soundproofing a ceiling help!!

[cuda70gt]

I am trying to soundproof a ceiling to stop foot fall noises from above.
I have open 2 x 10 joists and plan to add 2 lairs of dry wall, one 5/8 the bottom 1/2.
I have to add hat channel to clear 2 pipes and give the room an even look.
I was told to try adding underlay ( the stuff you use under lament flooring) to help absorb noise.
will this work?
does anyone have any ideas to help stop noise from above??:creep:

cuda70gt

[pushkins]

The underlay that your referring to won't do what your asking it to do, since you have the joists open your best bet is to install insulation in the joists, R13 as a min. going up to what ever you want to pay for eg: R30. in a 2x10 joists you have room to add R30 since it's not for insulation but noise reducing.
That together with the 5/8" drywall capped over with 1/2" drywall is about all you can do without getting into serious sound proofing.

[Wgoodrich]

The wood will still carry some of the foot steps even with the insulation. What Pushkins suggested is the most common to address noise from living area above.

If you are installing 5/8" drywall then you might consider installing accoustical tile as the second layer. The accoustical tile should finish your soundproofing goal to best you will get.

Good Luck

Wg

[Fischer]

There's several different options. The one that I found works best is using a decoupling (acoustical) channel to hang the sheet rock from the ceiling along with high density fiberglass. The high density fiberglass works much better than the regular batts you buy from the big box stores. The channel screws to the floor joists above your room and then hangs down. You then screw the sheet rock to the channel and you have effectively decoupled the sound transmission link to the sheet rock. Really works well. Much better than multiple layers of sheet rock.

[cuda70gt]

thanks for all the advice guys.
I still have a few questions.
Fischer...what do you mean by "decoupling (acoustical) channel "??? what is that and what does it look like??

wgoodrich, what does "accoustical tile" look like? is it like a hung ceiling??

pushkins, what do you mean by "serious sound proofing." I am willing to do anything or spend any amount to eliminate noise from above. what is the best way or ways ( regardless of cost or time/ labor) to remove all sound from foot fall or general noises from above??

[Fischer]

This website will pretty much give you the best all out things you can do. If you want to take a short cut on the problem and are willing to do the expense I would:

1. use 2 to 3 inches of high density foam aprayed on the bottom of the floor above.

2. line the ceiling cavity with high density fiberglass batts "Packed" fully into the cavity.

3. suspend the ceiling off the accoustial/resilient channel using 5/8" sheetrock.

Remember any small holes that are not covered and blocked will allow huge amounts of sound to penetrate.

If this isn't enough try this web site for the whole 9 yards.

http://www.soundproofing.org/infopages/channel.htm

[Fischer]

There is a picture at the bottom of the website that illustrates what accoustical/resilient channel looks like. Click on and see an expanded picture of the whole system.

http://www.soundproofing.org/infopages/channel.htm

[Wgoodrich]

Ceiling tile is just a soft fiber square tile stapled to the drywall or wood slats. Sound will transmit through wood. The principle of accoustical tile is while the wood transfers the sound then you nail the drywall you spoke of the the wood thus sound transfers through the screws or nails you mounted the drywall. If you installed your drywall then nail wood slats to the drywall to the studs then staple the accoustical tile to the wood slats there is normally sufficient break in the transfer of sound by solid product to effectively make the ceiling sound proof. Accousticle tile is a fiber compressed with holes in the surface and white finish normally. It has a tongue and groove design so you shove the tongue into the groove the the nearby tile and staple only the exposed side of the tile through the tongue into the slats. The only solid product left to transfer sound is the staple that is deadened for sound by passing through the soft accousticle tile. The fiberglass in the joist areas adding to the design completes the soundproofing. This soundproofs both into the room and any sound leaving that room.

I mentioned it because you were talking a double layer of drywall. One layer of drywall and replace the second layer with the accoustical tile and one by wood slats is what I suggested.

Hope this helps

Wg

[pushkins]

Fischer's post with links pretty well sums up "serious sound proofing".

[cuda70gt]

wow!! thanks guy!!!
this is great info and a great site, thanks for the fast reply.
I am going to recommend this site to all my buddies who are doing DIY projects of there own.
pro advice like this reduces wasted time and money. I dont like to cut corners,I like to do a job right, the first time and be done and happy with the result.
If I have any other question, this is the first place I will look.

cuda70gt