Do-it-yourself ceiling noise insulation in an apartment: step-by-step instructions

High noise problems especially relevant for multi-storey panel houses, interfloor ceilings, which are made of reinforced concrete slabs with voids inside, are an excellent conductor, both acoustic and vibration sounds. If the height of the room allows, then the best solution is a multi-layer noise insulation of the ceiling in the apartment, made by hand. In this article, we will talk about the selection criteria and the main types of soundproofing materials with an emphasis on thin-layer structures, we will outline the basics of frame and frameless installation technology, as well as arranging sound insulation under tension ceiling.

When sound insulation of the ceiling in the apartment is necessary - the norms of noise pollution

According to research, the maximum noise level that a person can withstand for a short time is 70-90 dB, which corresponds to heavy traffic. Sanitary standards define the maximum sound pressure level in dB with reference to octave frequency bands, that is, the pitch.

PHOTO: i.ytimg.com

The higher the sound, the lower the maximum sound pressure level should be. For an apartment, it is 28-63 dB in the daytime (from 7 to 23 hours) and 18-55 at night (from 23 to 7 hours).

The maximum indicators of noise pollution, measurement standards and methods of dealing with it are specified in the following regulations:

• GOST 23337-2014 defines the norms and methods for measuring noise;
• SN 2.2.4 / 2.1.8.562-96 - sanitary standards that determine the maximum noise level at workplaces and in living quarters;
• SP 51.13330.2011 - a set of rules defining technologies and methods of noise protection.

Do-it-yourself modern materials for soundproofing the ceiling in an apartment

The criteria for choosing sound insulation for walls and ceilings in an apartment are somewhat different from the requirements for comparable materials for offices, and even more so for technical and industrial premises:

• sound absorption coefficient. The higher the number, the better. When choosing, it should be remembered that manufacturers indicate a coefficient based on a certain unit of thickness. Check with the seller if the calculated thickness corresponds to the specific indicator of the purchased material;
• environmental friendliness - the material must be safe, hypoallergenic, during operation, the release of carcinogenic substances is excluded;
• weight and form factor (density, fiber, strength, etc.) - the combination of these parameters has a key impact on the choice of installation method;
• moisture resistance and hygroscopicity - determine the possibility of using insulation in the bathroom, kitchen and other rooms with high humidity;
• layer thickness - the smaller the thickness, while maintaining a high rate of sound insulation, the better.

PHOTO: static-eu.insales.ru

The main categories of noise insulation on the ceiling

There are many technologies for the production of sound insulation materials. At the same time, manufacturers most often use the following raw materials:

• rigid acoustic ceiling slabs - vinyl (loaded) with the addition of barite and argonite. Thickness from 2.5 mm to 50 mm;
• semi-rigid slabs - are made of foamed polymers. Polyurethane foam - thickness 35-100 mm, polyethylene foam with thermolaminated paper glued to one side, etc .;
• fiber boards - mineral wool or fiberglass (must have a protective film on the side of the room). Mounted on frame structures suspended plasterboard ceilings. Thickness 30-50 mm;
• polymer membranes - a combination of various argonite-based fillers. Some are glued and some are placed on the inner surface of rigid suspended structures. Thickness up to 3.6 mm;
• from pressed cork chips. Another way to use cork is to apply crumbs mixed with glue to the ceiling;
• liquid soundproofing - produced in the form of thick mastics, such as "Green Glue Compound" up to 50 mm;
• sprayed sound insulation based on liquid polyurethane foam.

PHOTO: greenbelarus.info

Review of popular brands

Among all the variety of materials, the following products are considered the best soundproofing of the ceiling.

Isoplaat (slabs). Made from recycled softwood fibers. With a thickness of 10 mm, they absorb noise up to 23 dB. The tiles are fixed with glue to the ceiling or walls. Can also be used as ceiling tile in Armstrong suspended ceiling systems.

