Cheapest way to soundproof a stud wall
The cheapest way to soundproof a stud wall is with our bronze wall system. This uses decoupling, high mass and absorption to incorporate the three core elements of soundproofing. While some people will be looking at a direct to wall solution, this isn’t cheaper than our MuteClip stud system!
How much is a stud wall soundproofing system?
Our bronze stud wall system is only £41 per m2 which is almost £20 cheaper, per m2 than our direct to wall system! We have created you the best, and cheapest, stud wall soundproofing system by using our years of experience and unique MuteClips. Our best stud wall soundproofing is £67 per m2, which also gives you an extra 6dB reduction!
How is cheaper wall soundproofing better?
Some cheaper wall soundproofing performs better because the system takes up a little more space than other, slimmer, but more expensive options. Even so, our budget friendly stud wall system only uses 74mm of space! Slimmer options, that cost around £20 more, take up around 35mm of space.
So, if you can lose the extra 40mm of wall depth, then you can make a huge saving on your stud wall soundproofing!
Is cheap stud wall soundproofing any good?
Yes, our cheaper stud wall soundproofing blocks up to 14dB of noise! That’s a huge reduction, as a 10dB reduction is perceived as a halving of the original noise. While we are calling our Bronze System ‘cheap’, it is still made of the same, high-quality products we use in our best systems.
We have made the bronze stud wall system more budget friendly by using only one layer of soundproofing board. This also means you could upgrade the system in the future, by installing additional soundproofing layers.
The most important element of our soundproofing system is the MuteClip. This decouples the stud wall from the new partition and provides the best soundproofing for space used! The physical gap created between the two materials makes it far harder for sound to transmit as it has to ‘jump’ through the space.
Wall soundproofing cost-saving hacks
Some great stud wall cost-saving hacks can see you get a good reduction while keeping the budget in check! We recommend using the technique of decoupling to get a good sound reduction, instead of simply screwing one board to your wall.
Investing your budget into the decoupling framework is a far more cost-effective way to soundproof your stud wall. The saving is made by only using a single layer of acoustic plasterboard over the top. This massively reduces your spending while also giving you excellent soundproofing. Cheap soundproofing really does exist!
Using a single layer of MuteBoard 4 (direct to stud wall soundproofing option), is around £50 per m2, whereas, using the MuteClip is only £41 per m2!
How stud wall soundproofing works
Stud wall soundproofing works with three main ideas: high mass, decoupling and absorption. Alone, these three elements will not soundproof your stud wall, however, together they are the silver bullet! We make sure that even our cheap stud wall soundproofing uses all three elements, but not everywhere does, so watch out!
When sound enters your stud wall from one side, it could reverberate inside the empty cavity space. This reverberation actually amplifies the original noise and makes it worse! As stud walls are full of cavities, they need good acoustic insulation to prevent this from happening.
Then, sound will want to travel from the wall into the surface so it can radiate into your room. This is when we decouple the original stud wall from the layer of soundproofing panels. We do this by creating a physical gap between the two materials. The MuteClip is screwed into the studs and holds the new panels away, using only a few fixed points!
Lastly, the high mass soundproofing panels, screwed into the MuteClip frame, are able to reflect airborne noises. The reflection is the last layer of defense and insulates you against talking, music and TVs.
Can I soundproof my existing stud plasterboard to save money?
No, you can’t soundproof over your existing plasterboard on a stud wall to save money. This would prevent you from accessing the cavity space and means you cannot install absorption. For a stud wall, in particular, cavity insulation is an absolute must!
Without acoustic insulation in your stud wall, the drum effect will amplify noises and ruin your soundproofing. All three core ingredients should be used together to achieve the best soundproofing – even on a budget!
Can I soundproof my stud wall?
Absolutely! You can soundproof a stud wall for up to a 20dB sound reduction! Using the right materials, you should add mass, decouple and install acoustic insulation. This is going to reflect noise and reduce the drum effect inside the stud wall.
Soundproofing a stud wall involves removing the original plasterboard to expose the cavity spaces. Stud wall soundproofing can take up as little as 60mm of space while reducing 14dB of sound. A 10dB reduction is heard as a halving of the original sound, so 14dB is a significant reduction!
