Remove plaster for soundproof?

The quotes I received were for one wall about 9’h x 12’w. This is the party wall in a townhouse and the room is our primary bedroom.

JoeBushwick

in General Discussion 3 years and 9 months ago

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colonialrevival | 3 years and 11 months ago

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@janedrew yes! Kevin has been very helpful, as well as Ned from Hush Soundproofing who we will likely be contracting out for the big chunks of the job. However, neither of them have wanted to go under the floorboards aside from some spray insulation foam where the wall meets the floor. I understand this, it’s far easier to soundproof from below, but we have some ornate trim on the floor below that would be best to leave undisturbed. After some investigation today during another chatty session next door, the flanking noise coming through the floor (thus the joist pockets) is most pronounced as we can hear everything they say crystal clear. I know that isolating the party wall will be huge in soundproofing gains, but I was always taught to do it “all the way, and the right way.” In that sense, to leave the source of the issue untouched, and add material that makes it even harder to address later, would be a mistake.

I’m placing some orders today to test a section i n another room that already has easy access to the joists (via our basement) and will report back with my findings.

Guest User | 3 years and 11 months ago

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Steve, yes some could research it and spit it out and is a risky practice Being burned here by exactly that, I’ll not be following that practice. Not everything you read is comprehensive enough and one will not glean as much as having had actual experience and facts. In situations like these I prefer to direct OP to contact an expert.

Even if I have done it a few times, there are often limits to advice that can be given online without understanding/knowing the reality.

andriywww1990 | 3 years and 11 months ago

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jane, in short there is a way to sift through it. if i were doing this in my house, i would not call the firm you mention but would be reading a lot and asking questions of the people who sell the products. and after talking to them, i would read more to see if i can discount what they are saying. you are correct though, if OP is not interested in this stuff and does not want to read this stuff, op would be wise to follow your advice.

there are ways to “manage” this stuff and these projects. one way is to call a pro. the other is to do a lot of research and we often did both in buildings. i still check behind what people tell me and as you now know, people on this board would be wise to do that with everything they hear on here. A board like this can serve as a good “starting place”.

Guest User | 3 years and 11 months ago

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I don’t have any issues with using the forum as a starting point or for discussion, that’s what it’s here for. As you said one must read, research talk to multiple people and then figure it out. Relying completely on the forum or one pro is not always a good idea.

JoeBushwick | 3 years and 11 months ago

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We had the exact same problem as you describe and I did much of the research with various contractors etc. At the end of the day, we left the plaster intact and did not pull up the floor. We did install mass-loaded vinyl, new metal studs, rock wool insulation and two layers of 5/8″ sheetrock with Green Glue between the layers. This made a huge difference. We only did the work in one room so we still get sound coming through other parts of the party wall but in the room where we did the work it is so much better.

Guest User | 3 years and 9 months ago

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@colonialrevival or @JoeBushwick can you share ballpark numbers that you were quoted for wall soundproofing? As well as how long it took to do the work? Thx

JoeBushwick | 3 years and 9 months ago

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Replying to janedrew: I got ridiculous prices ($10K for one room) from specialty sound proofing contractors so I ended up hiring a handyman and we did it together. The job is not technically difficult and if you do your research and follow standard designs available online, any decent contractor should be able to do the work.

Guest User | 3 years and 9 months ago

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@Joe, thank you! Yes seems high. Was it for 4 walls and a ceiling? Also thank you for the guidance re using a contractor vs. a soundproofing co.