PHOTO: images.ru.prom.st

ZIPS. Sandwich panels, consisting of two layers: inner - spatula fiberglass and outer gypsum fiber sheet, which gives the composite material the necessary rigidity. The installation technology provides for the use of acoustic drywall sheets as an external roughing layer. Fastening is carried out with dowels, through vibration damping units made of Sylomer polyurethane. The total thickness of the structure is 40-130 mm, noise absorption is up to 10-13 dB. When installing ZIPS panels, a damper tape is also used to prevent sound insulation from contacting the walls.

KRAFT WoodAcoustic. Line of panels for soundproofing walls and ceilings in the apartment. The base consists of wood fibers with and without various veneers. Of the most effective options, KRAFT WoodAcoustic Pro can be noted, which has an additional layer of mineral wool. Composite thickness 12-24 mm, noise insulation up to 23 dB. On the outside, it is allowed to apply decorative finishing materials: painting, wallpaper, putty.

PHOTO: kraftds.com

EcoZukoIsol. The slab consists of corrugated building board in 7 layers, the voids are filled with quartz sand. Plate thickness 13 mm, sound insulation 38 dB. Installation of panels is carried out on glue with subsequent strengthening with self-tapping screws.

PHOTO: ecosp.by

Isotex. The structure is similar to the Isoplaat soundproofing panel. Available in two versions 12 and 25 mm thick. Noise isolation up to 23 dB. It is mounted using glue mixtures and screws, at the ends it has a thorn-groove connection.

Mineral (basalt) wool. Universal heat and sound insulation material. It is used in the technologies of frame suspended ceilings. Depending on the density, it is either laid on the inner surface of the ceiling tiles, or located between the supporting elements of the frame. Thickness from 50 mm, sound insulation 15-25 dB.

PHOTO: kvartirnyj-remont.com

Liquid soundproofing - it is not used very often and is presented in different colors. It is mainly imported:

• Synthesia (Spain);
• Ecotermix (China);
• Demilex (USA);
• Bayer (Germany).

There are also other manufacturers of noise-vibration-insulating mastics on the market.

PHOTO: 28db.ru

Soundproofing on the ceiling - DIY installation

There are several technologies for performing noise insulation of the ceiling in a panel house:

1. Wireframe. It can be conditionally divided into two types: hanging and hemmed. Suspended noise insulation boards are installed on a metal frame and are part of the ceiling structure. The plate performs both a technical and a decorative function, a small decorative finish with paints and varnishes is allowed. Sewing - this is the soundproofing of the ceiling under the plasterboard in the apartment. Soundproofing materials are placed between the elements of the supporting frame. The frame itself is sheathed with plasterboard sheets, on which a finishing decorative coating is applied.
2. Stretch - soundproofing boards are fixed directly to the ceiling on their own supporting frame. The stretch ceiling film or fabric is stretched on separate brackets. An additional fastening is pulled to prevent particles of sound-insulating material from falling onto the stretch ceiling.
3. Frameless - are attached directly to the floor slab. Glue or dowels are used as fasteners. Decorative and finishing materials are applied directly to the sound insulation.

Frame noise insulation on the ceiling in the apartment from neighbors

Plate or roll fiber insulation materials are used. Considering that the frame of the suspended ceilings can withstand a significant weight, there is no need to create additional load-bearing structures for sound insulation. Disadvantages: large thickness of the structure, high labor costs.

Sequencing:

1. It is recommended to clean the surface of the old finish, if necessary, treat it with an antiseptic.
2. Directly on the floor surface, the bearing elements of the frame are marked with an indication of the fastening points.
3. The profiles are cut.
4. Holes are drilled in the floor slab, the main bearing elements are fixed on the dowels.
5. Guides are screwed to the fasteners, soundproof mats are laid on them.

Important! The size of the cells of the supporting frame, if possible, is made 20-30 mm less than the width of the soundproofing board. This will allow the insulation to be securely fixed.

The photo below shows a "turnkey" frame noise insulation of the ceiling, made by hand

PHOTO: acoustic.ru

PHOTO: vooproof.info

PHOTO: avatars.mds.yandex.net

PHOTO: mr-build.ru

You can watch the video in more detail about the soundproofing of the ceiling using the frame method:

Frameless noise insulation of the ceiling

Rigid composite and fiber boards with a density of at least 45 kg / m³ are used. Installation is carried out using glue based on gypsum, cement or polymers with additional fastening to a mushroom dowel.

