Soundproofing Your Basement

July 2, 2008 at 9:00 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , ,

by: Robert W. Orther

In today’s world, basements are no longer simply places to store things like a glorified garage. With the price of housing ever on the rise, many people are converting their basements into rental spaces where they can make a little extra income each month. There are also a lot of folks who want to create a refuge space for reading or meditation or even a home theater in their basements. In this article I am going to talk about soundproofing your basement from the tenants below or from the noise transmitted by a home theater.

The first order of business is to talk about the ceiling. Many times pipes and conduits as well as electrical and cable lines run between the joist cavities in a basement ceiling. A lot of people feel that need to have access to these components, but in order to achieve great soundproofing, there devices need to be sealed up by constructing a sealed drywall ceiling below. If you are concerned about the plumbing and wiring, have a professional come in before your drywall in your new ceiling. Remember that 90% of your plumbing and wiring is behind drywall and if there are problems with them then naturally the drywall will need to be removed. My point here is that if the plumbing and wiring has been inspected and given a clean bill of health, then go ahead and seal up the ceiling below.

Generally most basement areas have low ceilings which prevents us from installing a fully floated ceiling, however there is always room for materials like mass loaded vinyl that can be stapled or nailed directly to the bottom of the joists like a membrane. You will caulk all of the seams as well as around the entire perimeter of the MLV using a good quality acoustical caulk, stay away from cheap silicone caulks, they do not work as well.

Once the MLV membrane is caulked and sealed properly, it is advised that you also tape the seams with a lead tape or a mass loaded vinyl sealer tape. You will tape directly over the dried caulk. Now it is time for a layer of drywall. I would recommend a layer of 5/8” fire code drywall. This application will stop most of the airborne sound transmission and some of the impact noise from above, but the best way to alleviate the majority of the footfall or impact noise is to float your ceiling using sound clips and metal furring channels. I will talk more bout them in subsequent articles.

There is one other method for soundproofing a basement ceiling that I will briefly discuss. Instead of using the mass loaded vinyl, consider installing 2 layers of sheetrock with a layer of Green Glue applied between the 2 layers. Here’s how it works. First you make sure you have your batt insulation in place between the joist cavities, this is only necessary if your need the thermal protection of the insulation. Next you would screw in a layer of 5/8” drywall. Always screw in your drywall; never nail it in especially in a ceiling application. Then you will lay out your second layer of 5/8” drywall on saw horses, but on this layer you will apply 3 tubes of a product called Green Glue top the backside of the drywall. Green Glue is a visco elastic damping compound that is used to deaden or dampen the existing drywall and the newer layer that is being installed. You could apply only 2 tubes of Green Glue per 4’ X 8’ sheet of drywall, however using 3 tubes per sheet of drywall is much better for soundproofing. Once you have applied the Green Glue to the backside of the second layer of drywall, you will simply screw in the second layer directly over top of the first layer. A little hint here is to screw the second layer of drywall down as tightly as possible without pulling the screw through the drywall, this will insure the best dampening possible of both pieces of drywall.

After that second layer of drywall and Green Glue are installed, you will simply tape mud and texture the ceiling as you would a normal ceiling. Well, that’s all there is to soundproofing a basement ceiling. For more information about soundproofing a ceiling, walls or floors, read my subsequent articles or simply call a reputable soundproofing company, they will be glad to help you. Until next time, this is Dr. Bob…Out!

About The Author
Dr. Bob is the Senior Technical Advisor at Soundproofing America Inc, the leading authority in Soundproofing and Acoustical treatment technology.

Dr. Bob O.
Soundproofing America, Inc.
Senior Technical Director
Soundproofing Expert to The New York Times, The San Francisco Herald Examiner,
The San Diego Union Tribune, and the Charlotte Observer
Ph (877) 530-0139 Toll free Fax (347) 721-9079
E-mail: Dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Website: http://www.soundproofingamerica.com

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Five Reasons to Finish your Basement

July 2, 2008 at 8:59 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , ,

by: Jennifer Jordan

For those of you with a list of home improvement tasks – a few you’ve assigned yourself and a lot your spouse has assigned you – chances are a finished basement hovers somewhere near the top. A task that is a lot of work, it is also one that pays off: a finished basement can complement your house in ways you might not even imagine.

But why, exactly, should you finish your basement. With the lawn that needs fertilized, the wall that needs painted, and the screen door that needs replaced, you have more than enough to keep you busy. Well, the reason is simple: a finished basement can bring your house to a whole new level.

The following is a list of five reasons to finish your basement, or at least get started in that direction:

You Don’t Need That Much Storage: Unfinished basements are places where old belongings tend to get stored. As your tattered hiking boots and broken ski’s seem to multiply in quantity, you find yourself wondering if your things are reproducing whenever left alone. Storage has a way of accumulating….until you put a stop to it. You really don’t need to store, or even keep, everything you’ve ever owned. Have garage sale, donate to charity, or store your belongings somewhere else, like the attic…or the city dump.

You will Discourage Unwanted Guests: Anyone who has ever gone into an unfinished basement has probably seen their fair share of unwelcome guests: rodents, spiders, and funny looking insects. Not only do these guests have the potential to cause illness (black plague, anyone?) but they are also, for lack of a better term, kind of scary. A finished basement, however, discourages these kinds of guests: these creatures like to live in habitats that are dark, damp, and quiet, places where they won’t be bothered and won’t be asked to pay rent.

You Will Increase the Value of Your House: You might be planning on staying in your house forever, but things change. In the event you get a different job, want to be closer to your family, or find yourself running from the law, your house will likely need to go onto the market. A house with a finished basement will almost always sell for higher than one with an unfinished basement. Perhaps your finished basement has a spare bedroom, an extra bathroom, or wiring for a great entertainment system: whatever it has, a finished basement, for many buyers, is the icing on the house’s cake.

You Will Have a Place to Escape: Everyone could use a little time to themselves, time to relax, reflect, or just engage in an old fashioned nap. No one wants to do this in an unfinished basement – the thoughts of spiders crawling in your hair is enough to spike your blood pressure – but a finished basement is an ideal environment for this kind of practice. It’s nice and cool during the summer, and a good place to curl up in a blanket during the winter. It’s also a place that gives you the best chance of dodging interruptions: if you are super quiet, maybe nobody will find you.

You Will Keep an Eye on Your kids: Kids, particularly teenagers, prefer to spend time away from home: the arcade, the mall, a friend’s house may all be more appealing than a place where “mom and dad” sightings run rampant. That is, however, unless there is an awesome recreation room in the basement. A finished basement filled with a pool table, a large television, and game systems is a great way to encourage your kids to have friends over, instead of vice versa. This helps to make sure your teenagers stay, quite literally, right under your nose.

About The Author

Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor for http://www.etodoors.com . Someone who changes her mind every five minutes, her house is in a perpetual state of home improvement.

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