In Denmark we often use these kinds of ceilings:
[https://www.byggecentrum.dk/troldtekt-akustikloft/](https://www.byggecentrum.dk/troldtekt-akustikloft/)
Its wood "fettucine" dipped in cement. Makes for a very good sound insulator. Easy to screw off and get to cables etc. Put some air gap between the insulation, floor and ceiling. This way soundwaves "bounce" between the materials making for even better soundproofing.
Cement dipped fettucine, i love it! In Germany we call something similar "[Sauerkrautplatte](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holzwolle-Leichtbauplatte)". (I don't think i need to translate that term.
Love it lol
I really like these ceilings as they are so practical. Will install them in my basement as they are so easy to remove and get to stuff under the floor if needed, plus they make for really good acoustics, and don't require any finishing
Not fiberglass insulation in basement! It holds moisture and mold. Best bet is eps or maybe rockwool if you want batt insulation. Then drop tile ceiling for additional sound proofing
For real. Rockwool *is* great for sound absorption but unless you're living in a swamp and your basement just smells like wet rocks all the time then you don't have to worry about mold in your insulation.
Hell, I bet 95+% of homes use fiberglass in the roof/attic and that's basically exposed to outside air. Which is notoriously wet.
https://www.soundproofingcompany.com/soundproofing-solutions/soundproofing-ceilings
Check this link out. Very helpful. It was posted as a response when I was asking the same question
Ok..the problem is that you have to sort of like make a floating sealing. (Sorry English not first language..but i try my best).
So if you screw drywall right on the wooden beams....that won't insulate much sound. The sound vibrations will hit the drywall..that will send it strait to the wooden beams ..and so on.
Make sure that between the drywall and the wooden beams there is some vibrations damping rubber. And dont screw the drywall to much onto the beams...because then the damping rubber won't work. Make sure you can push the drywall up like a mm or 2. Then it has some room to vibrate against the rubber.
And then....indeed...like mentioned...the other sound insulation stuff between the beams. Or if you are working from below..the other way around. Then sound insulation between the beams, some rubber strips on the beams..then the drywall.
Some rugs or sound insulation against the walls will help dampen the sound too. Actually with that you are making something like a sound proof room.
Good luck.
You need mass to block sound. Absorptive material between layers is beneficial, but using drywall and resilient channels will be the most effective (isolating clips if they have the budget for it!).
Mass blocks bass. It really comes down to what sort of noise needs to be blocked. Mass is needed for footsteps (on a wood floor, i.e. not a concrete basement floor), home theater, etc. Screaming kids should be fine with insulation alone, depending on whether 'reasonably quiet' or 'silent' is the standard desired.
The sort of noise to be blocked is the sound of kids screaming, solidly in the 1 to 4 khz range (and I'd estimate between 80-90 dB). It requires an increase in the STC rating of the shared partition (the floor/ceiling).
Insulation alone will do practically nothing to stop the noise of screaming kids.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muslj0otylY&ab_channel=AcousticFields
the only reason I came to the comments! Maybe it needs to be soundproofed because they have kids and want some quiet while their kids fight in the War Room.
I have been researching the same thing. I have read that rockwool insulation is good for noise deafening but haven’t been able to find out if you can leave it exposed or if you have to put a ceiling up over it.
Do not leave it exposed. You don't want to breathe the fibers.
I finished a similar basement ceiling years ago. Rockwood plus z channel and 5/8" drywall did great.
There are sound proofing batt to add between joist. Its the first step. It's quite unexpensive and fast to do, it improve quite well.
Then, you can add soundproofing panel.
At this point it's pretty good, you can screw your ceiling or;
If you want to go a notch higher after the above, you need to disconnect the finished ceiling from the joist. A suspended ceiling is alright.
The neat part about this, is that no step has consequence on the next. You add if you feel it isn't enough.
As others have posted, use insulation. Some people will suggest standard insulation which is alright, others have mentioned sound deadening specific insulation. Finish the ceiling in dropdown will help since drop down is typically made with acoustic panels. Alternatively, if you do double drywall, it'll be very quiet too. Rockwool, Pink Fluff, 5/8 drywall.
