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nattarbox t1_j1fxfd3 wrote

I soundproofed my basement with 6” of rockwool and new walls. You can still hear deep voices through the ceiling / floor. It reduced volume of music and sound but it’s not 100% soundproof, and you probably wouldn’t be satisfied with the results.

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stricly_business OP t1_j1g7n00 wrote

Ugh this is my fear... I'd hate to put in the money and effort for a crappy result. That's why I'm thinking about going all out and soundproofing it to the max. Low frequencies like deep voices and bass are apparently much harder to soundproof.

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NaggeringU t1_j1g8a0y wrote

rockwool won't do much. you need to use resilient channels and/or open cell spray foam

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chisel_jockey t1_j1ghjq6 wrote

Rockwool and spray foam accomplish the same thing- both will help deaden the sound waves, but they will still transmit through solid members i.e. wood joists, strapping, wall plates. Air gaps and multiple staggered layers of decoupled sheetrock (resilient channel and sound clips create air space between layers and eliminate hard connections) are probably the way to go- and likely what a sound engineer would spec. You’re looking at $30k easy. And probably wouldn’t be happy with the results. Getting new neighbors would be more effective

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nattarbox t1_j1g7ux6 wrote

There’s no 100% solution. If voices are bothering you it’s entirely possible that you could spend a crapload of money and effort and still be hearing them.

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stricly_business OP t1_j1g8e0n wrote

I'm ok with muffled voices as long as earplugs can block them for the most part. Right now, the noise is so loud earplugs don't do much to help. I wonder if we can have a pro come take a look to give us some specific recommendations and set clear expectations for results. B/c obviously it would suck to spend a bunch of money if we still have trouble sleeping in the end.

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devAcc123 t1_j1gkhg4 wrote

Have you tried a white noise machine?

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stricly_business OP t1_j1gl1z1 wrote

Yes, but it only does so much, and my wife hates it lol... I usually end up wearing noise cancelling headphones over my earplugs, but obviously it's not very comfortable to wear long term

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DanMasterson t1_j1hlr9w wrote

Visit r/acoustics if you haven’t. Lots of similar questions/answers from experts there.

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