ᐅ Interior Sound Insulation: Drywall Construction vs. Solid Construction

Created on: 6 Jan 2017 10:09
T
Torsten-HBS
Hello,

we are planning the construction of a new detached house (1.5 stories) using solid construction methods. Now that the floor plan is mostly finalized, I noticed today that the interior walls in the attic are shown as drywall partitions on the plan.

So far, I had assumed all walls would be solidly built, as stated in the construction description. Now my question is: does a well-insulated drywall partition provide the same sound insulation to the adjacent room as a masonry wall?

I would prefer to avoid the children waking up because we are watching TV in the bedroom or someone is taking a shower in the bathroom.

Can anyone provide some insight on this?

Best regards,
Torsten
G
Gudeen.
20 Jan 2023 15:11
Weight is only one aspect of sound insulation. More important are different layers, consistent decoupling, and the avoidance of sound bridges. For example, a double-layered metal stud frame with wood fiber insulation can provide better soundproofing than a solid wall.
B
BungaSeppel
20 Jan 2023 16:17
I can already tell this isn’t a simple either/or situation 🙂

By the way, I’m mainly referring to typical living room noises: adults watching TV or sitting with several friends, a child sleeping. So more mid to high frequencies rather than bass-heavy sounds. Moving furniture is less relevant.

What do you think about separating the screed? For the noises mentioned above, is it rather unimportant, or does airborne sound also travel through the screed and get transmitted as structure-borne sound?
Nida35a20 Jan 2023 18:12
In our bungalow, the screed in every room is fully uncoupled.
Partition walls are made of calcium silicate bricks,
resulting in practically complete silence.
The only exception is a very loud movie, which can be heard everywhere.
So for Dolby sound and children, there should be more than just one wall separating them.