Sequencing:

1. We carefully prepare the base. The surface must be cleaned of old decorative coatings and treated with a deep penetration primer.
2. The adhesive composition corresponding to the selected sound-insulating material is mixed according to the instructions.
3. The adhesive is applied with a notched trowel to the surface of the board. After which it is strongly pressed against the base.
4. Laying starts from the outer wall, the slabs must be fitted very tightly to each other so that there are no gaps between the ends;
5. After initial drying, after 3-6 hours, the plates are additionally fixed with dowels. There should be at least 5 of them for each element: in the corners and in the middle. Depth into the floor slab is at least 5-6 cm.

PHOTO: acoustic.ru

PHOTO: comfortoria.ru

PHOTO: sledcomspb.ru

PHOTO: sledcomspb.ru

The video shows a frameless method of installing soundproof panels using the example of ZIPS-III-Ultra:

Noise insulation of the ceiling in the apartment under a stretch ceiling

The main feature of stretch ceiling sound insulation is a more thorough fixing of insulating materials. At the same time, both frameless and frame installation methods can be used. In the first case, a larger number of dowels are used to fix one plate (up to 10 pieces). In the second case, a separate frame must be installed for the location of soundproofing materials. In both situations, in order to prevent particles of insulating materials from falling onto the inner surface of the stretch ceiling panel, the boards are pre-wrapped in a vapor-permeable film.

PHOTO: alfapotolki.ru

Complex acoustic systems

The maximum insulating effect is achieved by using specially selected combinations of effective sound-insulating materials and structural elements:

• Vibroflex Connect - suspension element with vibration damping dampers, which is directly attached to the floor slab;
• acoustic triplex "Soundline-dB" - vibration-damping three-layer gypsum fiber sheet, layers (8 mm each) are held together with a special elastic sealant;
• soundproof plasterboard AKU-line. The composition includes gypsum with a large amount of mineral fibers;
• sound-absorbing plates "Shumanet-BM / -ECO / -SK" - fibrous products based on quartz;
• vibration-insulating gasket "Vibrostek-M" or vibration-acoustic sealant "Vibrosil" it is used in the places where the noise-insulating structure adjoins the building elements of the building frame.

The photo below shows the main components of a complex frame soundproofing structure.

PHOTO: res.cloudinary.com

PHOTO: i.ytimg.com

PHOTO: acoustic.ru

Common mistakes when installing sound insulation

There are several common mistakes made by non-professionals that can negate the entire effect of soundproofing:

• the use of conventional suspensions instead of vibration damping;
• slots, joints and holes in the base are not sealed. An acrylic sealant such as Soundguard Seel must be used;
• using ordinary foam rubber or cork instead of specialized sound-absorbing and sound-insulating materials.

The video shows the typical mistakes made when arranging the soundproofing of an apartment:

How much is the soundproofing of the ceiling in the apartment: modern materials, price overview

All prices shown in the table are current as of the end of 2019.

Soundproofing the ceiling in the apartment: reviews

Consider a few reviews about noise insulation membranes.

Feedback on soundproofing membranes Soundproofing European Technologies SoundGuard Membrane:

soundproofing membranes Soundproofing European Technologies SoundGuard Membrane

Feedback on the noise-insulating material "Shumanet 100 Hydro":

noise insulation boards "Shumanet 100 Hydro"

Isover sound protection feedback:

noise insulation boards Isover

Feedback on noise isolation "Izoplat":

noise insulation boards Isover

SoundGuard soundproofing feedback:

soundproofing boards SoundGuard

soundproofing boards SoundGuard

Summing up

It is quite possible to perform noise insulation of the ceiling with your own hands, even for not too experienced craftsmen. However, it is necessary to carefully follow the installation technology prescribed by the manufacturer. Otherwise, the result will be far from ideal.

If the article turned out to be useful to you, take part in its discussion on the forum and recommend it to your friends.