How to Soundproof ANY Wall:

When looking to soundproof an existing wall in your home, studio, or office, there are a couple of things you will need to know before you get started. The first is that there are two types of noise that we deal with when soundproofing a room: airborne noise and structural/vibrational noise. The majority of the time, the actual structural properties of the wall are not the soundproofing issue. Rather, the gaps, holes, or other imperfections are the cause of airborne noise traveling through the wall. You would be surprised by the amount of noise that can travel through a tiny gap in your wall.

Types of Wall assemblies in a Home

For a wall, we’re usually soundproofing for airborne noise, which includes loud music, people talking, dogs barking, loud sirens, etc. The wall's ability to block sound is referred to as an STC rating! Depending on the building’s age and the quality of the construction, you may or may not have a wall already built to keep out as much airborne noise as possible. On the other hand, the older and/or more dilapidated the building, the less likely it is to have high-quality soundproofing. Here are some examples of what walls might look like.

Standard Residential Wall

A standard residential wall will be constructed of drywall, insulation filled air cavity (generally exterior only, drywall on 2x4 studding.

Soundproof Residential Wall

A wall that has been constructed with attention to its sound blocking properties will have additional features, some of which include:

• Acoustical sealant to ensure all gaps, cracks, and seams are well-sealed
• Additional density to the walls with mass loaded vinyl and multiple layers of 5/8” drywall
• Sound isolation clips to create larger airspace in your wall cavity

Here are a couple of those examples below:

For this section, we're concentrating on solutions that do not involve removing drywall. If you need higher performance, you may decide the best option for you is to remove the existing drywall for more options. Read our wall soundproofing guide for a more extensive look at how to do it. But let's get to it!

Solutions to Soundproof Existing Walls

When soundproofing of an existing wall, there are a handful of approaches ranging from okay to very good, an it will depend on how much sound you need to block.

Recommended Solution: RSIC-1 Retro Sound Isolation Clips

Alternative Solution: Green Glue + 5/8" Drywall

Alternative Solution: BlocknZorbe Sound Panels

Most acoustic panels only absorb sound waves, improving the sound quality and reducing echo and reverb within a room. But they will not stop sound from traveling from one room to another (soundproofing). HOWEVER, as the name suggests, our BlocknZorbe panels are designed to block AND absorb sound.

With 100% coverage of a wall with the 2" thick BlocknZorbe™ you can reduce sound through that wall by 8-10 decibels.

1. Step One: Seal the edges and penetrations of the existing wall with acoustical sealant
   
   
2. Step Two: Screw each panel into the wall or use construction adhesive to adhere them to the wall
   *you MUST cover 100% of the wall for this to be effective at all
   
   
3. Step Three: Seal around the edges and penetrations with acoustical sealant

EXPECTED STC RATING: 40-42

Alternative Solution: Mass Loaded Vinyl + 5/8" Drywall

Mass loaded vinyl is a great soundproofing material because it is super dense, versatile, and great at blocking sound, but the reality is that it is best reserved for behind the drywall as it needs the studiness of the studs to support its weight. Drywall will NOT support the weight of MLV. However, if you fasten it directly to the studs through the drywall, you can use mass loaded vinyl for existing walls, though, again, we recommend it for direct attachment to the studs. In addition to that, mass loaded vinyl is an industrial product that doesn't look very good in a home. You could consider installing drywall over the MLV to get that finished look, but at that point, it’s a lot easier and of similar effectiveness to just use Green Glue and a new layer of 5/8” drywall.

EXPECTED STC RATING*: 45-47
*with second layer of drywall

Alternative Solution: Blown In Insulation to Wall Cavity

We felt that we had to comment on blown in insulation as a soundproofing method because so many other websites reference it as a potential solution. The fact is, insulation is an important component of a high-performing wall assembly. But if your wall already has insulation, you won’t improve the wall’s STC rating by blowing in more. In fact, overstuffing the wall with insulation you will reduce the soundproofing of the wall. If your wall does not have insulation, add insulation to reduce the amount of noise through your wall. It is imperative that you well-seal any holes you make to blow insulation in.

For more on insulation and if soundproof insulation works, check out our article on the topic.

EXPECTED STC RATING: 31-33