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Posted By: CatBrat Green Glue - 11/08/09 03:48 AM
I've been trying to find ways to sound proof the upstairs bedroom that I'm planing to turn into a mini home theater. So far, a good economical way seems to be to use "green glue" between 2 sheets of sheet rock. Use on walls, ceiling and flooring. If anyone has tried this or has a better way, then please tell about it, along as to what the cost would be per square foot or something that would be helpful in evaluating cost. Green glue costs about $180 with shipping for 12 tubes on ebay. Enough to do 4 sheets of 4x8. This would be $1.40 per sq foot + cost of 5/8" sheet rock.

There's also quietrock 545thx panels, but they cost about %5.50 per sq foot.
Posted By: Micah Re: Green Glue - 11/08/09 07:27 AM
You could probably Dynomat the whole room for under $10,000! ;\)


J/K of course. Although Dynomat is extremely useful in car applications, it's just way too darn expensive for doing large area's. Too bad they don't have a similar product out for home applications. I honestly haven't heard of 'green glue' or its superpowers. I do know they make special insulation for sound proofing rooms. However I think they fall quite short of actually keeping sounds from escaping a room. Foam panels on the walls, and ceiling would go a long way, but if looks were important, then they probably won't get the nod.

Way back in high school I remember a buddy of mine who was the drummer for his rock band. They had set up shop in his parents basement, and actually looking back on it I suddenly realize that his parents were VERY liberal in letting their son do whatever he wanted in that basement. Obviously they told him so long as they couldn't hear them downstairs they could play whenever they wanted to. So the entire basement was covered in this 'egg crate' looking black foam that he said he got down at the music store (this was way before the internet was alive) for sound proofing rooms. I don't know what it was called, made out of, or what they might have had behind it (perhaps layers of different materials), but it was quite amazing the level of sound proofing they were able to achieve. When you walked into the house upstairs you couldn't hear anything except a very faint bass drum kick. No high pitched, shreiking guitars, cymbal crashing, or anything else that would ever keep someone awake at all, it was damn near undetectable. When you opened the first basement door (they had doubled the doorways up... at the top of the stairs was the original door, walk down the stairs and then you opened the second door which they had put in when they sealed up the basement) the music became a bit more noticable, but still sounded like maybe a clock radio was playing downstairs or something. Then once you walked down the stairs and opened the second door an insane blast of drums, bass, keyboards and two screaming guitars hit you like a bullet train straight to the chest. You guys think I listen to my music loud? I have no doubt in my mind at all that the 6 guys in that band all have hearing problems today.

Now certainly I remember Rob explaining what all they'd done to sound proof the basement, it was way too impressive to miss the explanation of how they did it. However that was 20 years ago, so I can't rightly recommend any of what they did, because I don't recall any of it. All I know is that if looks aren't important and the powers that be in your house care less about what the room looks like and more about not being able to hear what's going on in that room... well then I can definately say there is a way. I may not know how they did it, but they certainly achieved a level of sound proofing that most of us can only dream of late at night when we're watching one of our favorite movies and the kids are upstairs sleeping, or your apartment neighbors are right under your feet or over your head. I for one have dreampt of it on many a night.
Posted By: fredk Re: Green Glue - 11/08/09 07:39 AM
Green goo is a high viscosity glue. The method is known as constrained layer damping. Supposedly works very well in speakers, but I know next to nothing about room isolation.
Posted By: FordPrefect Re: Green Glue - 11/08/09 12:28 PM
Advice from Axiom, I suspect effective soundproofing comes with a hefty price.

http://www.axiomaudio.com/soundproofing_pt1.html

http://www.axiomaudio.com/soundproofing_pt2.html
Posted By: Joe_in_SC Re: Green Glue - 11/08/09 01:26 PM
Here are some pretty good options: http://alsnetbiz.com/homeimprovement/faq10b.html

Search the internet for tons of info on soundproofing.
Posted By: CatBrat Re: Green Glue - 11/08/09 03:06 PM
Here's Green Glue's home page.

http://www.greengluecompany.com/

Check out the tab called "test data".
Posted By: aka LOGANATOR Re: Green Glue - 11/08/09 04:22 PM
Besides the green glue page above, I HIGHLY recomennd checking out the Adio Visual Sciences (AVS) forums on Dedicated Theater Design and COnstruciton. Read the sticky Acoustical Treatments Master Thread. Be warned, it's really long but has GREAT info. Search the other threads for info on Green Glue.

I just (two weeks ago) finally had my basement theater drywalled with 2 layers of 5/8 rock and Green Glue. I also had them caulk all seams in the first layer. However, I also decoupled all of the framing using Resilent Sound Isolation Clips (RSIC).

Sounds like it's too late for the OP to decouple, but the drywall and GG will go LONG way towards helping and is probably the best bang for the buck.

Beyond that, you can make absorption panels out of Linacoustic (a fiberglass product used to line and quiet AC ducts) and an acoustically transparent material (if you can blow through it; it's AT).

Link to AVS Forum:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=19

Good luck!
Posted By: ClubNeon Re: Green Glue - 11/08/09 05:52 PM
There's a company Acoustic Sciences Corporation (ASC), which makes something similar for applying between layers of sheetrock. Check out their sound proofing site for some ideas.
Posted By: Murph Re: Green Glue - 11/09/09 01:49 PM
My initial intent was to design a well soundproofed HT. After seeing the price of doing it effectively, I compromised on it. It's just the wife and I in the house and our neighbors are distant enough that sound is not an issue.

I guess if I lived in a duplex or a tight neighborhood, I would worry about it but it was so expensive, you have to really have a need for it to make sense. That or the extra cash, I suppose.
Posted By: Potatohead Re: Green Glue - 11/09/09 06:42 PM
^ Agree with Murph. I doubled the drywall and used acoustical sealant between the first layer and studs, as well as between the two layers... Used Roxul Safe and Sound insulation, solid core door, etc. It works well, but clearly not soundPROOF, which is tough to do with HVAC vents and the like. The added cost of full soundproofing didn't justify the gain for me, seeing as how we're in a detached house and the bedrooms are two floors up.
Posted By: CatBrat Re: Green Glue - 11/09/09 06:55 PM
Over the weekend, I changed my priorities after thinking a little more. I'm going to order a pair of M80v2's in a week or 2, then a receiver and try it out in the room first, before making any changes to it.
Posted By: Murph Re: Green Glue - 11/09/09 07:51 PM
An excellent choice! Unless your room is a square, concrete cave, you will be astounded at what you hear.
Posted By: Kruncher Re: Green Glue - 11/09/09 08:50 PM
FWIW, there's a feature in the latest Home Theater magazine which features a nice HT. The owner describes how using Green Glue and double drywall lowered the SPL in an adjoining room by over 40db. Pretty impressive results if you're serious about doing that work.
Posted By: Potatohead Re: Green Glue - 11/09/09 09:58 PM
Compared to what? Single drywall?

I think on the GG site, just doubling drywall alone is a big difference, the GG helps another 8 db or so if I remember correctly.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: Green Glue - 11/09/09 10:01 PM
You know what helps most, though? Turning down the volume or inviting everyone into the room. ;\)
Posted By: MarkSJohnson Re: Green Glue - 11/10/09 12:27 AM
 Originally Posted By: Murph
Unless your room is a square, concrete cave, you will be astounded at what you hear.


::Fred Runs Away Crying::
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