Soundproofing a home theater or other residential space is highly dependent on the expectations and requirements of the client. Two common areas that require additional soundproofing in many homes include the media room, primary lounge space, as well as an in-home office. Some clients also prefer soundproofing for their master bedrooms and other spaces throughout the house.
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When soundproofing a space, the consultant must first and foremost determine the existing wall assembly and then how much it needs to be improved to achieve a desirable finish. For home theaters, we typically recommend STCs in the 55-60 range, with higher STC requirements for advanced surround sound and speaker systems.
These STCs can typically be achieved with soundproofing membrane sheets that are attached directly to the studs and installed on site. Under one layer of drywall, for instance, the Wall Blokker membrane can achieve an STC of 56 with 25-gauge steel stud walls. If 2×4 studs are used on the other hand, we would typically recommend a heavier membrane, such as the Wall Blokker PRO to approach an STC of 46. An additional layer would need to be employed on a wood stud system, either between adjacent drywall sheets or on the opposite side. Ideally, a staggered stud system could be used to allow additional decoupling in the system.
One job that we recently completed was a 500 sq ft Media Room with studs already in place prior to drywall installation (always consider soundproofing prior to drywall installation where possible). The material was ordered and delivered within 5 days, and the installation team needed only a few hours to completely apply the Wall Blokker PRO to the room. The Wall Blokker PRO is stapled into the stud headers, and draped along the studs, then stapled along the sides. It is critical to also install along the ceiling to ensure no flanking occurred through the gypsum board ceiling up and over the reinforced walls.
How Do I Soundproof My Theater?
All told, soundproofing a theater does not need to be an expensive and time-consuming process. With the right materials and a handy installation team, Wall Blokker PRO can be installed for a few thousand dollars within just a couple of days.
