By David Faulkner

If you are attempting to create a soundproof ceiling, your approach to the task will depend on whether you are working in a single story building, with no rooms above the ceiling on which you are working, or on an upstairs room. If you are working on a ceiling with a room above it, you can consider creating a soundproof ceiling with the use of resilient bars.

A Floating Soundproof Ceiling

By using resilient bars in making a soundproof ceiling, you will actually be constructing a new ceiling of plaster board under, or in place of, the existing one. The plaster board and resilient bars should be used with some other sound deadening material like acoustic membrane, acoustic mineral wool, or soundproofing mats.

You can remove the current ceiling and fill in the open space with acoustic wool, and attach the resilient bars so that they are perpendicular to the old ceiling’s joists. Place one layer of plaster board against the bars, fasten it with screws, and layer it with the soundproofing mats or membrane. Then attach the second layer of plasterboard.

To seal you soundproof ceiling, you’ll have to make sure that a 5mm gap remains between the plasterboard and the adjoining walls, and seal the gap with acoustic sealant so that it becomes airtight, and the soundproof ceiling ‘floats.’

A Dropped Soundproof Ceiling

If you’ve decided to simply ‘drop’ your soundproof ceiling from the existing one, attach battens perpendicular to the ceiling’s joists, fill the gaps between the battens with the acoustic mineral wool, and then duplicate the process for the floating soundproof ceiling.

Either of these techniques for constructing a soundproof ceiling should effectively deaden the sounds of upstairs footsteps, but if they are more work than you care to undertake, you have the option of installing acoustic ceiling tiles, or spraying the ceiling with acoustic foam. They will deaden the sounds from above to a reasonable degree, although not as much as a newly-installed soundproof ceiling. For more info see

homesoundproofinghelp.com/Soundproof_Foam/

on Soundproof Foam

One of the most difficult things about installing a soundproof ceiling is that you will often have to work from below on scaffolding. It’s not merely uncomfortable; it’s definitely not the best way to make sure everything is securely attached. You can eliminate this problem if you construct your soundproof ceiling by working on the floor in the upstairs room.

By placing the soundproof material on the upper floor, you will deaden the upstairs sounds before the travel to the ceiling of the room beneath. This technique for creating a soundproof ceiling is especially effective in multi-story apartment and office buildings.

About the Author: You can also find more info on

Soundproof Curtain

and

Soundproof Door

. Homesoundproofinghelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Sound Proofing.

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