing a wall down.



Yes, sound-absorbing and sound proofing are two very different things. If you are trying to stop sound waves from traveling through a wall or ceiling you have to use a dense material to stop those waves. (We use Audio Seal membrane.) When we can't install the membrane over the existing wall and add a layer of DW on top, we use fabric wrapped acoustical panels over the audio seal that was installed over the existing wall. Same membrane goes above the ceiling tile. Lots of information and products if you google Acoustical Solutions Inc. Basically the denser you can make a wall or ceiling, the better it will stop sound transmission.


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## Ted White (Jun 23, 2009)

Adding more mass will only get you so far and can disappoint. 16" OC framing limits your ability to significantly improve things. 24" OC offers much better isolation, but isn't often seen.

Mass is mass. Membranes (MLV, etc) cost a lot and the mass from standard 5/8" drywall is a luxury.


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