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

Green Glue instead of insulation for soundproofing

Old School soundproofing still believes that batt insulation is a good soundproofing agent. There are some good sound batt insulations out there such as Roxul AFB and Bonded logic's bonded cotton insulation and they work well for both soundproofing and thermal protection, however no batt insulation is strong enough to stand alone as the sole soundproofing material in a wall ceiling or floor assembly.

If you can afford a good batt insulation I always encourage it, but if you are soundproofing as ceiling and are not really concerned about the thermal aspects of the ceiling then I feel adding drywall pieces cut to fit perfectly into the joist cavities and screwed to the sub floor above would be much more effective than any batt insulation. Now to super charge this application I recommend that before you screw the pieces of drywall to the sub floor you apply Green Glue sound dampening compound to the back of the drywall pieces prior to screwing them to the bottom of the sub floor.

Green Glue is a visco elastic damping compound that is taking the soundproofing industry by storm. It comes in caulk tubes and is applied using a large quart size caulk gun. Basically you would cut the pieces of drywall to fit snuggly between the joist cavities. You would the liberally apply the Green Glue to the backside of the cut drywall and then screw it to the bottom of the sub floor. The Green Glue will be sandwiched between the drywall and the bottom of the sub floor. The tighter you screw the drywall down, the better the soundproofing will be. In essence, the pieces of drywall sporting the Green Glue in their backsides with become a most effective sound dampening system that will dampen the impact noise from above long before it is able to be transmitted into the joists and ultimately into the ceiling below. Now, is more better in this case? Absolutely, if you are able to double or triple the Green Glued layer of drywall you will indeed increase the dampening ability of the drywall and the sub floor and add greatly to the soundproofing endeavor.

Once you have installed your layers of Green Glued drywall pieces into the joist cavities, now would be a good time to install your sound or thermal batt insulation. Now for our finished drywall ceiling, I recommend that we spend the money for 2 layers of 5/8" drywall. You will screw in your first layer of drywall directly to the ceiling joists. Now your second layer will be installed directly over top of the first layer however, you guessed it, I recommend that you apply 3 tubes of Green Glue to each 4' X 8' sheet of drywall that you put up. Once you have finished with the double drywall using the Green Glue, you should immediately detect a lack of annoying noise coming from the people above. You have soundproofed your ceiling and your neighbors don't even have a clue that there was a problem there. How awesome is that? Read more about Green Glue and soundproofing walls, ceilings and floors in subsequent articles, for now this is Dr. Bob....Out!!!

To learn more about Soundproofing and soundproofing materials visit our site http://www.soundproofingamerica.com/

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You can read more articles on soundproofing on our blog

Old School soundproofing still believes that batt insulation is a good soundproofing agent. There are some good sound batt insulations out there such as Roxul AFB and Bonded logic's bonded cotton insulation and they work well for both soundproofing and thermal protection, however no batt insulation is strong enough to stand alone as the sole soundproofing material in a wall ceiling or floor assembly

Soundproofing a wood or tile floor

I have been getting a lot of requests lately to write an article on soundproofing a wood or tile floor in an upper apartment or condo unit. The solutions are pretty simple if you're installing wall-to-wall carpeting, but things get a little more complicated when you're dealing with hardwoods, ceramic or vinyl flooring. To begin with, when a manufacturers STC (Sound Transmission Class) claims appear to be too high always read the fine print. Generally they mean that you can only reach this high STC value in conjunction with a myriad of other products that must to be added to your floor or ceiling assembly. For example, if you're looking at ?"cork as a floor underlayment and the manufacturer claims that it will give you 55-57 STC, keep in mind that this value will only be attained with at least 3 inches of gypcrete (light weight concrete) poured overtop of the existing sub-floor and most likely the addition of a couple of layers of cement board (Hardy or Wonder board) will be needed as well. All of the STC values of these products are additive and so the manufacturer makes his claim hoping you won't read the fine print.

Even though these values are additive, there is always the law of diminishing returns to contend with, so you still may not reach your STC goal even though it says you do on paper. Many times the call out for a floor or ceiling assembly is such that ceiling below must be floated on sound clips and furring channels or resilient channels in order to obtain the 55-57 STC values that some manufacturers claim to get from their product. Basically, no soundproofing product on it's own will give you a 55-57 STC value. If you find one that does, please let me know and I'll get it on the website immediately. There are no magic formulas. What it boils down to is simply this, very few products on the market today can give you an STC value greater than 32 to 35 STC on their own, and thus these high STC claims are very misleading to say the least.

