Soundproofing all by yourself: panels or glue?

Whether you want to block out the music from the neighbors or sound proof your new home theater, the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) sound proofing project can be daunting. For your home soundproofing project there exist essentially two options: sound damping glue, like QuietGlue Pro, or factory-damped drywall panels (i.e. soundproofing drywall), like QuietRock ES. Sound damping glue can be applied between two layers of standard gypsum board to vastly increase the noise control performance of the wall. Soundproofing drywall provides the same high performance but comes pre-damped from the factory in one, compact, easy to hang panel. For small projects where time is plentiful and labor is free, sound damping glue is the lowest cost option and achieves excellent results. However, applying glue and hanging two panels of drywall more than triples the total installation time compared to simply hanging one panel of soundproofing drywall.

Measuring Noise Control for Building Construction

The airborne noise reduction through wall and ceiling partitions is measured as the transmission loss in decibels (dB). Transmission loss is a measurement of how much noise is reduced between two rooms that share a partition or barrier, and is reported in frequencies ranging from 125 Hz to 4,000 Hz for standard measurements. In laboratory testing for transmission loss the lower limit of the frequency range is determined by the size of the laboratory test rooms. To accurately measure the transmission loss below 125 Hz, a laboratory must employ larger test rooms. Any transmission loss results for frequencies below a laboratory's lower limit should not be used as the sole basis for performance evaluations. The transmission loss can be summarized into a single number rating called the Sound Transmission Class, or STC. In simple terms, the higher the STC, the more noise is reduced through a partition between the laboratory test rooms.

Do-It-Yourself Versus Commercial Construction

Damping glues can be a cost-effective way to treat noise for DIY applications where the cost of labor is zero. However, factory-damped panels are more cost-effective in commercial applications, where labor is a large part of the overall assembly cost.

You can purchase soundproofing drywall to meet your exact specifications, such as, number of layers, target STC ratings, wall thickness, and fire-rating requirements. QuietRock soundproofing drywall products are fire-rated, UL-listed, and available in overall thicknesses of 5/8" or even 1/2". Installed just like regular drywall, soundproofing panels require much less labor in the field than gluing two panels together. In fact, QuietRock ES uses a special EZ Snap technology (i.e. no paper in the middle), which enables scoring and snapping just like regular drywall. Installation of QuietRock ES is therefore no more costly than just hanging a standard drywall panel.

If you are doing-it-yourself and you have unlimited time, there is no cheaper way to achieve excellent noise control than installing damping glue. Factory-damped panels are used more frequently in high-volume applications and by homeowners who don't have the time, nor the expertise to do it themselves. Soundproofing glues are most appropriate for DIY projects including studio and home theater applications.

Product Options for Damping Glues in DIY Projects

The two most commonly used damping glues are QuietGlue Pro and Green Glue. They are both excellent products with good results for DIY soundproofing. The results of back-to-back tests on both of these products have been published on the QuietGlue website. While the quality is comparable, QuietGlue Pro generally sells for a substantially lower price, which can be important for home soundproofing projects.

Summary

Sound damping glue can be a good option for DIY sound proofing projects when you are looking for high-quality noise control and maximum cost savings. However, in the case of light-commercial or commercial applications soundproofing drywall panels ultimately save time and money.


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QuietGlue Pro and QuietRock products produce professional quality soundproofing results for the DIY project. A recently published white paper showcases the results of back-to-back tests that show QuietGlue Pro outperforms Green Glue. To access this paper and the full test reports, follow this link.