April 2, 2009

Your Soundproofing Solution

by: David Ingersoll

Soundproofing a wall or a ceiling is one of the most challenging construction applications in the world today. To help you with these applications, Acoustical Solutions introduces Green Glue. Green Glue is a liquid sound damping compound used between layers of drywall or other building materials.

Moving to a new home, installing a home theater, having a new baby, getting new neighbors, or just growing weary of the everyday noise are all reasons that cause people to want to consider soundproofing. Another common soundproofing complaint is footstep noise from rooms above. “I can hear my neighbors walking and sliding their chairs.” In a world where hard surfaced floors are increasingly popular, this problem is becoming increasingly important, and quality strategies and solutions are needed.

Acoustical Solutions, Inc. of Richmond, Virginia, who has been offering sound barriers, sound absorption and sound isolation products for twenty years, is now proud to introduce Green Glue. Green Glue is a liquid, waterborne, sound damping compound, which represents the highest performance product of its type. It is used in between sheets of drywall, subflooring or other building materials. It is significantly lower in applied cost than competitive products, with an excellent cost/performance ratio. It is also remarkably tolerant to real-world application conditions and carries almost none of the burden of precision required by many soundproofing systems.

The best application for green glue is between sheets of drywall, OSB or Plywood over the main part of a wall, floor or other structure. Green Glue will not be effective as a paint or coating. Green Glue is non-toxic with no mixing required. For walls, floors and ceilings, this product drastically reduces impact and airborne noise. It can also be used in commercial environments, new construction or remodeling of an existing space as well as home theaters, and recording studios.

Sound damping is a very straightforward concept. Simply put, sound damping is the rate at which something dissipates energy. In a constrained layer damping system, sometimes referred to as CLD, a damping material is sandwiched between two other (usually stiff/rigid) materials. For example, Green Glue sandwiched between two layers of drywall. Sound damping occurs when the viscoelastic center of the "sandwich" is sheared. The shearing pulls and stretches on the sound damping material. Under these conditions, the unique polymeric construction of Green Glue very efficiently converts this mechanical energy to heat. The vibration energy is not isolated; it's dissipated and removed.

Green Glue comes in 29 oz. tubes. You can use any quart size caulk gun, available at most hardware and building material stores. It is very fast and easy to apply. No special skills whatsoever are required. Recommended application is two tubes of Green Glue per 4' x 8' area or two tubes per standard sheet of drywall. If you are not on a budget, utilizing three tubes per sheet will improve performance. Each case of Green Glue covers about 192 square feet, or 128 square feet if used at the three tubes coverage rate. Do not use more than three tubes per 4' x 8' sheet, as performance will actually decline above three tubes per sheet.

For more information or to place an order for this new soundproofing material, please call Acoustical Solutions, Inc. at 1-800-782-5742 or visit us at http://www.acousticalsolutions.com