10 best materials for soundproofing walls
With the development of modern technologies, the frequency range of sound sources has expanded significantly. Residents of panel and block high-rise buildings especially suffer from this. Contrary to popular myths, traditional insulation like mineral wool, foam or cork does not improve sound insulation. To fully protect your apartment from noise penetration, you should look for a comprehensive solution and it is best to invite an acoustic engineer for this. This is recommended for severe acoustic discomfort. If it is required to reduce noise pollution by 5-10 dB, you can resort to special noise-insulating materials, using them in the construction of frame partitions and wall cladding. This rating contains a list of the most effective ones and is compiled on the basis of expert opinions and user reviews.
The actual characteristics of sound insulation may differ from those declared by the manufacturer, since they largely depend on the degree of tightness of the fences, their total mass and the number of layers, as well as some architectural aspects. In other words, even the most effective material will be useless if the apartment is located next to noisy engineering equipment, a neighbor's subwoofer regularly rumbles through the wall, and the partitions are made in the form of single structures and are rigidly attached to the bases. In order to avoid wasting time and money, we suggest evaluating the pros and cons of different materials.
TOP 10 best materials for soundproofing walls
10 Echocor
"Echocor" are acoustic panels for soundproofing apartments, private houses, public premises with varying degrees of noise pollution. They are produced by the Alliance company, using a unique raw material - foamed melamine of the German trade mark Busf. Outwardly, melamine is very similar to foam rubber, but, unlike it, it is absolutely non-combustible, has an open-cell structure and low thermal conductivity. This combination of properties makes the material attractive for a variety of construction tasks, including sound insulation.
Due to the highest sound absorption (up to 1.0 with a panel thickness of 40 mm and a wall depth of 200 mm), Echocor can be used to create sound comfort in recording studios, assembly halls, restaurants, etc. color palette, give geometric shapes to its surface, apply prints and drawings by airbrushing, cut into shaped products. Thus, sound-absorbing panels provide unlimited possibilities in interior decoration according to individual projects.
9 Termozvukoizol
TZI is a soundproof sheet made of needle-punched fiberglass, mechanically pressed and sealed in spunbond. The company "Korda" has been producing it since 1996 and during this time has developed an extensive range of products based on TZI, the most popular of which are mats for heat and sound insulation in the size of 1.5mx10mx10 (14 mm). If necessary, the canvases can be cut by gluing the sections with tape of the same brand.
The main advantages of this material are its high sound absorption coefficient (up to 87%), versatility (suitable for soundproofing country cottages, offices, apartments) and low thermal conductivity. The manufacturer provides on the website a detailed algorithm of actions, thanks to which even the most inexperienced home craftsman is able to correctly install a soundproof "pie". As practice shows, the above technologies really work, and the material fully justifies the long-term trust of buyers.True, when buying, you should be careful - recently, cases of counterfeiting have become more frequent, and packaging with canvases has received an updated design.
8 Gyproc Aku Line GKL
Soundproof gypsum sheets are recommended by the Moscow NIISF for use as permanent elements in standard structures for soundproofing walls and ceilings of residential buildings, including medical and children's institutions. To do this, they have all the necessary set of qualities: strength (provided by a dense gypsum core reinforced with fiberglass), a high sound insulation index (54 dB), environmental friendliness (confirmed by EcoMaterial Absolute).
The front surface of the sheet has a hardness that significantly exceeds that of competitors, and the special shape of the edge increases the resistance of the seam to cracking. It is important to note the exceptional smoothness of the cladding, due to which the time and material costs for finishing are significantly reduced. The reviews confirm that the sheets are really very dense, it is quite difficult to transport them and it is better to countersink the holes before screwing in the screws. But sound insulation, provided that the material is used according to ready-made solutions for specific premises, is tangible.
