Insulating Ceilings

[Champagne taste beer budget]

Thanks to everyone for their ideas and opinions.

Since the room in underneath both our daughters and the master bedrooms, I am more worried about noise getting out than coming in. I would assume that any construction technique would offer the same isolation effect either direction, i.e. you wouldn't get a 20db drop of noise coming in and a 10 db drop going out.

Since we're on the topic of noise transfer, short of a $1000 door, what are some good recommendations on sealing the door? I haven't looked for it yet, but seems I recall a thread where someone was using some fancy door sealing system, though that may have been on Ethans' site. I also recall someone mentioning using a particular General Motors trunk weatherstripping, but again, not sure that it was on this board.

Thanks again for all the replies, once we get the upstairs finished I'll hopefully, budget permitting, be able to start on finishing the downstairs. Trying to get all my thoughts in a line before it comes time to actually putting hammer to nail. Or caulk to sheetrock, as the case may be.

[Arkytype]

There are several companies that make kits for sealing a door. Try this resource for starters.

www.acousticalsolutions.com/products/doors/seal_kit.asp

Be sure you are using a solid core door--not the veneer and cardboard hollow core doors used in most interior applications.

If you have carpet on the floor around the door jamb and plan to use an automatic door bottom (or drop seal), you'll want to get a metal threshold so the rubber gasket will properly seal.

Try your Lowe's or Home Depot for weather sealing materials, too.

Lee

[DrWho]

For the door, just purchase the kind of door that you'd put on the outside of your house...I believe they're already built to reduce sound getting through. Also, outside doors tend to be bigger which means it'll be easier for you to get your big khorns downstairs (and couches for that matter)

[Griffinator]

BTW - Dr Who - I love the quip in your sigline.

I have had to deal often with clients trying to influence the mix - nothing worse than someone going "But I can't hear the (insert effect, instrument, etc here)" - and you're just shaking your head knowing that it will sound like crap if it's prominent...

[DAX616]

Try this link for sound control it has a pretty good explanation of stc and different ratings. There is a drywall solution that does'nt " short circut" like homosote and resilent channel.Its pricey but thats the nature of nature.www.quietsolution.com/quietwood.html

[Klipschfoot]

You might find this useful for joist spans:

joistspan specs

It took me a while to find it in my bookmarks.

(Organizing bookmarks in Explorer tries my patience.)

EDIT: A calculator that may be handy

[sfogg]

"There are several companies that make kits for sealing a door. Try this resource for starters.

www.acousticalsolutions.com/products/doors/seal_kit.asp"

Just as a heads up but the door products listed there all appear to be made by Zero International:

http://www.zerointernational.com/products/catalog/pageviewer_catalog.asp?pg=23

and can be had cheaper elsewhere. For a 36" mortised drop down door bottom I paid about half what the above link is charging for them for example.

Shawn

[colterphoto1]

I think you're just trying to the best you can with a normal home, not build a control room for a studio, right?

Lots of great hints here for ya, especially from artto. If I may add just a couple. The resilient channel coupled to heavier drywall, say 5/8 instead of the normal 1/2 will help with transmission through the ceiling without going to the trouble and expense of the 'room-within-a-room'. Lots of little things will add up. You'll probably not want to hear the mechanicals of the home, so use artto's ideas with ductwork and if there are any wastewater drains routed down your HT room walls, either use cast iron or insulate and brace the PVC pipe. The sound of running water after a flush is aggravating. Likewise the sound of HVAC blowers or creaky ductwork may be bothersome, so tape it up good, brace it, etc. When installing fibreglass insulation, it is important for thermal and noise reduction properties, that you NOT cram it into place. It must maintain it's loft, so cut to size and be gentle with it. There is a 3 1/2 roll foam product normally used on the sill (floor) plates on the outside of home, you might use it around the exterior sill plates (2x4's) of your room, and caulk the seam between drywall and floor before flooring is laid (usually the drywall is held up from floor about 1/2".

If ya have kids running around upstairs, put carpet or rugs on their floors or give them a nice playroom in the basement or opposite end of house from HT.

Good Listening and Building!