Sound Absorbtion and Noise Reduction for Home Interiors

Sound Absorption

Mass. The simplest method but often the most expensive is to increase the density of wall making it out of stone or brick.

However we can also increase the wall thickness by using multiple layers of plasterboard.

This may include staggering joints and having one layer on one side of the wall thicker than on the other.

This reduces the vibration by either the wall being too heavy to move or different masses either side of the wall reducing the vibration.

Sound Absorbers With light timber framed walls a number of systems are available to us depending on how much sound reduction we require. The simplest form is to install a fibreglass blanket within the wall cavity.
A second system is to have two sets of studs staggered with fibreglass insulation between the studs.

A third system is to have walls built parallel to each other with fibreglass sound insulation in both.

What we are trying to achieve is to stop the sound vibrating the wall or essentially the vibrations of sound travelling through the wall. This in turn stops the sound (or vibrations) being transfered into the next room.

Double Windows / Double Glazing
A double window is two separate window sashes fixed to the same window frame.

Double-Glazing consists of two sheets of glass fixed together with an air gap between, within the same rebate of the window frame.

Both helped reduce heat loss and increase sound insulation, but double windows increase sound insulation to a greater extent due to be increased distance between the panes of glass.

So to conclude, to stop sound we have to stop the movement of the wall (caused by the vibrations from sound) being transfered into the next room.

Note that this is a very simplified explanation of sound transmission and control. It is a large field with professionals spending their whole career on the subject.

Sound Control and Noise Reduction for Home Interiors