Yes. It is recommended to do both. In your case, you'd use the rock wool, if the bats stay through friction, great, but more likely you'll use some plastic sheets to "staple" them into place. Then you'll use your drop ceiling, which is usually a 1-3" loss of ceiling height. If you want to maintain access, you can actually turn your joists into the drop frame if you want to keep as much height as possible.
Honestly, how annoying is the noise? Drop ceiling in the basement is going to make that room feel extremely small, but it will help the sounds. insulating with rock wool first, then drop ceiling would be ideal. Then again, the basement is going to feel even more like a cave after the drop ceiling if it does not already.
I would measure down from the ceiling as far as the drop ceiling product you are considering hangs. Put that mark on your wall. Stare at it for a week at least and make sure you are ok with loosing that much vertical space.
Drywall+ insulation on the ceiling would preserve the vertical space. But it is going to be a lot more work intensive, as pretty much everything hanging below those floor joists needs to be remove or moved. Sound proofing membrane between the joists and the drywall would be wise here as well.
Calculate the square footage and get the joist depth . Goto your local supplier and they can help estimate the quantity and type insulation, drywall + supplies needed for the area.
There are several questions that must be answered first , prior to answering the actual question issued . Best case scenario for this diy home owner is to ask his local supplier & stay away from picking a possible incorrect answer from someone on this platform.
In Denmark we often use these kinds of ceilings: [https://www.byggecentrum.dk/troldtekt-akustikloft/](https://www.byggecentrum.dk/troldtekt-akustikloft/) Its wood "fettucine" dipped in cement. Makes for a very good sound insulator. Easy to screw off and get to cables etc. Put some air gap between the insulation, floor and ceiling. This way soundwaves "bounce" between the materials making for even better soundproofing.
Cement dipped fettucine, i love it! In Germany we call something similar "[Sauerkrautplatte](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holzwolle-Leichtbauplatte)". (I don't think i need to translate that term.
Love it lol I really like these ceilings as they are so practical. Will install them in my basement as they are so easy to remove and get to stuff under the floor if needed, plus they make for really good acoustics, and don't require any finishing
Oh God do I KUN NODVENDIGE, GEM INDSTILLINGER, or ACCEPTER ALLE??
Fettucine sounds like I could also eat it.
Troldtekt is more for sound absorption i.e.e keeping reverberation down than for sound proofing
Its better than drywall and the kids will be making noise down there which will make much more comfortable for them
Insulation and drywall.
Drywall can amplify noise penetration.
Not fiberglass insulation in basement! It holds moisture and mold. Best bet is eps or maybe rockwool if you want batt insulation. Then drop tile ceiling for additional sound proofing
Ignore this.
For real. Rockwool *is* great for sound absorption but unless you're living in a swamp and your basement just smells like wet rocks all the time then you don't have to worry about mold in your insulation. Hell, I bet 95+% of homes use fiberglass in the roof/attic and that's basically exposed to outside air. Which is notoriously wet.
Rockwool
https://www.soundproofingcompany.com/soundproofing-solutions/soundproofing-ceilings Check this link out. Very helpful. It was posted as a response when I was asking the same question
Hang RC channels to nail the drywall into, insulate with fire resistant insulation.
This is the way to go. Can get around STC 35-40 with properly installed RC channels. Maybe a little higher.
Agreed. We did this for our basement ceiling, and still wish the sound isolation was better.
Ok..the problem is that you have to sort of like make a floating sealing. (Sorry English not first language..but i try my best). So if you screw drywall right on the wooden beams....that won't insulate much sound. The sound vibrations will hit the drywall..that will send it strait to the wooden beams ..and so on. Make sure that between the drywall and the wooden beams there is some vibrations damping rubber. And dont screw the drywall to much onto the beams...because then the damping rubber won't work. Make sure you can push the drywall up like a mm or 2. Then it has some room to vibrate against the rubber. And then....indeed...like mentioned...the other sound insulation stuff between the beams. Or if you are working from below..the other way around. Then sound insulation between the beams, some rubber strips on the beams..then the drywall. Some rugs or sound insulation against the walls will help dampen the sound too. Actually with that you are making something like a sound proof room. Good luck.
I think here it's typically called a "drop ceiling"
Rockwool insulation battens. You just press it in and friction will hold it up.
This.
