Sheetrock Soundproof – A Marketing Gimmick?

There is no such thing as sheetrock soundproof. There is no such thing as soundproof. The term soundproof is a misnomer. The term sheetrock soundproof makes no sense and is a marketing gimmick to fool the uniformed. Sound or noise is managed to reduce below certain levels or nuisance values. The process of noise transmission is managed through the use of a barrier. A barrier is a structure that you place between the source of the noise and the receiver of the noise. Drywall or sheetrock is just one barrier type material.

Different Barriers For Different Frequencies

There are many material types used to mitigate noise transmission. The barrier design is strictly based upon the frequency and amplitude of the noise. Barriers that must be built to mitigate lower frequency noise transmission are completely different from barriers that you must build for middle and high frequency noise. All noise must be quantified and qualified through noise measurements. Let’s look at the total noise measurement process and then you will quickly see that the term sheetrock soundproof is more marketing speak than physics.

Sheetrock as Soundproofing?

Noise transmission is composed of two major parts. We have frequency and amplitude. Frequency is where the noise lies on our hearing spectrum. Amplitude is how strong each frequency of noise is. It is a combination of frequency and the strength of each frequency that we must measure over a 7 day time period. We must measure over seven days so we can see what day the noise is the loudest and at what frequency the loud noise is at. We will measure each day and take two noise measurements. We will measure at the quietest part of the day and the loudest part of each day. We will measure both the frequency and the strength of each noise frequency.

Minimum And Maximum Pressure Levels

The reason we must have numbers over the complete week is so that we can get the minimum pressures and the maximums. If we know the loudest day, we can design for that day and all other days that are not as noisy will be managed. Guessing with noise is foolish and expensive. If you build a barrier design you think will work and build it and it doesn’t work as expected, you will have to tear it out and start over. No one wants that.

Measure Noise Levels For 7 Days For Proper Soundproofing

At Acoustic Fields, we have a process for measuring all noise issues. We send you measurement apps and you download them on your phone. You follow our video instructions and take two measurements a day over a one week time period. It is best to take the noise measurements during the hours the room will be used. After you take the frequency and amplitude noise numbers, you record that data on our online form and then send it to us. We analyze your noise data and compare it to over 300 rooms that we have built and measured.

The Right Material For The Job

After we have calculated what material types to use based upon your noise numbers and how thick each material needs to be, we will design how to arrange each material type in the barrier. We then issue you a drawing to show you what specific materials to use and how to arrange them to form the barrier wall. No need to think about sheetrock soundproof. You will have the materials and how to build it from the drawing. No guesswork required. It is 100% fixed and 100% right. We guarantee all of our barrier designs.

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Not All Noise Is The Same

Noise below 125 hz. requires a completely different barrier design than noise transmission issues above 125 hz. This is why it is so critical to measure both the frequency and amplitude or strength of all noise issues. There is no one barrier design or type that works for all noise. If your noise is below 125 hz. and you have not measured the noise and then you have built something that you think will work, it probably won’t. It may help mitigate middle and high frequency noise but that is not the frequency and amplitude of your issues.

Permanent Construction Solutions

The barrier you just built by guessing at the noise will be like holding up a feather to stop a tornado. All noise must be measured so you do not make any mistakes and then you will have to tear it all out and start over. With noise issues, you do not want to spend one dollar more than you have to since you will not get it back. All barriers require a permanent construction solution. There is no wall hanging unit that will stop noise.

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Noise Is Like Water

It will find the weakest link in the structure and go through it. When you are dealing with noise, you must think of your room as a boat that you are going to place within the ocean. The boat must do two things extremely well. It must be strong enough to withstand the waves crashing against it. It must also be water tight so there are no leaks.

This is why noise must be a permanent construction build. We must build a boat that can withstand low frequency waves and be air tight so that we get no leaks. A very small hole within our boat can cause the noise to come in and sink our boat.