What is Green Glue and How Does It Work for Soundproofing?

Green Glue is a revolutionary new soundproofing compound that approaches the issues of soundproofing from an entirely different angle. Green Glue is no a sound blocker or a sound absorber of a sound diffuser, but rather it is a sound deadener or damper. I know, I can hear the wheels in your head turning. What is a sound damper? Well, I?m glad you asked. A sound damper is and agent or material that actually stops the transmission of sound through two rigid hard surfaces such as drywall or soundboard.

Here?s how it works, when Green Glue is applied to a second sheet of drywall and then sandwiched in between the existing drywall and this new piece of drywall. The Green Glue will actually change the resonant frequencies of both layers of drywall and will stop their ability to transmit sound.

So are your confused yet. I have a very simply analogy of how the Green Glue actually works. I got this from a customer who was well attuned to the properties of Green Glue.

If you will, visualize your wall as being a drumhead. Now you have one of your kids beat the drum with a drumstick. The drum will resonate loud and clear, as there is nothing restricting the transmission of the sound as the drumstick strikes the drumhead. Now let take that same drumhead and as the child strikes the drum you place your finger on the drumhead. What happens now? The drum is now restricted and cannot transmit the sound or will only transmit a fraction of the sound that it did when the drumhead was unrestricted. I hope this little analogy has shown you how the Green Glue acts as a sound damper when applied between two layers of drywall or soundboard. I sure put Green Glue in perspective for me and I have been in the soundproofing industry for years.

Now knowing that the Green Glue is not a blocking agent or and absorber, it is now absolutely essential that is cover every square inch of the drywall layers. In other words, once you screw the second layer of drywall over top the first with the Green Glue sandwiched in between, it makes no difference that the screws are making a connection between the stud structure and the drywall layers. Why you ask? Because we are damping or deadening the drywall layers, he Green Glue is not a soundproof barrier.

Green Glue fills a very critical gap when soundproofing. It precludes you from having to remove your existing drywall. As far as I am concerned, the less demolition I have to do, the better.

Lastly, Green Glue also works remarkably well when applied to your ceiling. If you live in a condo, apartment or loft and have neighbors above you, you know exactly what I am talking about. Impact noise also known as Footfall noise is some of the hardest noise to deal with. Sure you could spend thousands on expensive hangers and clips and mass loaded vinyl not to mention the labor costs involved, and granted you will get some great soundproofing and impact protection if these materials are installed properly, but with if you use the Green Glue system on your ceiling you can experience a 60%?65% reduction in the amount of impact noise that is transmitted from the unit above. With the cost of housing ever climbing, Green Glue is becoming an essential part of building a home that gives you peace and solitude.

To learn more about Green Glue and how it can help you soundproof your home, go to www.greengluecompany.com there you will find independent test of the Green Glue against mass loaded vinyl, lead foil sheeting, suppress and Quiet rock as well as other damping agents. You will see that Green Glue is by far the most effective sound-damping agent on the market today. If you are in the market for this product or any of out quality soundproofing products, go to: www.soundproofingamerica.com, your #1 Soundproofing resource from coast to coast.

This is Dr. Bob?.Out!!!

Dr. Bob is the Senior Technical Advisor at Soundproofing America Inc, the leading authority in Soundproofing and Acoustical treatment technology.

Dr. Bob O.
Soundproofing America, Inc.
Senior Technical Director
Soundproofing Expert to The New York Times, The San Francisco Herald Examiner, The San Diego Union Tribune, and the Charlotte Observer
Ph (877) 530-0139 Toll free Fax (347) 721-9079
E-mail: Dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
http://www.soundproofingamerica.com

Alternative Mass Loaded Vinyl Installations for Soundproofing

There is more than one method for installing mass loaded vinyl to obtain maximum effect. The standard of the industry is to install the MLV directly to the stud or joist framing using an industrial stapler or heavy-duty roofing nails that have the large plastic heads. This method is known as the membrane or septum method. The MLV works well when placed on a wall or ceiling in a membrane fashion, however it can also be sandwiched between 2 layers of drywall or other type of wallboard. The jury is still out on what thicknesses of drywall is best. For better frequency diffusion, it is best to use a layer of 5/8? drywall then the MLV as a septum (a sandwich) and then add a layer of ?? drywall or Homasote. The dissimilar materials do help in the soundproofing effort especially when we are looking to get every STC point we can get with as little effort as possible.

There is not a lot of information on the Web in regards to alternate methods of mass loaded vinyl installation, hopefully we will be able to explore this here. If you are constructing walls using the staggered stud method, it would be beneficial to actually weave the vinyl in an out of the staggered stud assembly itself. The above picture gives you a rough idea of how this would look. The key to weaving MLV (or any barrier material) is to seal the vinyl as best as possible. In the case of a horizontal weave (most common weave) it is best to overlap the seams by at least 1? and seal that overlap with acoustical caulking as well as a quality seam tape. The weaving of MLV also aids in the defusing of sound waves. This works much like the dissimilar materials except ?turbo charges it?.

