Green Glue, Soundproofing & Band Practice

What happens when a homeowner wants to hold band practices at their house? Theses Exeter, NH homeowners had an extra room in their house (versus the traditional basement approach) but weren’t sure if they could add enough soundproofing to contain the noise for others in the home, and the neighborhood.

Eric wanted to hold band practice at and Marguerite wanted to explore what their options were and how much the project might cost. They were existing clients of my handyman business so they gave us a call to see what advice we could offer.

Homeowners & Home Pros Working Together

The homeowners appreciated our attention to detail during the project planning phase. “When we started researching the soundproofing project, you who really helped us get our bearings and guide our research. We were able to identify exactly what would provide the best results and what we could accomplish within our budget,” reflected Eric after the project was completed.

Marguerite added “… having heard others say they spent more than they planned on soundproofing, we appreciated your caution. You told us the project could quickly turn into a bottomless money pit if it wasn’t properly planned and managed. We knew we were in good hands when someone told us soundproofing isn’t a destination, you stop when you run out of money.”

A Soundproofing Solution

We learned that sound and vibration travel through points where materials come in contact with each other –  the ceiling, walls, and floors. The best resource we found for soundproofing is SoundIsolationCompany.com. There are a variety of ways that rooms are soundproofed depending on the level of quiet you want to achieve (and budget). Some of the more common methods include:

• Installing specially designed channels between the studs and drywall to deaden vibration.
• Installing multiple layers of drywall joined with a soundproofing glue called Green Glue.
• Filling air pockets in walls and ceilings with foam insulation.
• Using Homasote boards instead of traditional drywall fortheir sound barrier properties.
• Using acoustical doors and windows with sound deadening properties.

Over the course of three weeks, my handyman company helped Eric and Marguerite refine their project goals, budget and project plan. The couple agreed that they weren’t attempting to make the room completely soundproof, but rather they wanted to minimize, not eliminate, the transfer of noise to the living spaces on the other side of the walls from the music room.

To help manage costs, they decided to focus their soundproofing efforts on the two interior walls and the ceiling and leave the exterior walls untouched.

Creating a Soundproof Room for Band Practice

To stay within budget, Eric (our homeowner) volunteered to do the demolition work, which included removing the dropped ceiling and wood paneling on the two interior walls. We also also suggested Eric act as the “helper”. He could learn how to hang drywall from an expert and because we prefer using 2 people to put drywall up on a ceiling, they would save money (you can do it with 1 person using a temporary sling or special tools only a drywall company has).

Working with our technician John, was a great experience for Eric. “He was great to work with and learn from, and he always helped with minor decisions for the space we were working with.”

The construction phase of the project achieved its desired results, finishing on time and on budget. Future phases will include installing new flooring and a soundproof door, things in our plans but not the immediate budget. “We know it isn’t easy to find a contractor who can do everything that your company did at such a high level of quality,” reflected Marguerite. “We hope to work with you in the future for any project too daunting for us to tackle on our own.”