Insulating the ceiling

Presented by: Cascades

Who hasn't dreamed of having a room in the house that's an oasis of tranquility? On the market, there's a quantity of products that can easily insulate floors, ceilings and walls for sound. Although it's simpler to install acoustic panels during construction, it's also possible for the do-it-yourselfer to install acoustic insulation in an existing home.
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Precautions first
1. Insulate the ceiling
2. Fasten the panels
3. Seal the perimeter
4. Attach resilient channels
5. Screw the gypsum panels
Over the years, acousticians have developed practical solutions mainly consisting in combining different filters in the same wall:
  • First, sound must hit a thick wall: increase thickness on one side of the wall.
  • Vibrations going through this wall must not be directly transmitted to the rest of the wall: use resilient furrings as a vibration barrier.
  • Then, sound should be deadened with absorbent acoustical material.
  • Create asymmetry in the wall with different materials. If gypsum on one side is insulated, existing gypsum on the other side can be kept as long as there are no defects. Main material symmetry in the wall is then broken. Floors and underlayments should not be changed, as long as they are in good condition.

Precautions first

Panels of recycled woodchips are habitually available in 4' x 8' format. They are easy to cut and can be nailed or screwed onto wood or steel studs. Some of those products have fire retardant attributes that make them much more secur.

For optimized sound insulation, the wall or floor system must behave like a sound box, i.e. with the absorbing materials within the assembly and the rigid panels (gypsum, plywood, etc.) tightly closing this assembly.

On a new construction, you can start the installation right away. If it is a renovation project, strip down the assembly to the joist (remove the gypsum panels or plaster, etc.)

1. Insulate the ceiling

Blow cellulose insulation between joists as per manufacturer instructions or insert acoustical batts (3 1/2 in. or 'R-12' batts are sufficient).

2. Fasten the panels

Fasten the panels with the holes on the joist side. Use wallboard nails or 1 1/2 in. gypsum panel screws spaced 16 in. on center.

3. Seal the perimeter

Generally, we recommend you apply acoustical paste (a blue-grey coloured paste) wherever sound can pass. Apply a bead of acoustical sealant on the edge of the panels and also the wall/ceiling perimeter to seal the framing studs. This product, which always stays sticky, also seals joints between 'Sonopan' panels.

4. Attach resilient channels

Now, attach resilient channels at right angle to the joist (spaced 16 in. on center for one layer of 12 in. for two layers gypsum panels).

5. Screw the gypsum panels

Screw 5/8 po type X gypsum panels on the relilient channels. Stagger the panels on two layer asemblies. All that remains is to apply plaster to the joints and paint.
Take advantage of the peace and quiet of the room to catch a few moments of well-deserved relaxation.
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