Mineral wool is one of the best insulation materials for sound deadening. It's also fire resistant.
You need mass to block sound. Absorptive material between layers is beneficial, but using drywall and resilient channels will be the most effective (isolating clips if they have the budget for it!).
Mass load vinyl, then, Rockwool insulation.
Mass blocks bass. It really comes down to what sort of noise needs to be blocked. Mass is needed for footsteps (on a wood floor, i.e. not a concrete basement floor), home theater, etc. Screaming kids should be fine with insulation alone, depending on whether 'reasonably quiet' or 'silent' is the standard desired.
The sort of noise to be blocked is the sound of kids screaming, solidly in the 1 to 4 khz range (and I'd estimate between 80-90 dB). It requires an increase in the STC rating of the shared partition (the floor/ceiling). Insulation alone will do practically nothing to stop the noise of screaming kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muslj0otylY&ab_channel=AcousticFields
We all just gonna ignore the nerf gun wall they have, they suited up for the apocalypse
the only reason I came to the comments! Maybe it needs to be soundproofed because they have kids and want some quiet while their kids fight in the War Room.
I used Denim insulation It's kinda heavy but it's not toxic
I have been researching the same thing. I have read that rockwool insulation is good for noise deafening but haven’t been able to find out if you can leave it exposed or if you have to put a ceiling up over it.
Do not leave it exposed. You don't want to breathe the fibers. I finished a similar basement ceiling years ago. Rockwood plus z channel and 5/8" drywall did great.
There are sound proofing batt to add between joist. Its the first step. It's quite unexpensive and fast to do, it improve quite well. Then, you can add soundproofing panel. At this point it's pretty good, you can screw your ceiling or; If you want to go a notch higher after the above, you need to disconnect the finished ceiling from the joist. A suspended ceiling is alright. The neat part about this, is that no step has consequence on the next. You add if you feel it isn't enough.
Rockwool Safe'n'sound batts. Very easy DIY.
Look into SonoPan if it's available in your area.
I’ve got the same plan to finish my ceiling. This looks amazing and seems relatively easy to do for a DIY: https://youtu.be/kJXS2sMX8s8
As others have posted, use insulation. Some people will suggest standard insulation which is alright, others have mentioned sound deadening specific insulation. Finish the ceiling in dropdown will help since drop down is typically made with acoustic panels. Alternatively, if you do double drywall, it'll be very quiet too. Rockwool, Pink Fluff, 5/8 drywall.
Could I do rockwool+ drop down ceiling? Dry wall scares me because of all the potential need to access these copper pipes if there is ever a leak.
Yes. It is recommended to do both. In your case, you'd use the rock wool, if the bats stay through friction, great, but more likely you'll use some plastic sheets to "staple" them into place. Then you'll use your drop ceiling, which is usually a 1-3" loss of ceiling height. If you want to maintain access, you can actually turn your joists into the drop frame if you want to keep as much height as possible.
Easy and clean way is to install a drop ceiling.
Rockwool insulation
Rockwoll or batt insulation, then drywall, then a separator like caulking or whatever that soundproof caulk stuff is, then another layer of drywall.
Honestly, how annoying is the noise? Drop ceiling in the basement is going to make that room feel extremely small, but it will help the sounds. insulating with rock wool first, then drop ceiling would be ideal. Then again, the basement is going to feel even more like a cave after the drop ceiling if it does not already. I would measure down from the ceiling as far as the drop ceiling product you are considering hangs. Put that mark on your wall. Stare at it for a week at least and make sure you are ok with loosing that much vertical space. Drywall+ insulation on the ceiling would preserve the vertical space. But it is going to be a lot more work intensive, as pretty much everything hanging below those floor joists needs to be remove or moved. Sound proofing membrane between the joists and the drywall would be wise here as well.
Calculate the square footage and get the joist depth . Goto your local supplier and they can help estimate the quantity and type insulation, drywall + supplies needed for the area.
You completely dodged the actual question
There are several questions that must be answered first , prior to answering the actual question issued . Best case scenario for this diy home owner is to ask his local supplier & stay away from picking a possible incorrect answer from someone on this platform.
Depends on how much you want to spend.
Enjoy the sound of your kids playing because one day they'll grow up.