I had a customer who told me that a 1/8" cork mat would give him an STC rating of 55- 57 when laid beneath carpet and pad. I smiled and had him show me the cut sheet (spec. sheet) for the cork. The sheet called for the addition of a poured gypcrete sub floor and numerous other items that I can't recall off hand, that were needed in order to meet the 55-57 STC. Needless to say, he was shocked. Its back to that old adage, if it sounds too good to be true, it is! That being said, the absolute best way to soundproof an upstairs unit from a lower one is by floating the ceiling in the lower unit using sound clips and furring channel (hat channel).

This is the most common method used by contractors who have done any type soundproofing in their careers. This method, though more economical than the sound clips system is only about ? as effective and is generally installed improperly even by the most competent of contractors. The difference in cost for the sound clips and furring channels is well worth it to effectively soundproof a ceiling from impact or airborne noise from above. Now there are other materials that can be placed over the sub floor above that will help stop impact noise as well as block most airborne noise from below or above. One is called American Impact Pro and the other is American Impact Standard. These recycled rubber products that are specifically designed to be installed underneath hardwood and tile floors. They will also work well under carpet and padded floors.

When dealing with a hardwood floor, you can also use a product called America's Best, which is a mass loaded vinyl that is bonded to a layer of ?" closed cell foam mat. This material will provide a certain amount of floor resilience that's prevents much of the impact noise from traveling downward, however the only way this system will work properly is if the wood planks are at least 6' in length, it is also preferred that planks be interlocking on the sides. Mass loaded vinyl with foam backing is a resilient product and will allow the new hardwood floor to actually flex when walked on. This resilience adds to the footfall protection to the ceiling below. Long planked wood floors are the only hard surfaced floors that will work with America's Best vinyl. Other floors such as vinyl or ceramic tile or Pergo floor systems will not work with this product as these surfaces will have a tendency to separate or crack.

Finally, if your condo or co-op association board has a call out for IIC (impact isolation coefficient) then you will need to call a professional to discuss the procedures you'll need to follow in order to meet that particular IIC call out. Impact isolation is a whole other chapter in the Soundproofing Bible and will have to wait until next time! Thanks for reading and learning about soundproofing a wood or tile floor.

To learn more about Soundproofing and soundproofing materials visit our site http://www.soundproofingamerica.com/

To order Mass Loaded Vinyl see our site http://www.soundproofingamerica.com/mass-loaded-vinyl.asp

You can read more articles on soundproofing on our blog http://massloadedvinyl.blogspot.com/

Waterproofing Foundation: What are your choices

If you are going to build a new home you need to waterproof the foundation of it so you won't have a wet basement in just a few years.

There are different waterproofing products and systems on the market so it really can be confusing. Hence what are your options?

Here is the short overview of the most common foundation waterproofing systems to help you to decide:

1. Liquid rubber foundation waterproofing membranes

Are elastomeric polymerized coatings made from liquid rubber - the same quality material your car tires are made from.

Advantages: They are easy to apply, quick to dry, cold applied. You can do it by yourself, by using sprayer, roller or trowel. The liquid cures into an elastic rubber coating, able to fill up current small holes and bridge possible future cracks in foundation wall as the building settles down. Rubber is flexible. They also usually come with a long warranty, and many are environmentally friendly with low solvent content, or solvent free. Very economical.

Disadvantages: Possibility of inconsistency in coverage, but the newest products will help you to determine the "right" thickness by the intensity of color, i.e. if you apply the product and you see any lighter patches, you just add more liquid. Additional surface preparation and curing may be required. If there are bigger cracks or holes in the structure you have to fill in with cement or other trowel-grade material before applying the overall coating. Also some of the liquid membranes require longer curing times for the concrete before they can be applied to insure proper bonding.

2. Hot applied Liquid Rubber Foundation waterproofing products:

It's a rubberized asphalt compound that forms a strong, flexible monolithic waterproofing membrane. Can be also applied on roofs.

Advantages: Adheres to virtually any structural surface. Ideal for rough uneven surfaces. Monolithic, free of seams, watertight, eliminates water migration and buildup of moisture. Offers strong protection because of the way it has to be applied.

Disadvantages: The surface has to be primed by primer first. The cost is higher because the product has to be applied in layers - basically you apply first coat of hot liquid rubber, then you have to quickly firmly press on the fabric reinforced sheet into that hot layer, then apply a second coat of hot liquid rubber waterproofing. Also, depending on the local building code you may have to apply 2 or 3 of these sheet layers. Because of this, the elasticity is low. And because it is Hot you have to be very careful - the best is to have it applied by a certified specialist.

