my current client got advice from another person about controling sound from bathrooms to the master bedroom, which was putting up 3/4 in plywood on either side of the wall with insulation. There’s got to be a better way.
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Have you seen the latest issue of FHB? It's got a whole article on soundproofing a bathroom.
zak
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin
"so it goes"
What do they have going on that makes so much noise, or shouldn't I ask?
Get the cheapest / loudest fan available and save your money.
Cover noise is where it's at.
To borrow from another thread, have the HO spray some WD40 on the moving parts before using the toilet. That should quiet things down considerably.
plywood might help but not much. Creating a separation is better. I recently installed a few sound walls using resilient channel and sound board under drywall and it was very effective. The technique is described in the latest FHB. In place of mass loaded vinyl I used a heavy underlayment/ cushion made for laminate floors. The quietest room I ever created was an Xray room in a chiropractors office that was sheathed in lead.
Theres been a lot of discussion here on BT about sound deadening- do a search.
Theres also a lot of info on the web.
Quieting down the plumbing in bathrooms is another issue that's worth considering. Separate the piping from the framing. Use insulation. Cast iron DWV.
Tom
The new JLC has a new product listing for a two part stud where the sections are separated by a resilant strip. Claims that they can get STC's of up to 65, but I don't know what all details are needed for that.
i posted awhile back where i took some 2x6 studs and ripped em down the center leaving the top & bottom 5" still connected... then using a poly caulk that doesn't get hard to fill the saw cut....
for a small project I could see where this would be an option.... the only test i did with them was to see if it affected their use as a stud and to tap on one side and note the difference in sound from a non cut & filled 2x.... it made a huge difference in the sound part and i couldn't tell any difference as to how strong they were.... I used Vulcum 116 poly caulk... got the idea from some metal studs i saw once that had a bonded rubber web...
p
why not simply alternate 2x4 studs on 2x6 plate. fairly common technique, seams a little less labour intensive.
I usually just fill the walls and floor with mineral wool batts. It makes a big difference without resorting to resilient channels or doubling up the drywall. But in most situations the majority of the sound transmission seems to come through the door - or under it - especially when it is a pocket door.
as mentioned there are a number of ways to reduce sound.
one way that I learned about while at the recnt JLC expo is to use 1/2" drywall on one side of wall while other side gets 5/8" the reason this helps is that it absorbs different frequencies as the sounds hits the 2 different thicknesses of board.