Does Drywall Really Block Noise?
Noise that travels easily between rooms or units in a building is unwelcome and unpleasant. Most homes and other buildings use drywall as the primary material when building walls, but drywall is not the most ideal sound insulator. However, by using the right type of drywall or by employing some additional construction techniques, you can improve the sound-blocking capabilities of your walls. Does this Spark an idea?
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Regular Drywall-Stud Construction
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Most walls in modern homes are framed with 2-by-4 studs and covered in regular drywall. The sound-blocking abilities of any type of construction are described in terms of an STC rating, which stands for "sound transmission class." The higher this number is, the more sound is blocked from passing through the material. This regular type of drywall construction has an STC rating of approximately 34 to 39, which is quite low and means that a fair amount of sound will pass through the wall.
Sound-blocking Drywall
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Specialized acoustic drywall is sold by many different companies. This type of product blocks sound much better than regular drywall and is a good option if you're worrying about reducing the sound that travels through your walls. This type of drywall is several times more expensive than regular gypsum board as many other materials are mixed with the gypsum to create a board that sound won't travel through. However, the STC number reaches as high as 60 on some products.
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Resilient Channel
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Although not as effective as soundproof drywall, adding resilient channel to a regular drywall wall improves the sound-deadening qualities by as much as 5 STC points or sometimes even more. Resilient channel refers to installing metal pieces in between the wooden studs and the drywall itself. That way, the sound can't be transmitted directly between the drywall, the stud, and the drywall on the other side of the wall. It provides a sort of buffer zone that damps out much of the sound.
Added Insulation
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Another option that can be combined with other methods to improve the sound-blocking ability of a drywall wall is to add sound-resistant insulation or sound-absorbing material into the wall cavity when putting up the drywall. Certain types of insulation are rated to provide various STC factors while other companies manufacturer special mats and membranes that you can install for the sole purpose of blocking sound from moving through the wall. Usually, the more STC points these provide, the higher the cost of the product.
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