On its own, 1 lb mass loaded vinyl is rated STC 26, but that isn’t what it adds to your wall. This guide explains what an STC rating is, gives the STC ratings for MLV and common wall assemblies, and compares sound batts with mineral wool. It also covers MLV in ceilings with batts and the difference between STC, NRC, and OITC, so you can read any spec sheet with confidence.
If you can hear the conversation in the next office, someone can hear yours. A sound masking machine raises the background sound just enough that speech through a wall or door can’t be understood. This guide explains how sound masking works, where to put the machine so it actually helps, what makes the best one, and how office masking systems compare with soundproofing and with a simple machine at home.
Footsteps and voices from the floor above are among the most common noise complaints, and the right underlayment depends on the flooring you’re laying. This guide explains how soundproof underlayment works and picks the best one by floor type. It compares mass loaded vinyl and rubber underlayments, covers laminate, engineered hardwood, vinyl, and tile, and walks through how to soundproof a floor with underlayment from start to finish.
Acoustic panels hang a lot like heavy pictures, but where they go matters more than how they go up. This guide shows how to hang acoustic panels with impaling clips and the other common mounting methods, then where to place them on walls and ceilings for the most effect. It also covers panels for a recording studio, how many panels a room needs, and whether acoustic panels really work.
Yes, you can put mass loaded vinyl over existing drywall without tearing the wall out. This guide explains why MLV performs differently over drywall than under it, then shows how to install it step by step: screw it through to the studs, tape the seams, and cover it with a new layer of drywall. It also covers MLV between two drywall layers, which MLV to choose, and the key do’s and don’ts.
A garage has the biggest, thinnest door in the house, walls that are often bare on one side, and sometimes a bedroom above. This guide starts with the leaks, then covers soundproofing the garage door, walls, ceiling, and attic, and the wall between the garage and the house. It also covers sound dampening panels for a band, gym, or workshop, keeping the garage ventilated, and what it costs.
Mass loaded vinyl isn’t complicated to install, but it’s heavy work, and one open seam or gap around an outlet lets sound straight through. This guide lists the tools you need, then shows how to install mass loaded vinyl on walls, how to cut it cleanly, and how to hang it on a ceiling. It also covers installing over existing drywall and the common mistakes that undo the whole job.
Soundproof paint sounds like the perfect fix for a noisy shared wall, but even several thick coats add almost nothing to the wall’s weight, and weight is what stops sound. This guide explains what soundproof paint actually is, the math on why paint can’t block sound, the small effect it can have on echo, and when it helps. It finishes with what to use instead of acoustic paint.
Exposed ducts, brick, and big windows look great in a restaurant or office, and they’re exactly why the room is so loud. Hidden panels under tables can help without changing the look. This guide shows how much under-table absorption really adds up to, how to mount panels under tables, and which hidden and concealed ceiling options still work. It also covers where hiding panels doesn’t work at all.
Most walls get soundproofed after the fact, when a new neighbor moves in or a nursery ends up next to the TV room. You don’t have to tear out the drywall. This guide shows how to find where sound gets through, then ranks the fixes: sealing outlets and gaps, adding insulation without opening the wall, mass loaded vinyl and new drywall, a second drywall layer, and soundproof drywall panels.