Sound Proofing Material / Video

SkyCaptain

I can't recall if it was here or somewhere else that I saw the video, but someone linked to a website that sold a piezo-electric or elastic material that greatly dampened sound. There was a youtube video (which I've tried searching for) that shows a dome made of this material covering a very loud and large noise making device.

Anyone recall what the brand name of that material was called?

cncaudata

No domes, and I've never seen a video, but...

I just watched a Holmes on Homes episode where they soundproofed a townhome. They used a drywall called something like quiet-rock, which was two layers of polymers or some such thing sandwiching a thin sheet of metal - they said the layered stuff would actually absorb sound energy, converting it to heat. They measured it with a DB meter on the show and it seemed rather effective.

Here's the website of the product: http://www.quietrock.com/

SkyCaptain

That's close and uses the same method, but this stuff I remember seeing was just like a roll of black rubber wallpaper you installed on the studs and then put drywall over.

bburk

SkyCaptain wrote: »

That's close and uses the same method, but this stuff I remember seeing was just like a roll of black rubber wallpaper you installed on the studs and then put drywall over.

I've never heard of anything peizo-electric, but you last comment sounds like basic Mass Loaded Vinyl. It's a very common method of professional soundproofing. Basically a big sheet of special material that you instal over the studs before you put on the sheetrock. It has to be sealed airtight though to function effectively.

SkyCaptain

That's not it either. It is a black rubber material you can staple / nail to studs and it converts sound to heat through piezoelasticity or something like that.

bburk

SkyCaptain wrote: »

That's not it either. It is a black rubber material you can staple / nail to studs and it converts sound to heat through piezoelasticity or something like that.

I don't really know what piezoelasticity is, but any material that attenuates sound waves (as opposed to reflecting them) will convert the sound into heat. The law of conservation of energy and all that. That's how acoustical foam treatment works.

MLV is somewhat different in that it's not a 'treatment', it's used for sound-proofing. So it is installed between the studs and drywall (conventionally) in order to prevent the transmission of vibration through the construction materials and sealed airtight to prevent sound waves emanating through 'cracks'.

I know a little bit about sound treatment, are you just curious about the material or are you attempting to do something specific?

Improvolone

Again, not what you described, but a lot of dedicated home theater builders like to use Green Glue

SkyCaptain

Yeah, Green Glue is damned expensive though. The stuff I saw was more like the MLV, but it wasn't called that. It was maybe an eighth of an inch thick and worked really well. There was a youtube video demo of it too.

gilbertbuttos

Hi everybody
I think I found the video cncaudata posted about
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_x6DE9RAL0
Seemed to do the trick on the walls.

Ted White

The "trick" is the fact that "gilbert" works for that company.

bburk

Ted White wrote: »

The "trick" is the fact that "gilbert" works for that company.

Heh, and you are following him around calling it out.

Not that either of you will return to read this, but it's nice to be helpful with the video link, but full disclosure is always nicer. Trust me, people will respect if you say "hey, I work for this company, but this is the video you were talking about and I would be happy to answer any questions you might have."

SkyCaptain

It's not the video I'm looking for though. >_<

Ted White

I have never heard of piezoelectric technology used to damp sound. I've heard of visco-elastic. Might that be what you're referring to?

meeker

Is it Dynamat?

Apogee

As a slight hijack to this thread - I have a door on my condo that needs soundproofing. The walls/floor are great, but everything comes through the door. Anything that'll work without looking like ass would be great, but so far the best thing I've found is that thick vinyl stuff, which will stick out an inch or more from the door ( also, gaps in the frame... hard to solve!)

bburk

Apogee wrote: »

As a slight hijack to this thread - I have a door on my condo that needs soundproofing. The walls/floor are great, but everything comes through the door. Anything that'll work without looking like ass would be great, but so far the best thing I've found is that thick vinyl stuff, which will stick out an inch or more from the door ( also, gaps in the frame... hard to solve!)

the two basics of soundproofing are to add mass and seal any gaps. I would suggest a solid core door if you don't already have one. Then weatherstrip the hell out of it so that the door seals air tight all the way around. You may need to add one of those rubber risers to the bottom. If there are gaps in the frame, fill them up. Caulk is probably the way to go there.

There isn't a whole lot more you can do after that short of adding a second door somehow. Entryways, windows and HVAC are the toughest areas to soundproof.

bburk

Is it this? They compare it to MLV but it seems like it's less expensive (and probably less effective).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9kdh78PjFA

Ted White

Door issues are mass and sealing, just as bburk said. A solid core door would help for the mass. You can look to weatherstrip the two sides and top, along the door stop molding. You'll need an automatic door bottom to cover that gap under the door, however.

It's common for MLV companies to not want to be called MLV.

Apogee

Grah. I'll have ot see waht my condo company's view on door replacement is. As it stands, it looks like my entire hallway is identical white doors, so no one else has done anything yet (the building is 6 years old...).

I'll buy some stuff to seal the gaps, though.

Ted White

Sealing the gaps is the #1 issue. If there is a remaining problem afterwards, you can layer more mass on your side of the door.