We are building a cluster home and one wall of the master bedroom is against the living/family room. The builder gave us permission to come in and insulate to provide some sound proofing. Any suggestions on what we can do to cut down on the noise coming through the walls into the bedroom?

 

Regular insulation should do the trick - either R-11 or R-13.

 

But be aware that the sound will still br transmitted through the studs, so the insulation will only partially fix the problem. There are some additional remedies that can be incorporated easily in new home construction such as using "z" channel to isolate the drywall from the studs.

 

Another method is to use staggered studs for the wall, but this also eats up 2" of floor space on one side of the wall. Fill with fiberglass or rock wool.

Avoid opposing outlets and switches in the same joist space and seal around the boxes with foam.

You will still get the transmission through the floor joists for low frequency sounds.

dick

 

One of the cheapest and easiest ways to cut down on noise is to install double layers of drywall in addition to the insulation. On your bedroom wall install two layers of 5/8 drywall. Make sure to stagger the seams, as seams and holes transmit noise. Be sure to do the same on the other side of the wall (inside the family room). After this, caulk around all you outlet and switch wall openings.

 

I want to cut down the sound or completely eliminate it coming through the bedroom wall. I've never done anything like put in dry wall myself. Is it difficult to do and should I attempt this myself or get a professional?

 

I would say do it yourself. Drywall is easy to do and is inexpensive so if you mess it up,it didn't cost too much.

 

A friend owns a night club and was dealing with neighborhood complaints about sound late at night. There was a block wall, but the low frequency music still got through. The solution was three (extreme) layers of sheetrock glued together (some screws allowed) with a special rubber caulking. The noise and the complaints went away.

Pumpkineater suggestion about two layers of drywall reminded me, so possibly a liberal application of silicone between the layers might help, or I can get the exact product name if needed. I believe it was expensive.

my 2 cents
Bud

 

get some sound attenuation batts.. aka. rotten cotton

 

You might want to try the sound barrier or design wall panels here:

Homasote Products

 

Hope it's not too late....

Don't waste time or money with the homasote. Despite its claims, it is no more effective than the double 5/8" already mentioned. Also do not use silicone caulk between the sheets. One product that has the tests to back up their claims is called Green Glue. It's not a glue, its a vicso-elastic material to absorb sound. And it IS expensive.

Oh and one caveat...the "z channel" can be very effective if the installers don't short circuit. If you go that route, try to find someone familiar with the proper installation methods.

Good luck!