In Estonia most new apartment complexes use concrete slabs between floors. This is usually good enough to prevent airborne noise transfer but not enough for impact noise. To mitigate that most developers use a special mineral wool (usually between 30-50 mm or up to two inches) that's laid on top of the concrete. And then on top of that they pour a layer of concrete that also houses the radiant floor heating pipes. It's important that the top layer of concrete doesn't come into contact with walls that would transfer impact noise through the walls to neighbours below.

Excellent video Matt! I am glad that someone with your experience is getting this type of critical information out to countless builders. There needs to be more sharing of this type. At least in my world, there are still way too many builders stuck in the old ways of building, basically ignoring the impacts of unwanted sound transfers until it is too late. Keep up the good work!

Where was this technology when I built blanket forts as a kid? Thanks for introducing new or uncommon building technology to the masses. You make it simple to understand even for the basic DIYer.

The modern construction industry has been working on footfall sound insulation for at least 100 years. In my 1920 duplex, the oak flooring in the upper unit sits on strips of 1.5” lathe, which in turn sits on a layer of horse hair sandwiched between craft paper.

35 years ago I used Resilient Channels in combination with pink bat insulation for sound dampening the ceiling of a basement bedroom I built for my three girls below our living/family room. It’s super quiet. I can only imagine how much quieter it would be with the addition of clips and footfall material.

I love Matts technical videos. Im not in construction or in the process of home building but Im banking as much as I can for the future

Thanks for the video! I used 5/8” drywall with the sound membrane for my sons basement bedroom….I used the sound metal channels…but I used Resilient Sound Isolation Clips that have a rubber bushing…the clips had very specific installation requirements including spacing and joist skipping….I think the system works…I used spray foam around the supply ducts for the room above to help reduce sound via the ductwork….who knows…I also used Rockwool in the ceiling as well but made sure it didn’t touch the drywall….

Thanks for you and everyone else that created this excellent channel for all of us wanting to learn. It's nice to see the progression and success of everyone's efforts. I appreciate it.

It’s great! My shed has been completed and it turned out nice looking and sturdy and it is way better than the sheds that many of my neighbors had put up. Of course, I'm pleased with the outcome and this Ryan’s kzfaq.infoUgkxGZedDTcDfgD7fG_uU4esfx_EgxzlY2_1 Plans was extremely useful to me as a guide.

I was just on a kick watching a ton of sound proofing videos. 😂 great timing Matt!

Another great and informative vireo as always, it so cool to see someone doing things right first, and everything else second. It is great to see someone who still has morals, and cares about doing the right thing. you have the resources to do and test things that other cant so thank you on behalf of us all. I would love to mention a couple of things that in hopes to get your opinion. Schedule 80 PVC which is much cheaper than cast iron when you factor in the no hub fittings, and has none of long term maintenance issues. Schedule 80 is widely available in the US, although it may require a little more lead time, but it is similar to the grey pipe used in Canada, I believe the gentleman in your video called it system 15. It is also directly compatible with schedule 40 PVC fittings, which makes transitions easy, and while cutting is more difficult than schedule 80 it is much easier than cast iron. and it doesn't corrode. I also think the ceiling strapping used in New England is a good sound proofing detail for interior walls, on top of your quiet rock, acoustic caulk and insulation. I love that you have the resources and I would love to see the actual results. I also would love to hear your opinion on solid blocking TJI joists? I have yet to see a high quality low cost or relatively easy to install option, I am not a fan of X braces, and I am skeptical about the metal brace systems, however I do think this is another benefit of "New England Strapping"". I am also curious if you could use a product like a DuPont flex wrap instead of a putty pad, which would be more cost effective if you had a high volume of electrical boxes. Thank you for your dedication and morals, and God bless!

Thanks for the review. Well done.

nice to see a multi-family related video.

Love your content Matt!! I always learn so much! Keep it coming! You are definitely the Sound Proofing and Air Flow guy! hahaha Keep it up! 🔥🌊🤙🎨🔥

Great explanation. That mockup was excellent with the L-shape foam in the upper edge. Will be keeping Keene in mind from here.

Doing this to my future build!

Thank you I'm gonna save this for later.

Build show always brings out the best products !

