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Tips for soundproofing floors
If you are finishing a basement, or building a new home, money spent soundproofing the floors between living spaces is money well spent.
The best and easiest way is to install fiberglass batt insulation as a sound barrier before you install the ceiling board. Simply calculate your square footage of the area to be soundproofed, purchase kraft faced insulation in the amount needed, and install it between the ceiling/floor joists.
Make sure to measure the distance between joists first. Most standard lumber joists are spaced 16”on center, so you would buy 15” wide insulation. Most floor truss systems are spaced 24” on center, so you would buy 23” wide material. If you have a truss system you can double the soundproofing by running the first layer of insulation perpendicular to trusses, laying it over the bottom truss chord, and fishing it through the truss spreaders, then installing the remaining batts between the joists, using wire insulation supports that are slightly larger than the opening. They will bow up into the insulation, holding it firmly. I would use the thickest insulation that will fit in the cavity. If you have 2x12 joists, spend the extra money and buy 8” thick insulation. Don’t compress the batts, that will lower the sound reduction qualities, and the more loft, the better.
Either way, the sound reduction is amazing. I insulated all interior walls and floors in my house, since my kids were young when I built my house. As they grew into teenagers, the sound reduction paid dividends every time they had a sleepover, or turned the music up. I highly recommend it.
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