41 Responses to “Green Glue Shop: Effective Sound Proofing”

1. 

   Carl 20. Jul, 2010 at 9:32 pm #

   Hi, can this be used as a floor soundproofing solution such as to stick down soundproof mats beneath laminate flooring etc?
   Thanks,
   Carl
2. 

   Mark Webster 17. Aug, 2010 at 11:53 am #

   really pleased!! thought we were going to have to move as neighbours are a noise nightmare. haven’t slept this well since they moved in!
3. 

   Will 17. Aug, 2010 at 1:35 pm #

   Hi Carl
   Green Glue must be used between two rigid sheets such as plasterboard or MDF. By soundproofing mats I take it you are referring to barrier mat / Mass Loaded Vinyl? If so I’d say go with Green Glue as it is more effective – see slide number 13 for a comparison.
   Best regards,
   Will
4. 

   mark 02. Nov, 2010 at 11:15 pm #

   help…. all i hear is my neighbours music !!! i live in a semi detached house,can this green glue really work !!!!!!!!
5. 

   Will 21. Nov, 2010 at 10:36 pm #

   Hi Mark

   Anyone who tells you they have a material that stops all sound 100% is talking nonsense.

   However Green Glue offers more sound reduction per £ than any other material on the market.

   For optimal results you need to create a cavity filled with insulation between your plasterboard / GG sandwich and the existing wall. Be prepared to lose 100mm or so of room space.

   Cost is around £35 – £45 per square metre including delivery. You’ll need to be competent in DIY or get a builder in to do the job.

   Every customer who has taken this route has been very satisfied with the results.

   Will
6. 

   John 25. Jan, 2011 at 8:20 pm #

   I would like to replace some bog standard stud walling, approx 9cm thickness, with something a bit thinner. I’m not looking for a great deal of sound insulation but would like it to be no worse than it is already.

   If I replace the stud wall with two pieces of soundbloc or MDF glued with green glue and supported at each side, for a total thickness of 25mm will that give at least as much absorption as the existing stud? And is the GG strong enough for me to be able to tile on the outer layer?

   Similarly, can I screw resbar to a brick wall and attach soundbloc or MDF to it? How thick is resbar?

   Thanks in advance.

   John
7. 

   Will 27. Jan, 2011 at 1:02 pm #

   Hi John

   Any wall with a cavity of less than 50mm is likely to have poor sound reduction and there is evidence (albeit not official test data) that Green Glue must have a cavity in order to be effective.

   Also Green Glue should really have been called Green Goo as it is not intended to be used as an adhesive. It is extremely sticky but has not been tested in various conditions like a proper adhesive has. In order to be effective it must be evenly compressed into a thin layer. On a vertical this must be done with screws but you can get away without screwing it if you the panels on the floor. To do this you apply the Green Glue to the first board, drop the second board on top and walk all over it to compress the Green Glue.

   My other reservation is that the wall will be very flexible without studs which means your grout will probably crack and the tiles will fall off.

   In short I think you’ll struggle to get a satisfactory result with a studwall under 9cm thick.

   Lastly resbar is 15mm thick so it falls foul of the 50mm cavity recommendation unless you use timber battens. Fixing res bar directly to a brick wall up with soundbloc / MDF will give up to 10dB improvement between 160Hz and 2.5KHz but at low frequencies it will reduce the performance of the wall by up to 10dB (probably at about 100Hz)

   Sorry my answer is all negative but I would hate for you to waste your money and effort! Feel free to email me or call if you would like to discuss this further.

   Best regards,
   Will
8. 

   P 08. Mar, 2011 at 5:45 pm #

   I was planning on soundproofing my solid brick party wall with the following setup using green glue and plaster board and was wondering what you think and if it would work? space is the issue here so a stud wall etc is out the question.

   Two layers of 15mm acoustic plasterboard layered up of course with green glue, once set off and dry, gluing the lot to the wall with drywall adhesive and sealing the edges with acoustic sealant.
9. 