You can also use the weave on a standard stud wall provided there is no drywall installed on either side of the studs. (just open studs) This weaving method can be foiled by stud cross members, so it is best to have only vertically installed studs if you are planning to do the weave. If you weave the MLV on a normally studded wall, there may be problems with the drywall sitting level on the studs. If your studs are 16? on center, then every other stud will have 1/8? of increased width compared to the studs that don?t have the MLV weaved a top of them. To keep the drywall even on both sides, a sound isolation tape can be adhered to every other stud that that is not covered with the weaved MLV this will make all of the stud surfaces flat and even and the drywall will rest evenly on the studs.

From the feedback of our contractors in the field, we have discovered that the more a wood structure is dampened, the better the soundproofing will be in a wall or ceiling assembly. This is especially true for impact noise from above. There are many ways to dampen a wood frame assembly and some are more effective than others. Some contractors have used blown in cellulose in order to dampen the joist or stud structures, but cellulose has no mass and though it will help to a degree, it is much less effective than using blown in closed cell foam, or my favorite (which requires some ceiling demo) is to line the cavity areas between studs and joists with a closed cell vinyl nitrile foam mat (America Mat is a great choice) for maximum dampening. The foam mat would be glued to the studs and the wallboard in the stud cavities (provided you have drywall on one side of the wall only). This insures that the wooden structure is completely dampened and if sealed properly will offer extra soundproofing as a result of sealing those cavities. Sealed dead air space is God?s natural soundproofing method, as I like to call it. I am sure you have read many of the analogies regarding sealed dead air. If you were able to seal the dead air space and actually create a vacuum in that space, you?d be amazed at the amount of sound transmission that would be blocked.

I hope this little narrative helps you especially if you are doing new construction for a home theater, or music sound studio in your home. Thanks for reading and learning together. This is Dr. Bob?..Out!!!!!!

Dr. Bob is the Senior Technical Advisor at Soundproofing America Inc, the leading authority in Soundproofing and Acoustical treatment technology.

Dr. Bob O.
Soundproofing America, Inc.
Senior Technical Director
Soundproofing Expert to The New York Times, The San Francisco Herald Examiner, The San Diego Union Tribune, and the Charlotte Observer
Ph (877) 530-0139 Toll free Fax (347) 721-9079
E-mail: Dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
http://www.soundproofingamerica.com

Roofing Basics

Every home owner should know a thing or two about roofing. Most homeowners, at some point, will need to replace their roof in order to maintain the appearance and quality of life within their house. However, before jumping into the process of installing a new roof, it is important to understand what to expect with regards to contractors, completion dates, the installation process and materials. Looking for a new roof can be exhausting work, but with the proper knowledge and planning anyone can complete a successful roofing project.

Installing a new roof can often be a daunting task for most homeowners. Some people feel as though they can take on the project themselves, only to find out in the end that it should have been dealt with by a professional. Make sure to plan this stuff out before you invest your money because you could end up wasting a lot of it due to poor judgment. If you do decide to have a professional roofer install your roof, know that the project will be handled in a way that accommodates to those living within the home. However, you will want to agree with your contractors on completion dates so that you can plan accordingly.

Hiring a professional has its advantages. For starters, you get expert feedback on what materials you need, for both visual and practical reasons. Pretty much any question you have regarding your new roof can be answered by a qualified roofer. Furthermore, not only will your roofing company do what you request of them, but they will also be able to locate any problem areas that may be arising. Making repairs early on can save you a lot of time and money down the road. Hiring a qualified roof pro may seem like more money at first, but the quality of the job is what matters most because a poorly installed roof will cost you much more money in the end.

It is important for you to become knowledgeable on the different materials used in roof covering. This knowledge will assist you in selecting a roof covering that is right for your personal tastes, climate needs, and budget. The most common types of roofing materials include asphalt shingles, wood shake and shingles, tile roofing, slate roofing, and metal roofing. The longevity of your roof cover relies heavily on the quality of the material that you select. Using the finest material will add resale value and visual appeal to your home. When selecting a material make sure to pay special attention to the level of maintenance that each material requires and also how well it holds up to outside elements such as rain, sunlight, fire, and debris.

Lastly, before hiring just any contractor, be sure to get at least three different estimates and check each ones references. It is usually a very good idea to ask friends and family for a reference before you even begin your search. It also helps to ask your prospective roofer what other houses in your neighborhood that they have worked on. This allows you the chance to look at their work and listen to other people?s experience. This should make your decision much easier.

To learn more about roofing and for a free price quote on metal and shingle roofing visit www.RoofingKey.com.