# Quiet Rock Drywall?



## Sarge

We have a large renovation project on a college campus. The building is four stories and we are to renovate 1/2 of each floor keeping the other 1/2 being used for classrooms and lab expeirments. I have recieved some information on a drywall product called Quiet Rock which is to reduce sound transfer by up to 8 times that of regular drywall. Anyone have experiece with this product?


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## karma_carpentry

I don't have experience with it, but I have read about it. If it is the same thing, then it is a sandwich that you can't cut by scoring, like normal sheetrock.

I would recommend to also check into alternate means of sound blocking by making your own sheetrock sandwich -- check out "green glue" which is a product for adhering sheetrock with a dampening caulk-like glue.

I also have not used that product and I am interested to hear from anyone who has. My suspicion is that a silicone caulk would not be much different, but that is totally unfounded.


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## karma_carpentry

Also, consider stuffing the cavity, such as with mineral wool.


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## Sarge

We are planning to insulate the cavity and install poly as well to control dust, but wondering how effective Quiet Rock was for added sound control. I have a supplier quoting me a price. I may forget the idea after seeing the price.


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## oldrivers

well ive never bought it but ive heard its pretty expensive , I have taped behind it you have to use a special caulk to prefill the gaps wich is also pretty expensive. some sheets have a metal layer inside and some dont the stuff i saw was 1/4 inch so you have to double layer it to get 1/2 inch . I was told its 100 bucks for 1 - 4x8 1/4 inch sheet and the caulk was 80.00 for a tube but wasnt sure if my leg was being pulled or not.


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## baccel

I have used Quite Rock in Las Vegas to sound proof a dayspa from a banquet room it performed excellent. The cost is a little pricey but we were very happy with the end result.


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## 747

Sarge said:


> We have a large renovation project on a college campus. The building is four stories and we are to renovate 1/2 of each floor keeping the other 1/2 being used for classrooms and lab expeirments. I have recieved some information on a drywall product called Quiet Rock which is to reduce sound transfer by up to 8 times that of regular drywall. Anyone have experiece with this product?


Would recomend searching quiet rock here. Guys have installed it and there was a threading going a while back. I'm thinking over a year.


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## Chris Johnson

Holmes on Homes used this product on a show last week. He was using it on a semi-detached house, where as the complained was hearing the neighbor. The STC rating before the repair was <48, when done it did not even register.


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## Flacan

We've been installing Quiet Rock into all the attached units of a residential development over the past few years. 

Developer decided to do it in order to soundproof the walls. It seems to work well.


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## blackdoggie

why not just use spray foam insulation or sheets behind some regular sheet rock?


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## Painter James

blackdoggie said:


> why not just use spray foam insulation or sheets behind some regular sheet rock?


Spraying foam insulation and adding sheets doesn't dampen the STC rating. The Quiet Rock isn't the only solution, however.

If you want the best sound isolation, use the accoustic drywall over SIC's (sound isolation clips). STC rating is so good you could swear you were deaf!

There are also other products to be aware of:

National Gypsum produces a rock called "SoundBreak," which performs like Quiet Rock but is a hair cheaper. I paid $60/4 x 10 board, 5/8 thick. QuietRock was $80 for a 4 x 8...

Trick is: use an accoustic caulk around the perimeter of the walls, lid, and any gaps need to be addressed (like elec boxes, pipes, etc.). There is a product that is a play-dough type of membrane that you put around the light fixtures, etc. All these products require air-tightness to perform, and mud doesn't count for air-tightness--you need a "viscoelastic membrane" for that (so the manufacturers and engineers keep saying).

The old methods, like stuffing walls with insulation, just don't perform in lab tests and waste time, though I didn't know all this until a recent customer was hiring me to install this stuff for his theater...and I'm a believer! Soon as I rocked it, I couldn't hear my radio as well in the next room!

Anyhow, be sure to address things like windows and doors: there are solutions out there, but with windows, for example, the accoustic engineers suggest installing TWO windows--which means more money, more trim headaches...etc.

AND:

THIS STUFF IS HEAVY!!! You'll also need to not listen when they tell you, "Oh, you can 'score and snap.'"

BS you can score and snap! Maybe after using my ROTOZIP! Anyhow. Educate yourself by talking with the manufacturers, but know this: QuietRock isn't the only cowboy in this rodeo. Check out their competitors first (like Soundbreak) and then follow QuietRock's installation technique.

Hope that helps (I'm in the middle of a similar, smaller project right now).


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## karma_carpentry

This stuff is fascinating to me, though I have only done some basic soundproofing. It seems like some people here know a lot.

A few questions for anyone who knows.

1. How do the clips compare to gluing up sheetrock with acoustic caulk? GreenGlue is one product that advertises as an adhesive for sheetrock.

2. Is stuffing the bays really irrelevant or does it contribute another notch of damping ?

3. What is a good brand of clip for the price?

By the way, here are a couple of images of clips from Acoustical Surfaces Inc. They quote $5.95 per clip, plus you buy the horizontal strapping.


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## neolitic

If either product is any good, should be big time /material saver over old-school alternatives. Did a small recording studio many moons ago, they kept referring me to these guys: <http://www.acoustics101.com/welcome.htm> ,<http://www.soundproofing.org/>
*Very*detail oriented/time consuming/messy/PITA, but everyone's happy.