   Will 09. Mar, 2011 at 9:52 am #

   Hi there

   I would not expect to see a significant improvement with the approach you describe. If you don’t have a cavity then you are governed by mass law which states you need to double the mass of the wall for a perceived halving in sound level.

   In addition to this, by gluing the sandwich to the existing wall you will create a very small cavity which will have a resonant frequency right where you don’t want it – it could even make the sound reduction worse at this frequency!

   I understand you don’t want to lose room space with a batten system but I would hate to see you waste your time and money.

   More info here: http://www.greenglueshop.co.uk/how-can-i-reduce-noise-i-need-a-sound-proof-room/

   Best regards,
   Will
10. 

    Matt 06. Apr, 2011 at 10:17 pm #

    Hi there,

    I’m looking to reduce the nose from the flat above. The ceilings are reinforced concrete, if i fix a wood battern then acoustic board GG and another acoustic board will this be effective? what’s the cost for board & GG per square metre?

    Thanks
    Matt
11. 

    Will 07. Apr, 2011 at 4:39 pm #

    Hi Matt

    The system you describe will improve matters but a totally independent ceiling is always better if you have enough height and budget.

    If this is not possible then make sure you use at least a 50mm batten or the low frequency performance will not be good.

    Also fill the void with RWA45 insulation and make sure the edges of the new plasterboards do not touch the walls (leave a 5mm gap and seal it up)

    Cost wise Green Glue is around £8.40 per SQM (based on 2 tubes per 8×4 plasterboard sheet)
    15mm Acoustic Plasterboard is £4.99 per SQM (per layer)

    I hope this helps and if you would like more detail please use the contact form to get in touch with us

    Best regards,

    Will
12. 

    Alex 22. Apr, 2011 at 8:26 pm #

    Hello,

    We just bought a new construction semi-detached two story house with a finished basement. My issue is that while we can barely hear them blast their stereo or hear them talk, we can hear every footstep they make. If their kids jump, our side feels like a bomb exploded. Since we can’t tell them to buy carpet with thick padding or have their kids stop jumping, what could you recommend for this type of situation on our side of the house? Thanks, Alex
13. 

    Will 26. Apr, 2011 at 4:11 pm #

    Hi Alex

    It is always cheaper to treat noise at source as you yourself suggest.

    With wall linings, you can reduce the noise coming into your dwelling but as it is structure borne there will be a limit to what you can achieve.

    If this is a new dwelling then it will have to have passed Part E of the building regulations which stipulates a minimum performance for impact noise.

    I suggest you contact the people you bought the house from and ask to see the acoustic test documentation.

    I hope this helps.

    Regards,
    Will
14. 

    Marcus Tucker 27. Apr, 2011 at 11:09 am #

    Surely your first sentence above should be “Green Glue [...] is now the industry standard for sound proofing” not “Green Glue [...] is now the industry for standard sound proofing” ?
15. 

    Will 27. Apr, 2011 at 11:47 am #

    Thanks Marcus – well spotted
16. 

    John 03. May, 2011 at 8:20 pm #

    I need to soundproof a floor as I have noise coming from neighbours below. Obviously I need to put something down on what is already there, but how can I make the necessary cavity to stop the vibration? Can I use the batten springy horizontals that you’d use on a vertical wall, with MDF on top +GG? Thanks for any help!
17. 

    Will 04. May, 2011 at 5:55 pm #

    Hi John

    No you can’t use resilient bars on a floor.

    If you have a concrete floor then use 50mm timber battens on Joist Cradles or Foam Isolation Strips, fill the cavity with RWA45 insulation and then put 2 layers of OSB3 or moisture resistant MDF with Green Glue between. Don’t allow the boards to touch the sidewalls and seal all joins and edges with acoustic sealant.

    If it is not a concrete floor then there is probably a cavity already so you can just place boards with Green Glue straight on to it. The more layers of board and Green Glue the better.

