[stangn99]

Hi all,

I'm trying to decide on the best approach for some soundproofing between my two floors.

The lower floor ceiling currently has Green Glue sandwiched between a 1/2" and 5/8" sheet drywall. I'd like to take it a step further.

The upper floor will be getting a complete overhaul, including flooring. I considered lifting the subfloor (T+G OSB) and stuffing some Roxull in there...but that's a lot of work, and I'm not sure how easily the T+G will come up.

My next idea was putting down a 1/4" of cork underlay, then 1/4 SurePly plywood underlayment, then put the 7mm Vinyl Planks on top.

I understand that most manufacturers want vinyl planks to be installed on a solid surface, which is why i'm thinking 1/4" plywood on top of the 1/4" cork.

These are the products i'm thinking of stacking:

Cork Underlay

SurePly (stapled down)

LifeProof Planks

Thoughts?

 

[Windows on Wash]

How about loose fill insulation if you cut and plug?

 

[stangn99]

How about loose fill insulation if you cut and plug?

That's a fantastic idea, thank you. Yes, I can certainly use a hole saw to cut (maybe two) holes along each 16" joist and blow insulation.

I may actually go with that approach, but curious to know if sandwiching cork underlay between the subfloor and plywood underlay is feasible. If so, I will likely do BOTH since it's not a terribly large area i'd like to soundproof.

 

[carpdad]

Seems to make sense, although no personal experience. No experience with mass loaded vinyl either. One thing, your vinyl floor will need fairly flat, even subfloor and I don't know if mlv lays flat or if it can be glued flat.

 

[stangn99]

Thought I'd give an update.

I found a great company in Ontario (Canada) which makes and supplies sound proofing solutions. I ended up purchased 600 sqft of their impact noise soundproofing rubber. It's REALLY heavy stuff.

I've yet to install it, but the person i was dealing with was very helpful. The product is made from recycled tire/rubber. I believe with the Green Glue I already have on the ceiling in the lower level, and this QT product, I should be able to reduce both air and impact noise quite a bit. I can say that air noise is no longer an issue with Green Glue - it's doing its job.

 

[intense067]

Thought I'd give an update.

I found a great company in Ontario (Canada) which makes and supplies sound proofing solutions. I ended up purchased 600 sqft of their impact noise soundproofing rubber. It's REALLY heavy stuff.

I've yet to install it, but the person i was dealing with was very helpful. The product is made from recycled tire/rubber. I believe with the Green Glue I already have on the ceiling in the lower level, and this QT product, I should be able to reduce both air and impact noise quite a bit. I can say that air noise is no longer an issue with Green Glue - it's doing its job.

How'd this all work out for you and can you provide a link to the product you mentioned?

 

[stangn99]

Installation went relatively smooth. The glue they recommended (Bostik Best - 3 pails) was a bit of mess to lay down, but I sort of expected that.

The glue itself is quite expensive, as was the rubber material.

As far as performance goes, it"s noticeable. It definitely softened impact noise, and I think, has muffled out sounds to the point where I can't hear anything downstairs.

I'd say it has cut impact noise by over 50%. By that I mean if my wife dropped a screwdriver on the Torly's brand (what I installed) LVP without the rubber, I could hear it pretty clearly in the basement.

With the glue (which is thick stuff) and the rubber, the sound is significantly reduced and muffled.

At this point you basically can't hear any sound transmission between the two floors. I still hear foot steps, but it's likely light, muffled and not annoying like it used to be.

I purchased the material from AcoutiGuard. Specifically AcoutiGuard QT4

 

[ron45]

https://www.armstrongceilings.com/r...installation/acoustic-drop-ceiling-tiles.html