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## mseneker

*Sound Reduction*

Like the posts, would suggest listening to Painter James and Karma-Carpentry posts.

We are about to introduce services for sound reduction. Will help you get to that point with several short answers.

Look at RSIC-1 clips by Acoustical Surfaces. Look at Green Glue. Look at ISOMAX clips by Kinetics. Understand what acoustic caulk is.

Get a customer to agree to pay the cost of several trial projects. In other words, do the work at cost only (costs money to go to college!). 

Get to understand what an STC rating is as well as an IIS rating for impact noise. 

Understand the standard for multi-family is 50 STC and whatever you do exceed that.

Use a good-better-best approach to whatever you try because sound proofing options are as numerous as how to build a deck.


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## mseneker

We may also consider Quiet Rock or Sound Break Board. We are looking at all the options, availability of materials and cost to install/purchase. What I like about the clips and green glue is you can afford to have a little extra left over after the job. With the Quiet Rock I'm always worried about ordering enough for the job and having the expensive stuff left over where it will become damaged. I view Quiet Rock and Sound Break Board as hard to measure and costly just like lead board.


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## mseneker

Painter James said:


> Spraying foam insulation and adding sheets doesn't dampen the STC rating. The Quiet Rock isn't the only solution, however.
> 
> If you want the best sound isolation, use the accoustic drywall over SIC's (sound isolation clips). STC rating is so good you could swear you were deaf!
> 
> There are also other products to be aware of:
> 
> National Gypsum produces a rock called "SoundBreak," which performs like Quiet Rock but is a hair cheaper. I paid $60/4 x 10 board, 5/8 thick. QuietRock was $80 for a 4 x 8...
> 
> Trick is: use an accoustic caulk around the perimeter of the walls, lid, and any gaps need to be addressed (like elec boxes, pipes, etc.). There is a product that is a play-dough type of membrane that you put around the light fixtures, etc. All these products require air-tightness to perform, and mud doesn't count for air-tightness--you need a "viscoelastic membrane" for that (so the manufacturers and engineers keep saying).
> 
> The old methods, like stuffing walls with insulation, just don't perform in lab tests and waste time, though I didn't know all this until a recent customer was hiring me to install this stuff for his theater...and I'm a believer! Soon as I rocked it, I couldn't hear my radio as well in the next room!
> 
> Anyhow, be sure to address things like windows and doors: there are solutions out there, but with windows, for example, the accoustic engineers suggest installing TWO windows--which means more money, more trim headaches...etc.
> 
> AND:
> 
> THIS STUFF IS HEAVY!!! You'll also need to not listen when they tell you, "Oh, you can 'score and snap.'"
> 
> BS you can score and snap! Maybe after using my ROTOZIP! Anyhow. Educate yourself by talking with the manufacturers, but know this: QuietRock isn't the only cowboy in this rodeo. Check out their competitors first (like Soundbreak) and then follow QuietRock's installation technique.
> 
> Hope that helps (I'm in the middle of a similar, smaller project right now).


Sounds like you have been down this road before. Give us some good advice? What is your good - better - best approach? Exclude framing, please just the drywall things.

Have you used the RSC-1 clips? What happens if you use them on a ceiling that is not flat? What is your best method for 1. impact noise and 2. high/low frequency issues?


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## novicepro

I've used the THX 1 3/8" quiet rock on a recording studio.
A 4x8 weighs about 200 lbs! You can only cut it with a circular saw so you
can imagine how messy it is to work with. Make sure you own a Panel Lift or rent one, it's the only way you can install this.
The results are amazing. The sound was reduced a great deal.
A 4x8 costs about $200 a sheet. You also have to use quiet seal caulking on all the seams.


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## AtlanticWBConst

novicepro said:


> I've used the THX 1 3/8" quiet rock on a recording studio.
> A 4x8 weighs about 200 lbs! You can only cut it with a circular saw so you
> can imagine how messy it is to work with. Make sure you own a Panel Lift or rent one, it's the only way you can install this.
> The results are amazing. The sound was reduced a great deal.
> A 4x8 costs about $200 a sheet. You also have to use quiet seal caulking on all the seams.


Actually, the prices vary by thickness of the sheetrock and also fire-rating.

We installed some in a Boston condo about 2 months ago. 
1/2" 4x8: Cost: about $70.00/sheet. 
Yes, we used the acoustic caulk on the perimeters, as not using it, would defeat the purpose of installing such an acoustic rated GWB.


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## BUTCHERMAN

I do work on high end jobs where cost is not an issue. So i use 5/8" quiet rock in them. The board is two pieces laminated together. The 1/2" is easy enough to cut, but you should cut both sides. However the 5/8" 1 side is 1/4" rock and the other is like porcelin. We use a wonderboard cutter to score it, not cut it. The boards only come in 4x8 and the 5/8 board are about $97.00 each (don't over order). Anyway hang the 1st sheet and then go around the perimiter with the acoustic caulk.Then butt the next board up to it. Stuff works great but is it worth the cost. Depending on the noise double 5/8 may do the trick and is cheaper.


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## Big Shoe

Old thread but this helps me out. :thumbsup:


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