    As with all floor / ceiling sound proofing jobs don’t add much mass until a builder has confirmed it is safe to do so (based on the depth and span of your floor joists).

    I hope this helps and send me us an email / call if you need any more details.

    Regards.
    Will
18. 

    John 05. May, 2011 at 10:14 am #

    Thanks for that Will. Unfortunately my neighbour has removed all of his side of the floor/ceiling, so there is nothing attached to the underside of the joists, and therefore no cavity. It’s been like that for over 5 years and communications have broken down. Can you think of any way around it? Would just putting boards with green glue over what is already there make any difference (at the moment there are gaping gaps between the chip boards that have been put down)
19. 

    Will 05. May, 2011 at 4:18 pm #

    Hi John

    Yes there is a way round it

    Just refer to my previous comment but treat it like a concrete floor. It would be worth using a deeper joist if you can afford to raise the floor e.g. 100mm rather than 50mm. Adjust your insulation thickness to suit.

    I would also recommend adding a layer or Green Glue and OSB directly to the existing chipboard and seal it up before you lay the battens and sub-floor.

    You should find it fairly easy to do and it will make a HUGE difference!

    Good luck and let me know if I can help with any more information.

    Regards,
    Will
20. 

    John 13. May, 2011 at 9:54 pm #

    many thanks Will – will let you know how it goes!
21. 

    Jo 29. May, 2011 at 5:04 pm #

    Hi, I’m trying to reduce the noise coming through the single brick party in my terraced house. The wall at top of my stairs has neighbours toilet, shower & sink on the other side of it and we hear everything. Would GG help, because it’s the top stair and landing, space is limited. Can I put GG on the exisiting wall then plasterboard over? Many thanks for any advice. Jo
22. 

    Will 29. May, 2011 at 8:28 pm #

    Hi Jo
    As with all sound proofing jobs you need an insulation filled cavity on top of a solid wall to get a significant improvement. If you fix plasterboard directly to the wall you will see only 10 – 15% improvement.
    Have a read of this page. You could forgo the resilient bars it mentions if you are very tight on space.
    http://www.greenglueshop.co.uk/how-can-i-reduce-noise-i-need-a-sound-proof-room/
    Hope the helps,
    Will
23. 

    Jo 30. May, 2011 at 7:53 pm #

    Hi Will,
    Thanks for your reply, I’ve read the info on the link.
    Can I ask, with regards to using acoustic boards – I’m sure I’ve read elsewhere on the web that it’s better to use ordinary plasterboard as it’s heavier, is that incorrect?
    Also, what kind of noise reduction (% wise) do you think I could I expect to get with this method without using the reslient bars?
    Thanks again
    Jo
24. 

    Will 30. May, 2011 at 9:12 pm #

    Hi Jo

    Acoustic plasterboard is the heavier and more effective of the 2. You can use standard to save money but the performance will dip a little.

    It is difficult to estimate the improvement from one building to another but it should find the level would be around 20% of what it is currently.

    Hope this helps
    Best regards,
    Will
25. 

    Ajay 14. Jun, 2011 at 5:05 pm #

    I’d like to stop sound escaping from the rear of my log cabin (single skin 50mm thick). To maintain the tounge and groove look inside the cabin is there an effective way of using a water/weather resistant product attached to the back wall of the cabin. I guess using acoustic plasterboard would be out of the question.
26. 

    Will 16. Jun, 2011 at 6:23 pm #

    Hi Ajay

    There are external cladding materials that would help, but ideally you need an independent skin on the inside. Consider fixing moisture resistant MDF with Green Glue to the inside and then battens, resilient bars and insulation. Top it off with 2 layers of acoustic plasterboard and Green Glue.

    Don’t forget that only treating the rear wall may still leave you with a problem as your result will only be as good as the weakest link in the chain.