3. Sheet membranes

The most common are self-adhering rubberized asphalt membranes composed of rubberized asphalt laminated to a waterproof polyethylene film.

Advantages: The biggest one is consistent thickness because they are "pre-made" to a required standard. Mechanically strong, resistant to hydrostatic pressure. Cover even the bigger holes or damaged areas. They can be applied to concrete, metal, wood or masonry surfaces.

Disadvantages: Harder to apply because of their very high "stickiness", also the cost for in-place is higher. Application requires at least 2 people to put in on properly. Requires lots of additional work = additional cost. If there are irregularities on the surface you want to put a sheet on they have to be smoothed first with some coat to make the surface even. You also would need to learn of joint treatment, lap joints, corners, penetration, priming, patching etc. And once the piece is down you won't get it back up in reusable condition.

4. Cementitious Waterproofing

Is a cement based flexible waterproofing membrane. It can consist of Portland cement, sand acrylic mixture, plasticizer and other active waterproofing chemicals to increase it's durability and effectiveness.

Advantages: Very easy to use, just mix the powder with water according to manufacturers recommendation and apply with brush or trowel. Very accessible - available from suppliers of masonry products, or specialized dealers. Paintable. Also comes in a variety of colors. In most cases one coat is sufficient, although some areas may be needing a use of the reinforcing mesh. Low cost. Corrosion and weather resistant. Can be applied as a positive or negative side waterproofing.

Disadvantages: No flexibility - cement does not stretch, so as the structure settles down there are the possibilities of the future cracks. Before applying the surface has to be free from protrusions, gaping cracks, oils, paints, water repellents and any other foreign material that could act as a bond breaker. Holes must be filled with approved block filler.

5. Bentonite Waterproofing

is a bentonite clay below-grade foundation waterproofing product which consists of sodium bentonite clay sandwiched between 2 layers of woven and no-woven puncture resistant polypropylene fabric. Comes as a clay panels and sheets.

Advantages: Can absorb tremendous amount of water. And as it takes the water in the clay swells and pushes itself into cracks and voids where it stays permanently as a barrier against the water. It is flexible and resistant to most chemicals. Non-toxic, non-polluting. No fumes. Can be applied in cold weather.

Disadvantages: Because of the way the clay works the seal does not form until the foundation is backfilled and the water reaches the bentonite material, which means you cannot confirm the integrity of the seal.

Summary: As you see a lot depends on your own situation, needs, requirements and what you feel comfortable with. The best way is to talk to the experts, check the manufacturers requirements especially for the concrete curing time, temperature limitations and additional labor requirements. Yes, waterproofing of the foundation can seem to be expensive at the first glance, but remember that it is a Long-term solution which when applied properly will save you lots of time, headache and money in the future, so please, don't skimp on it.

Dany Daylight is the site Administrator of Waterproofing-foundation-guaranteed.com
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Metal Roofing

 

For generations people have returned home, day after day, to enjoy the peace and quite of their own abode. The phrase “a roof over your head” highlights the importance of the topmost surface of any establishment. It cannot be denied that a roof is one of the most important components of any house.

Metal roofs are fast growing in popularity, replacing the traditional asbestos roofs. Metal roofs have a great capacity to contract and expand with heat along with providing protection against hurricanes, winds, snow, hailstorms and heat waves.

Metal is fire resistant, compared to many of the roofing options available. This makes it a popular choice amongst people residing in wildfire and forest fire regions. Metal is considerably more durable than asphalt tiles and can last anywhere between 30-60 years. Along with a long life, this roofing is subject to minimum crumbling, breakdown and corrosion.

Metal roofing is a popular choice amongst homeowners as it also reflects a considerable amount of the sun’s energy. This in turn may help people save money throughout the life of the roof in respect to power and heating costs. If people opt for a light-colored roof, it enables about 20% reduction in the air conditioning operating costs during the summer. In selected states, metal roofing reduces the homeowner’s insurance.

Metal roofing can be constructed from a high proportion of recycled material, which makes it popular with environmental activists and advocates. It is also much lighter than other tiles and coverings and puts minimum tension and pressure on beams and walls of the house.

After selecting the right kind of metal, the homeowner can coat the surface in any color. In comparison to other typical grids, people can use them in vertical designs, counterbalance rows, small tiles or outsized panes.

Metal roofing proves to be not only an economical option, but also lends durability and aesthetic beauty to the home.

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