[Greenbuilding] Noise between floors

[Breitner, Chris]

> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2007 10:45:46 -0800
> From: Jefro <jefro at jefro.net>
> Subject: [Greenbuilding] Noise between floors
> To: Alan Abrams <alan at abramsdesignbuild.com>
> Cc: greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
> Message-ID: <45EDB6DA.6040800 at jefro.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
> 
> Is this the same thing as (or similar to) sound board? 
> 
> We have a similar "drum" situation in the house we are building, with 
> bedrooms over kitchen & living room.  We milled our own beams 
> and thus 
> have left them exposed as joists, with a 1-1/8 sturdi-floor 
> subfloor.  
> The plan right now is to put a wood floor over that and then a good 
> thick rug in each bedroom.  From the bottom, between the big 
> joists, I'd 
> like to add 1/2" sound board and then exposed paneling, or something 
> fancier if more time materializes out of thin air. 
> 
> However, I have zero faith that any of this is going to stop 
> the "drum" 
> effect.  It isn't the end of the world, but if there is something 
> inexpensive I can use to mitigate it, I'd be happier doing it 
> now than 
> later.  How much would an underlayment help?
> 
> Alan Abrams wrote:
> > Woodstalk was a high quality not-quite-structural panel 
> manufactured 
> > (or at least distributed) by Dow, using agricultural waste material.
> >   
> 

If you're in or near Montreal, QC, Canada, you might look at RoyalMat
(www.royalmat.com), a company that makes sound dampening products out of
shredded tires. Basically, this goes between your subfloor and the
hardwood (or whatever is on the top layer).  You can also use their
products on top of the floor at noise-transmission areas: under the
dishwasher, drumset, musical amplifiers, kids' stereo, an acoustic
piano, etc.

Chris