    Let me know if you need any more info

    Will
27. 

    craig 19. Jun, 2011 at 7:13 pm #

    hi i need to soundproof a party wall (9 sqm) but have very little space to loose (only around 50mm) and very little funds too

    would doubleboarding with soundboard and green glue straight onto the existing plaster work or not at all?

    what would be my best option and could you give me an idea of costs please?
28. 

    Sam 20. Jun, 2011 at 9:22 pm #

    Hi Will..
    I have had wars with my neighbours above for 4years because of impact noise,them walking hard on there heals,kids running non stop on wooden floors they laid when they moved in,finally after many fights and threats they agreed to do work with finance from me,even though they were in breach of there contract(just had to do it,could not take it,thought i would physically hit the guy!)..So builders lifted the floors put acoustic rockwool between joists,1cm batons inside the joists and screwed plaster board down onto them to make it more airtight,all gaps sealed with mastic,3mm rubber laid on top of joists,18 or 22mm chipboard floating floor laid not touching sides,laid acoustic deck 34(22mm t&g Cement Particle Board laminated to an acoustic resilient layer (comprising reconstituted polyurethane foam laminated to recycled rubber mat)and another 6mm impact noise rubber layer on top and finally wood floorboards and flanking noise edging to make the whole thing a good floating floor.. and sadly its reduced the sound by a max of 12/15%!
    Airborne is better but impact noise not really improved.So with a knew kitchen moved above my head in my bedroom and 3 people and 3 kids starting @7am is not easy and i work nights..Out of pocket and lack of sleep,not a good blend..
    So desperate to do something to fix my solution!
    So will i was thinking i would directly green glue & screws 1 acoustic plasterboard on to existing ceiling/joist,followed by screwing on resilient bars going across other direction and then 2 layers of acoustic plasterboard green glued in between/holding them together.Do you this would make a great difference or will i be waisting even more money that i don’t have?
    If so can you please be good enough to suggest a better solution,i don’t have a lot of hight,prob 10/12cm before it become too low….Any honest advice would be highly appreciated….thank you
    Sam
29. 

    Ajay 21. Jun, 2011 at 3:57 pm #

    Will do, thanks!
30. 

    martin 25. Jun, 2011 at 4:47 pm #

    Hi,I was wondering if it would be better to remove the old plaster(not gypsm,its the old style thin wood strips and plaster type)expose the beams/joists,then attach resilient bars direct to joist with 2layers/greenglue etc to improve impact/heavy footfall or leave the original ceiling and screw resilient bars direct onto it and through it to the joists,plaster board etc.My problem is purely impact,but i cannot seem to find anywhere on your site or the internet what would be the better solution,the word flanking and transmission keep popping into my head and every picture i see of resilient bars being attached are always direct to the joists.
    Martin
31. 

    Will 29. Jun, 2011 at 3:21 am #

    Hi Craig
    You can fix a layer or 2 straight onto a wall but you’ll get much better results with a cavity. Have a read of this page for more info.
    http://www.greenglueshop.co.uk/how-can-i-reduce-noise-i-need-a-sound-proof-room/
    Best regards,
    Will
    PS Sorry for the late reply – we have had problems due to spamming
32. 

    Will 29. Jun, 2011 at 3:25 am #

    Hi Martin

    In this case it would be better to remove the lath and plaster and fix your resilient bars directly to the joists.

    When you install the ceiling leave a perimeter gap around the plasterboards and seal it with our acoustic sealant.

    I would recommend making sure the void is filled with at least 100mm of decent acoustic insulaiton such as Rockwool RWA45.

    Best regards,

    Will
    PS Sorry for the late reply – we have had problems due to spamming
33. 

    Will 29. Jun, 2011 at 3:33 am #

    Hi Sam

    Wow thank you for all the details of what was installed. It sounds like a suitable heavy specification and provided it was installed correctly it should have made a considerable difference.

    I would suggest the problem is a combination of flanking down the walls and perhaps a lack of decoupling in your ceiling (as you suggest).

    To deal with the ceiling your would remove the existing layer and fix res bars directly to the joists, then 2 layers of plasterboard with Green Glue.

