How to soundproof a stud wall
To soundproof a stud wall, use a MuteClip system which will add mass, provide acoustic insulation, and decouple the soundproofing partition. These three elements are the core of any wall soundproofing solution and will give you the best stud wall soundproofing.
Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to soundproof a stud wall
Step 1
First, remove the existing drywall to expose the stud work. This must be done to reduce the drum effect! Then, fill the cavities snuggly, as demonstrated, with acoustic-grade mineral wool.
Step 2
The next step to soundproof your stud wall is to measure and mark where each MuteClip will be screwed in. Details for placement can be found in the installation guide. Then, screw each MuteClip into the stud wall, as shown.
Step 3
When the MuteClips are installed to the stud wall, clip the furring channel into the claws. The channels can be overlapped and screwed together when the wall length requires. You have now created a decoupled soundproofing structure!
Step 4
With the isolation soundproofing frame created, you can securely screw your soundproofing panels into the channels. This will create a decoupled soundproof partition. As you can see, the soundproofing wall panels can be a two-person job as they are heavy.
Step 6
A soundproofing membrane like Tecsound or Denosa MAD can be adhered directly to the soundproof plasterboard. This will dampen sound vibrations and add mass to the stud wall. Ensure the joins are sealed to prevent air gaps.
Step 8
A final layer of soundproofing plasterboard can be screwed over the membrane. No fewer than 9 screws per board should be used as these have a high mass. Leave a 2-5mm gap around the perimeter of the wall.
Step 9
Use a sealant gun to carefully pipe into the 2-5mm gap left around the perimeter of the wall. This creates an airtight seal and ensures the new partition is decoupled from the flanking structures around it.
Step 10
You can skim plaster directly over your soundproofing. It is now ready to be painted or for wallpaper.
How to soundproof a stud wall with the three core principles
To soundproof a stud wall, use the three core principles of mass, absorption, and decoupling with the MuteClip to give you the best sound reduction. Alone, each soundproofing technique will not block sound, by together they will soundproof your stud wall.
We add mass to walls to reflect airborne sounds (talking and music). This insulates a room and prevents sound from leaving or entering.
Absorption prevents the drum effect by reducing the reverberation (echo) or sounds in cavity spaces. Reverberation amplifies noises and makes it worse!
Decoupling (isolation), is a physical separation between materials, or, vibration-resistant materials between layers. This makes it harder for sound to travel from one material to the next.
Top 3 stud wall soundproofing solutions
The top 3 wall soundproofing solutions all use the MuteClip to ensure the best sound reduction. We have our cheaper budget stud wall soundproofing right up to the very best stud wall soundproofing!
The best stud wall soundproofing
The best stud wall soundproof solution is the MuteClip Gold system. This can deliver up to a 20dB reduction in noise through your wall. A 10dB reduction is heard as a halving of the original noise, so a 20dB reduction is a brilliant result that can block your noisy neighbours.
- 20dB sound reduction
- 74mm width
- £67per m2
The best soundproofing stud wall system uses the MuteClip. This decouples your new soundproofing partition from the stud wall and makes it harder for sound vibrations to transmit. Three layers of soundproofing are screwed into this isolation channel which adds crucial mass to your stud wall. Stud walls naturally have a low mass, which is poor at reflecting noises, so three additional layers provide a significant improvement.
The acoustic insulation in this stud wall prevents the drum effect. The drum effect can amplify the original noise and make your sound issue worse. This is why stud wall cavities have to be filled with acoustic insulation and you cannot soundproof over the original drywall.
Stud wall soundproofing – option 2
Next up in the 3 best stud wall soundproofing systems, is our silver partition. This has a slight variation on the Gold system with a different soundproofing visco-elastic membrane. The change of materials changes the noise blocked from 20dB to 19dB, so only a small drop there. The price reflects this and this system is £62 per m2 (at the time of writing in 2023).
- 19dB sound reduction
- 74mm width
- £62 per m2
Per decibel, this system is 10 pence cheaper than the gold system per m2. This does mean that generally, it’s better to swallow that 10p per decibel lost and get the best stud wall soundproofing if you can!
Cheap Stud Wall Soundproofing – Budget option!
Our cheap stud wall soundproofing still uses the best technology to give quality results! No soundproofing is truly ‘cheap’ as quality is going to give you the best results. We have designed this cheaper budget system to use the MuteClip (the best reduction for space used!), with one layer of soundproofing board.
- 14dB sound reduction
- 60mm width
- £41 per m2
This also means our cheaper bronze system can be upgraded in the future with more soundproofing panels! This system fits more than just tight budgets, it fits into tight spaces! Below we will show you why starting with the space available is more important than your budget.
How to pick the right stud wall soundproofing for you
To pick the right stud wall soundproofing for you, start with the space you can afford to lose and not your budget. This is because some cheaper systems will actually block more sound than some more expensive systems. Why? Space!
Creating a good sound reduction in a very tight space of 20-30mm requires only specialist materials which are costly. Using more space can allow for a different system that is far more cost-effective and better at soundproofing your stud wall.
Acoustic insulation for stud walls is CRITICAL
Acoustic insulation for stud walls is a critical step that cannot be missed. Stud walls have large cavity spaces that will create the drum effect and ruin your soundproofing. The drum effect is when sound reverberates (bounces) around a closed space. As a sound is repeated over and over, the original noise is amplified and your noisy neighbours sound even worse!
Because stud walls have open cavities between the stud and noggins, stud walls are very poor at soundproofing. This is why you MUST fill a stud wall with the best acoustic insulation. Acoustic grade sound insulation will stop the drum effect and lower the volume of the noise issue.
THIS is why stud walls are bad for soundproofing
Stud walls are naturally bad for soundproofing a room because they have such a low mass. High-mass materials are able to reflect airborne noise and this insulates a space from sounds, like noisy neighbours. Stud walls have a low mass so they provide poor resistance to sound if not treated.
This is why stud walls can be quickly improved with just a direct to wall system. Simple screwing a soundproofing panel to a stud wall will make a difference to the level of noise blocked. However, although the sound reduction will be perceivable, you will still need to use a MuteClip system to properly soundproof your stud wall.
While a direct to wall cheap soundproofing solution can reduce the noise coming through from your neighbours, it won’t reduce it enough to be considered ‘soundproofing’. You are much better off spending a little more and getting a lot more in decibel reduction!
Do I need to soundproof both sides of a stud wall?
No, you do not need to soundproof both sides of a stud wall. However, you can soundproof both sides of a stud wall, should you wish to. This will improve your soundproofing, but not double the improvement by any means.
Our stud wall soundproofing solutions are made for one side of a partition. They can be installed on both sides, but do not need to be. Our Gold MuteClip stud wall soundproofing system reduces sound by up to 20dB and this is by treating only one side! This saves you money, hassle and time.
What is the best sound insulation for a stud wall?
The best sound insulation for a stud wall has a high mass of 45kg m3 or more. Ideally, you would use 60kg m3. The more mass your acoustic mineral wool has, the more sound it will reduce. A stud wall, as discussed, is already susceptible to the drum effect so the better your acoustic insulation, the better your results!
We have acoustic mineral wool up to 100kg m3, but 60 is a good option for stud walls. Acoustic insulation comes in different thicknesses of 25mm, 50mm, 75mm and 100mm thick. This means you can easily get the right thickness of acoustic insulation to fit inside your stud wall.
