In a 3 story house, is there any sort of insulation between the main/ground floor
and the upper floor? Ie, is it (drywall ceiling), joists, floor boards, carpet; or
is there something inbetween the joists to muffle sound?

Thanks

On Sun, 11 Jan 2004 19:29:06 GMT, DS wrote:
In a 3 story house, is there any sort of insulation between the
main/ground floor and the upper floor? Ie, is it (drywall ceiling),
joists, floor boards, carpet; or is there something inbetween the joists
to muffle sound?

In the 2 story I grew up in circa 1953 there was insulation (rock wool)
between the floors, but that may have been because the upstairs was
originally unfinished (my dad built upstairs bedrooms), so it was
essentially an insulated ceiling between heated and unheated areas. I
don't think there is normally any filler between finished floors.

--
David Efflandt - All spam ignored http://www.de-srv.com/
http://www.autox.chicago.il.us/ http://www.berniesfloral.net/
http://cgi-help.virtualave.net/ http://hammer.prohosting.com/~cgi-wiz/

Not normally, though blown in insulation is sometimes used to deaden sound
between floors.

Adding insulation will help some. How much depends on what kind of
sound and where it comes from.

Generally insulation, even insulation designed to absorb sound does not
help much.

For the sound of people or animals walking, carpet would be a good
choice. To quiet a bed room over the TV viewing room an extra layer of
drywall on the ceiling would do much more.

Take a look at:

http://www.soundproofing.org/ for some ideas, or other sources.


In general you want to block air exchange. Air caries sound very well.
(Try opening your car's window as a train is going by.)

Next you want weight. Heavy things (drywall lead sheets etc.) block
sound well.

You also want to prevent any direct solid connections. Stagger wall
studs or use special isolation devices to keep the sound from traveling
through the wall (remember the two cans on a string (well wire actually
worked) you want to break the wire).

Filling in wall cavities with sound absorbing materials (acoustical
fiberglass bats) will do a little.

Point source control (special absorption material) at the source of the
sound will also help.


--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"DS" wrote in message
t.cable.rogers.com...
In a 3 story house, is there any sort of insulation between the
main/ground floor
and the upper floor? Ie, is it (drywall ceiling), joists, floor boards,
carpet; or
is there something inbetween the joists to muffle sound?

Thanks

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
news
Adding insulation will help some. How much depends on what kind of
sound and where it comes from.

Generally insulation, even insulation designed to absorb sound does not
help much.

For the sound of people or animals walking, carpet would be a good
choice. To quiet a bed room over the TV viewing room an extra layer of
drywall on the ceiling would do much more.

Take a look at:

http://www.soundproofing.org/ for some ideas, or other sources.


snip

thanks for the link and the useful info... I'll check it out tomorrow in detail.
Basically the plan is I'm refinishing a room in the basement which happens to be
below the tv room and it has/had dropped ceiling tiles. Even with them in you hear
almost everything from that room. Then again, my room at the moment is right above
the same tv room and I also hear almost everything.. albiet a bit more muffled.

The only thing I think I can really do (without having looked in detail at the
website) is to add some sponge pyramid stuff to the bottom of the above floor
boards, and just deal with the stomping (there is already carpeting in the room
above).

Any idea of a way to isolate the drop ceiling short of hanging it with elastic
bands?

Thanks

The problem with dropped ceilings is two part. First they are not air
tight. Air is great at transmitting sound. Second it is light. The
frequencies you are working with are best slowed by mass (weight). This is
were a double thick (two layers) drywall ceiling or a lead mate works great.
You likely do not have the option of a drywall ceiling due to head room.

Another problem you likely have is the HVAC. Those ducts (supply and
return) are thin skinned and let the sound pass right into them and then it
is transmitted right to the room.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"DS" wrote in message
able.rogers.com...
"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
news
Adding insulation will help some. How much depends on what kind of
sound and where it comes from.

Generally insulation, even insulation designed to absorb sound does
not
help much.

For the sound of people or animals walking, carpet would be a good
choice. To quiet a bed room over the TV viewing room an extra layer of
drywall on the ceiling would do much more.

Take a look at:

http://www.soundproofing.org/ for some ideas, or other sources.


snip

thanks for the link and the useful info... I'll check it out tomorrow in
detail.
Basically the plan is I'm refinishing a room in the basement which happens
to be
below the tv room and it has/had dropped ceiling tiles. Even with them in
you hear
almost everything from that room. Then again, my room at the moment is
right above
the same tv room and I also hear almost everything.. albiet a bit more
muffled.

The only thing I think I can really do (without having looked in detail at
the
website) is to add some sponge pyramid stuff to the bottom of the above
floor
boards, and just deal with the stomping (there is already carpeting in the
room
above).

Any idea of a way to isolate the drop ceiling short of hanging it with
elastic
bands?

Thanks

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
The problem with dropped ceilings is two part. First they are not air
tight. Air is great at transmitting sound. Second it is light. The
frequencies you are working with are best slowed by mass (weight). This is
were a double thick (two layers) drywall ceiling or a lead mate works great.
You likely do not have the option of a drywall ceiling due to head room.

Indeed, the panels are anything but air tight and they cannot be heavy, lest they
fall on my head. And drywalling the ceiling of a basement I hear is a bad idea,
for one because of the headroom issue, and second is access to the ducts and such
for the future.

I was thinking of installing some mineral wool or pink fiberglass but apparrently
it won't do much for the amount of effert involved. What about if I maybe just
went and installed some of that 6mil plastic that is supposed to be put over the
fiberglass.. that would create a bit of an air barrier, no? I'm just guessing on
this one.


Another problem you likely have is the HVAC. Those ducts (supply and
return) are thin skinned and let the sound pass right into them and then it
is transmitted right to the room.

Agreed, but there really is not too much I can do about them, and from what I can
tell they arent that big a conductor of sound.. the biggest really is from
directly above the room.

Thanks