So relevant, as a small landlord, this is what frustrates tenants the most (assuming essential utilities are always functioning). It makes for happier people and as we are building closer together, this needs to be further studied. A decent combination for both STC and IIC for a lower unit is installing roxul (mineral wool) in between floor trusses, soundboard over the floor trusses, RC channel over soundboard, then finally a 5/8" layer of sheetrock. Stopping still makes it through, but much milder and that can be mitigated by wool rugs above hardwood floors in the floor above.

Saddest “let’s get going…” ever 😢 😜 Good info! Building a multi at the moment and this has been on my mind.

I live in the middle of the woods but the road about a 1/4 mile away repaved recently and now every night I can hear the traffic.

Matt - would love to see a video on retrofitting an existing crawl space foundation/floors to not have the “hollow” sound when walking around. I’m personally used to living in poured slab homes, so my current single story home with loud echoing floors is a nuisance.

Great video, something a little different than the norm.

I do sound proofing one of the best products I've ever seen is Acoustiblok. Armaflex makes a product similar to the quiet curl. Temp matt is another basically 1/2" thick ceramic spun strand. Also used as a fire stop. Which is great for between floors.

Hi Matt, have you looked at the Sonopan Products? Made in Canada they have a soundproofing wall panel and an impact dampening flooring panel as well. Really great in new builds as well as retrofitting rooms (eg building out a theatre room or home office)

I would realy like to see a segment on home theatre sound proofing. Specifically the best solutions for those on a restricted budget.

Most high rise construction is concrete and steel framing, at least in my area. Concrete and steel transmit very different than wood. I'd be interesting to hear this video more related to concrete and steel.

my buildings control dept. insisted I put a seperate independant ceiling to isolate noise and also help with fire safety (in the shop rooms) when I converted the upstairs rooms over my shops to flats, same could be done to walls inside a household, ie seperate stud walls with cavity bats between both stud walls

Funny that I find this now, while my new neighbors are busy blasting their ...idk, video games? Through the walls again(still). Oh how I wish the builders used soundproofing when they threw these dirt traps together-ish, in the 80s.

This is interesting. I've never done or (sadly) had such tech in my home - but I wonder how these technologies relate to those used in "security" places. I've worked in a place, not a SCIF but a similar space, where it was so quiet when the HVAC was off that it was disorienting as that you could only hear your own heartbeat. I think in that case that it was 3 layers of rock with loaded rubber between - surely made to some standard. I didn't build the place, just ran it... And now with a 9yo in a 1960s house, I'm eagerly learning about soundproofing. ;)

We bought a hold with a ton of mold and we will most likely have to gut the entire home. I'll be using so many of the ideas in your video when we rebuild. Over the next year or two 🤦‍♂️.

Mapei Mapespnic 2 has some of the best iic ratings out there. They also make a number of different products. All we use for multi family is Mapesonic 2 or Mapesonic RM.

Hey, I'm an operator too so I thought I'd drop by and leave a comment.

I have heard cork is a great underlay, that both thermally insulates and sound insulates.

Hi, I enjoyed seeing this video with great information that I have been seeking for long time. I live in a condo that I have neighbor upstairs and next door to me on one side. I'm hoping you can help me with advising me what to do to block out the impact noises. I'm looking for a method that I don't need to tear out current walls or ceiling. My ceiling is concrete and wall is dry wall with some sort of insulation. What can I do to block noises that are impact type noises?

At the 3:04 mark there is a sign that says beer. That will solve lots of issues. Matt on a serious note. How often do you have to build wheelchair ramps and other accessibility aids? How would those things effect a high performance house?

I have an unfinished basement but the upstairs is already finished. What options do I have that can be installed from the underside of the floor while the joists are still accessible? Would love to see a video on that. Also good for people that are retrofitting since tearing out a ceiling is easier than tearing up a floor in many cases.

Matt, If you are interested in coming to find a place where this was done wrong and helping our homeowners fix it? Big fan of the show. Not so much on the impact noise transmission from my ceiling.

Sonopan ...sold in Canada, but apparently not avail or widely avail here in the US. that needs to change!

Easy, put down carpet, use that nice thick pad that makes carpet awesome

Can you do a video on (T.I.P.S.) tilt up walls

Would an alternative be before you lay the plywood sheet flooring down you install a rubber strip on the top edge of the joist?