7 Knauf Acoustic KNAUF
AcousticsKNAUF is an acoustic mineral wool created using the innovative Ecose technology, which excludes the use of harmful substances based on phenol-formaldehyde resins as a binder. In addition, synthetic dyes are not introduced into the composition, and the characteristic brown color of the canvases is the result of the effect of high temperatures on the natural components of the raw materials. Compared to other products, "Acoustic" has longer and thinner fibers, due to which a higher sound insulation rate is achieved - according to the results of tests, a finished partition using KNAUF materials reduces the noise level to 57 dB (the indicator also depends on the wall design).
On the basis of AkustiKnauf, the company offers many ready-made solutions for heat and noise insulation of various objects. Their implementation is easy due to the availability of detailed instructions from the manufacturer, with the help of which you can isolate the room yourself or control the work of the contractor. Correct installation provides maximum stiffness, resilience and recoverability, so that the predicted life of the baffle material is 50 years or more.
6 SonoPlat Combi
Soundproof panels SonoPlat Combi can boast of a very wide scope of application. They can be used in the construction of interior partitions, soundproofing walls and floors, creating soundproofing screens, building chambers for industrial equipment. With the help of the material, boxes for lamps and electricians are erected, niches for acoustic systems are formed. The material is a combined noise-insulating panel, which is designed for the construction of frameless thin systems. SonoPlat Combi is based on a multi-layer cellulose frame filled with quartz sand and an airy coniferous backing. It is thanks to the use of environmentally friendly materials in the creation of soundproof panels that a wide range of applications became possible.
The panels can be mounted directly on a leveled wall. For this, there is an elastic lightweight backing and folded edges at the ends. This design allows you to form a single surface without visible joints and gaps. Panels can become a kind of interlayer when it is necessary to create an ultra-efficient soundproofing system. With SonoPlat Combi sheets alone, room noise can be reduced by 13 dB.
Homeowners write about many of the positive properties of panels in their reviews. First of all, multifunctionality and an acceptable price are indicated. But not everyone succeeds in creating an effective barrier to extraneous sounds.
5 Soundguard Ekozvukoizol
The finest soundproofing in our review was the domestic Soundguard Ekozvukoizol panel. Its thickness is only 13 mm. It is not difficult to calculate the number of panels per room, since the sheet dimensions are quite accurate (1200x800 mm). The manufacturer managed to achieve a soundproofing effect through the use of a quartz filler. Soundproofing panels significantly reduce the impact of sound and shock waves in a wide frequency range. This was achieved by increasing the weight of the sheet, the use of a multilayer layer. It contains elastic, integrated and vibration-damping layers, as well as free filler particles.
The panel is mounted similarly to plasterboard sheets; it can be used for soundproofing both walls and ceilings. It is allowed to carry out soundproofing only for interior rooms with low humidity. You can cut the panels with a hacksaw, circular saw, grinder or jigsaw. Sheets are mounted both on an independent frame and directly to the wall surface. In the latter case, leveling of the surface with fiberboard or Soundguard Roll is required.
Most owners of apartments and houses in the reviews positively characterize Soundguard Ekozvukoizol soundproof panels. They do not steal the area of the rooms, they are simple in the device. Some users are not happy with the high price and heavy weight of the sheets.
4 Stop PSU sound
To minimize the cost of heat and sound insulation of a house or apartment, you should pay attention to the StopZvuk BP plates. The material has unique properties due to the presence in the composition of the basalt mineral. This component plays the main role of a versatile insulator. In addition to the high rate of sound absorption (up to 99%), the slab can withstand high temperatures (up to 1000 ° C). Owners of private houses will benefit from such properties as resistance to the penetration of rodents, preservation of their properties in a humid environment, and inertness to biological damage.
StopSound BP is an environmentally friendly material, since basalt is a natural substance. The products meet all the requirements of European standards. Quality is controlled at all stages of production.
