insulating a basement ceiling - DIY Chatroom

ron0805 · 10-01-2009, 05:02 PM

whats the best insulation to use and cheapest for a basement ceiling?
Is there a better way to soundproof it?

Daniel Holzman · 10-01-2009, 05:10 PM

I used Reflectix aluminumized bubble wrap on my basement ceiling. Seems to work pretty well, plus it keeps the aliens from listening in on my thoughts when I am doing woodwork down there.

Ted White · 10-27-2009, 07:34 PM

Standard fiberglass batts work as well as anything. You can use materials that say "acoustic" or "sound" but they will not perform better.

Having said that, the best defense against the sound is mass. 5/8" drywall, rather than 1/2". Consider doubling it up.

Other enhancements would be decoupling the drywall from the joists by various means, and damping the drywall.

ron0805 · 10-28-2009, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted White

Standard fiberglass batts work as well as anything. You can use materials that say "acoustic" or "sound" but they will not perform better.

Having said that, the best defense against the sound is mass. 5/8" drywall, rather than 1/2". Consider doubling it up.

Other enhancements would be decoupling the drywall from the joists by various means, and damping the drywall.

thats what im goin to do,im using double 5\8 rock with batt insulation

thx Ted

Ted White · 10-28-2009, 11:59 AM

Another beneficial tweak is to install wood or metal furring channel to the joist bottoms. These strips would run perpendicular to the joists. Space these rows of furring every 24". Then attach drywall to the furring, not the joists.

This is very inexpensive, but the drywall panels will flex more, you will have far fewer conduction points, and the result will be higher isolation.

Wood furring strips from Lowe's or Home Depot are about 5/8" thick. Metal Drywall Furring Channel is 7/8".