Any issues with the gypsum cracking over these flexible substrates (underlayment/plywood)?

What about having a 2 story house with this foot traffic noise above? Anything that can be done retrofit wise without doing a major renovation

Anyone try stuff from acoustic fields? They do both noise and treatment

Why lightweight gypsum concrete (which my flooring guy tells me is a 20-year product and hellish to remove) instead of heavy-weight portland cement concrete? More mass more better, right? A 4 inch slab weights in at 50psf dead load, which can be engineered for by upping the joists a bit.

Is it possible to increase the thickness of the concrete alone to solve adding layers and layers of different products, to solve the sound transfer issue?

Under the lite concrete

Any advice on soundproofing ducts? We have an intake vent in our TV room, where sound from the furnace travels to and it's loud AF. Would be nice if there's a fix to that 😊

How about thicker concrete?

You left out two-year olds. Somehow the lightest two-year old can generate the footfalls of a 300 lb. adult, but with an inexhaustible pace, back and forth.

Or SRC panel walls

The only issue I see with the separation fabric.. is how do you address crown molding?

I feel like stuffing the space between the joist with fiberglass insulation would be cheap and simple

My property lines a railroad track. Any recommendation?

"Critical for multi-family construction!" I wish someone would've told this to my old landlord.

Matt, would love to see some affordable bullet proofing for my children’s bedroom. Bullets too easily go through drywall, really scares me.

Do you have a sound proofing system that you can put on the walls, such as the back wall of the pulpit area so that sound doesn’t echo when I preach or teach the Bible ? Thanks for your videos. Roger

I love you

I want low frequency control from outside. Bass from car stereos. Loud boomy exhaust. That kind of noise. It cuts right through my house.

WHY not use 2 layers of black sheathing 1/2 inch crossing one an other.

That thin layer of cotton and black strands seems weak and I would rather use thick rubber horse stall mats, and pour concrete over that, haha :)

Yeah, ceiling noise in an apartment is as bad as sitting next to a bass drum. If your sinuses are acting up and your ears are a bit clogged, it is very painful.

You need to invite some sound specialist to the show because this impact noise is waaay more complex than what you are explaining here.

On a new build wouldn't it be easier to go with a concrete floor and spare yourself all the additional products required to do with with wood?

Never seen a clip for rc. Usually for hat channels.

Plaster walls are quieter than drywall. But no one does that for new builds.

Yoyo greenhouses and food and water 💦

The most annoying sound is the thumping bass from the teenage neighbour blasting their music or video games. Would that be STC type or IIC type noise?

Diesel's going towards $10 and so we'll gas and all of our food is about to be so expensive

“Trust but verify” -Ronald Reagan

streetnoise and neihgbour noise

First to reply??? Sweeeeeet

That trust but verify, was made more famous by President Reagan and he would always say it too Secretary or prime minister Michal Gorbachev. To the point Gorbachev said it at 1 of his speeches in English. He said, "He(Reagan) always says this, "Trust but verify" comically and everybody got a laugh out of it even Reagan. Sorry, just some history, Mr. Risinger, I thought you may want to know, even if it is off topic.

I wonder how effective(both cost wise and just the effect itself) 3Ms vibration dampening tape would be. they sponsored this video from Physics Girl kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gLiBhsV8mbHWl2Q.html It'd be interesting if just a 2 inch square of it every so many feet would be both cheap and effective... I'd like to see an experiment video trying various things with it.

this isn’t proofing, it’s abatement. and you need an air gap on both faces of the insulation. normal insulation doesn’t absorb nearly as good as safe n sound or a rigid 6-12lb/sq ft board.

Do you just make brand commercials now or will you be comparing multiple systems the future.

Why can't you make videos where you give your real honest unbiased opinion rather than only making videos that are paid for by a sponsor? Most people make these kinds of videos do just fine from the KZfaq ad revenue, or with revenue from products that aren't related to The things you are recommending in the videos. That's how you build trust, not by constantly making videos that look like recommendations but are really sponsored videos.

Nothing irritates me more than impact noise and all of these 5-story box developments are the same: cheap cheap cheap. No one is spending the extra few dollars this would require.

Matt should be banned from ever touching a caulk gun again. Every time I see him using one I cringe.