New Construction Soundproofing

Steps:

2. 

Have all the electrical wiring and plumbing in place in the walls to be soundproofed.

3. 

Hang drywall on one side of all the stud walls of the room to be soundproofed, so that the room is closed in but you still have access to the interiors of the walls. (The side you choose to leave open will vary - you want to leave open the side that will offer the easiest access to apply the soundproofing material.)

4. 

Apply fiberglass insulation batting to the walls. The batts can be packed in fairly tightly - the denser the material, the more sound you stop. But remember that for actual insulation purposes, the insulation loses value if it's too tightly packed. Hang the drywall as usual.

5. 

Alternatively, call in a professional John's Manville Spider System certified company and have the insulation blown in. The JM Spider Insulation system adheres to the construction and provides both great sound deadening and a high insulation value. Hang the drywall as usual once the soundproofing is applied.

6. 

Hanging the drywall once the soundproofing is applied can be done as usual, or, to provide even better vibration resistance, apply a heavy bead of caulk to each stud that the dry wall will come in contact with.  Also, for more density, it is popular to double and even triple layer the sheetrock.

7. 

As another alternative, hang manufactured soundproofing wall coverings - such as CMI’s Quash Soundproofing products - which are sold as rigid panels.

Tips:

Using double-pane windows with vinyl frames also helps to cut down on noise levels.

Warnings:

Wear goggles and a dust mask. While not toxic, insulation products can be mildly irritating.

Don't overfill the walls with insulation or you will have problems with putting up drywall or other wallboard coverings.

After-Construction Soundproofing

Steps:

1. 

Remove the drywall from one side of the walls to be soundproofed. (Strip the side of the wall that strikes a balance between offering the most work space and causing the least amount of damage.) Then choose one of the options listed above.

2. 

Alternatively, cut small holes in the drywall near the ceiling, between the studs. Fill the space between the drywall with blow-in insulation. Patch and refinish the drywall.

3. 

As another alternative, hang manufactured wall covering materials (described in step 7 above) over the existing walls (as opposed to behind the drywall). Many come in a variety of colors or are paintable.

Tips:

After-construction methods are somewhat less effective than the new construction techniques, which can provide - for all practical purposes - total soundproofing.

Warnings:

Be very careful when blowing in soundproofing material. You can overfill the walls and cause severe, expensive damage. Call in a professional insulation company to avoid overfilling and causing severe damage to walls.

Soundproofing Windows, Ceilings and Floors

Steps:

1. 

Install double- or triple-hung vinyl-framed windows in new construction, or replace old windows with upgraded units in existing rooms.

2. 

Or make "plugs" - custom-fit coverings the size of the window, made from one of the manufactured products described above. You can make these yourself by purchasing the material and cutting it to fit.

3. 

Alternatively, purchase stylish sound-deadening drapes. These are more expensive than window plugs but much more pleasing to the eye.

4. 

Soundproof ceilings by applying sound-deadening matting (as described above) or hanging a suspended acoustic tile ceiling; extra sound dampening can be obtained by rolling out batts of thick fiberglass insulation on top of the suspended ceiling.

5. 

Apply sound-deadening mats to upstairs floors to cut down on noise levels. These can be applied under carpeting and often have padding built in. All of the above by ehow.com

Be Aware of Flanking Paths

1. 

Heat registers are commonly forgotten when soundproofing a room.  Remember that the ducting is generally connected to the rest of the building and will easily transmit noise.

2. 

Doors are very large areas where a lot of sound wave transmission will take place.  Most residential doors are hollow and provide little to no acoustic absorption.  Consult a solid door provider.

3. 

Electrical boxes also can serve the same purpose as the old communication example of two cans connected by a string.  The electrical boxes can serve as the cans and the wire as the string.