The low density of the material allows for complete heat and sound insulation of a house or room, without fear of the load on the supporting structures. Sound insulation is installed in the same way as in the case of mineral plates. A frame is made with a step of 600 mm, and an insulator is placed in the formed space.
Homeowners note in the reviews such advantages of the StopSound PSU as reducing the cost of a complex of insulation measures, simple installation, and low weight. The disadvantages include insufficient protection against strong noise and vibration.
3 Shumanet BM
The Shumanet BM mineral slab will help you to cheaply make high-quality soundproofing of the room. This non-combustible material has a low specific gravity, thereby reducing wall stress. The slabs are designed to fill the voids between the wall and the cladding. Installation is carried out using frame structures. The quality of each slab is strictly controlled by the manufacturer. Therefore, excellent acoustic properties are guaranteed.
With the installation of the material, builders have no problems. As a rule, a frame is arranged on the walls of houses with a step of 600 mm. The min-plate has the same width with a length of 1200 mm and a thickness of 50 mm. There are 4 plates in the package, which allows you to immediately isolate 2.88 sq. m walls. Soundproofing material is laid between the profile or wooden beam. For fastening, it is enough to use a few plastic "fungi" intended for the installation of thermal insulation boards. If Shumanet BM is to be operated in rooms with high moisture content, then each plate is first wrapped in non-woven material, for example, spunbond.
Russian homeowners and builders note a number of positive qualities of soundproofing material.This is an affordable price, ease of installation, good sound absorption coefficient. The disadvantages include the presence of loose and prickly elements.
2 Soundline-dB
The acoustic triplex Soundline-dB possesses unique sound-insulating properties. It is made on the principle of an automobile windshield. A special sealant is applied between two moisture-resistant, weighted drywall sheets (8 mm). Due to the elasticity of the layer, the sound flux is reduced due to the gradual absorption of waves. In other words, each drywall sheet vibrates on its own. The total sound insulation is much higher than that of the same two sheets of drywall without an acoustic layer.
Testing of the material has shown that it has the lowest flammability, toxicity, flammability and smoke production. Triplex Soundline-dB fully meets all the requirements of the sanitary and hygienic standards of the Customs Union.
Among the advantages of sound insulation should be noted ease of installation, a high degree of sound insulation (up to 69 dB), preservation of its properties for up to 25 years, low cost.
Installation of triplex is in many ways similar to the creation of drywall structures. It is only necessary to select the appropriate self-tapping screws for the thickness of the sound insulation (17.5 mm). Corrections should also be made for the large weight of the three-layer canvas.
The owners of houses and apartments in the reviews praise the soundproofing qualities of the Soundline-dB triplex. It is easy to install, effective in controlling noise, and has a small thickness. Among the shortcomings, one can note the large weight and bulkiness.
1 ZIPS-III-Ultra
The use of the sandwich panel ZIPS-III-Ultra allows you to comprehensively solve the problems associated with extraneous noise. Thanks to the exact size of the sheet (1200x600x42 mm), any homeowner will quickly calculate the need for a particular room. It is also worth considering that the kit contains the necessary set of hardware for fasteners. These are traditional dowels, anchors, washers and screws. The soundproofing system itself is a combination of gypsum fiber and staple fiberglass. The role of the support is played by 8 vibration isolators. They protrude in a free state by 10 mm in relation to the plane of the sheet. During the installation process, they are pressed with drywall. As a result, the total thickness of the soundproofing and plasterboard sheet is 55 mm.
To install a soundproofing layer on the walls, you only need to stock up on a perforator, a screwdriver and a hacksaw. Thanks to the frameless system, it will be possible to save on the crate. The sandwich panel comes with clear installation instructions. The soundproofing layer can be covered with ordinary plasterboard sheets.
Domestic owners of apartments and houses call ZIPS-III-Ultra panels the best option for sound insulation. It is efficient, inexpensive and slim. After installing noise isolation, many managed to forget about loud neighbors, their dogs and sounds from a busy street.