    As it seems you are serious about dealing with this I would recommend lining your walls with battens, insulation, res bar, and 2 layers of plasterboard with Green Glue

    If your walls are studwalls then ensure they contain decent insulation and line them with 2 layers of plasterboard and Green Glue

    If you would like more info please let me know

    Where are you based?

    Best regards,
    Will

    PS Sorry for the late reply – we have had technical problems due to a flood of spam comments
34. 

    Tony 15. Jul, 2011 at 3:59 pm #

    HI Will
    Just about to start some soundproofing in our bedroom. We live in a semi and need to eliminate TV and shouting kid noise from next door (not heavy music) which starts from about 6.30am, not good on a Sunday morning. Before i start just thought I would get some advice and make sure I’m not going overboard. So on our connecting wall to start I was going to lift the floor boards and insulate (pls advise) and do the same in the loft but just against the connecting wall for about 4ft inwards. Then construct a stud wall 50mm from the connecting wall fixing this to the floor, ceiling and sidewall with screws and some kind of acoustic seating/sealant (pls advise). Finishing with 2 sets of Acoustic Plasterboard (15mm) with green glue in between and filling the void between connecting wall and stud with rockwool (pls advise)?…Then plaster. Can you advise on products and overall plan. Thanks Tony
35. 

    jason @ soundproofing 19. Jul, 2011 at 10:48 pm #

    Will

    A great blog and site. Some very helpful answers there and good luck for the future.

    Jason
36. 

    louise 07. Oct, 2011 at 5:18 pm #

    Hi,
    Who would I get to install something like this, would it usually be a builder or plasterer?
    Could you give me an idea of cost for a wall say 4×3 meters?
    Thanks
37. 

    Will 11. Oct, 2011 at 12:33 pm #

    Hi Louise

    I would get a builder or a joiner to but the wall lining in and a plasterer / decorator to finish it off.

    A wall of 4 x 3 M would be about 2-3 man days of labour provided they are competent and professional. This includes plastering.

    I hope this helps,

    Best regards,

    Will
38. 

    matt b 13. Oct, 2011 at 2:08 pm #

    Is green glue affected by heat? I’m dry lining alcoves in my Victorian house and one alcove will have a radiator a couple of inches from top layer of plasterboard. Is the GG going to evaporate or run with the heat from the radiator?
39. 

    Will 17. Oct, 2011 at 5:42 pm #

    Hi Matt

    No Green Glue will not be affected by heat from your radiator.

    The only concern is that the radiator should not be mounted on your new independent wall as it will transmit some vibration through the pipes into your new wall. This is not an issue if it is free-standing (not touching the walls) and may not be a sufficiently large issue to worry about for ordinary domestic noise rather than loud music.

    Best regards,
    Will
40. 

    Matt 20. Oct, 2011 at 1:37 pm #

    I am looking to soundproof a party wall as we can hear all heighbours conversations, kids, bad singing etc and i want to be able to turn the TV up without annoying them. I have a very tight budget, will be doing all the work myself and have a 4.3m wide by 2.45m tall wall to do. My plan is: building stud work offset from the existing wall by about 10mm with 50mm thick acoustic slabs between uprights then two layers of 12.5mm plasterboard with green glue in between. will this give good results? Should i use acoustic sealant around the edges of the plaster board? I need to install electrical sockets into this wall will this greatly affect the sound proofing? Thanks
41. 

    Will 30. Oct, 2011 at 2:01 am #

    Sorry Matt your comment was spam filtered for some reason.

    You should get a good result from the wall you describe. Use 75mm or 100mm deep studs for maximum rigidity and 100mm insulation (you will be able to fit this in a 85mm cavity quite easily if it is RWA45)

    Yes you need to seal the first layer and then the second layer to get a decent result.

    Electrical sockets can be enclosed in acoustic putty sheets to prevent leakage -this is definitely worth doing.

    Hope this helps and sorry for the delay

    Will

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