Basement

SJ McCarthy

The 1/2" engineered = zero noise reduction. It's like living on plywood. If you are FLOATING the Eucalyptus then you can look at 12mm cork (1/2") to get 22 dB of noise reduction (transfer from upstairs to down stairs and vice verse). You can adhere the cork to the subfloor and then glue the Eucalyptus down to that. A single layer of Rockwool = 5 dB worth of noise reduction. All of the plywood + wood = 2-5 dB. If you add that up, you are at 27 dB total. Not the best but better than nothing. A human conversation = 60 dB. You are not even half way there. You can REALLY rock the basement by using Acoustic Drywall (5/8" acoustic drywall = 18 dB). Now we are cooking with fire. The acoustic drywall (18 dB) + 1/2 cork (22 dB) = 40 dB all by themselves. If you add in decoupling channels in the basement = another 5- 10 dB worth of noise abatement. Now we are SERIOUS! Acoustic 5/8" drywall = $3/sf (that's 3x more than regular drywall = $1/sf). The cork = $1.50 - $2/sf. Acoustic channels add another $1/sf to the basement ceiling. Yes those are big numbers but let me tell you the PEACE OF MIND it gives you when you build a basement properly (with acoustics built into the specifications). It is MUCH cheaper to build it this way in the first place then it is to retro fit. A retro fit can cost $10 - $15/sf.

Reply to: The 1/2" engineered = zero noise reduction. It's like living on plywood. If you are FLOATING the Eucalyptus then you can look at 12mm cork (1/2") to get 22 dB of noise reduction (transfer from upstairs to down stairs and vice verse). You can adhere the cork to the subfloor and then glue the Eucalyptus down to that. A single layer of Rockwool = 5 dB worth of noise reduction. All of the plywood + wood = 2-5 dB. If you add that up, you are at 27 dB total. Not the best but better than nothing. A human conversation = 60 dB. You are not even half way there. You can REALLY rock the basement by using Acoustic Drywall (5/8" acoustic drywall = 18 dB). Now we are cooking with fire. The acoustic drywall (18 dB) + 1/2 cork (22 dB) = 40 dB all by themselves. If you add in decoupling channels in the basement = another 5- 10 dB worth of noise abatement. Now we are SERIOUS! Acoustic 5/8" drywall = $3/sf (that's 3x more than regular drywall = $1/sf). The cork = $1.50 - $2/sf. Acoustic channels add another $1/sf to the basement ceiling. Yes those are big numbers but let me tell you the PEACE OF MIND it gives you when you build a basement properly (with acoustics built into the specifications). It is MUCH cheaper to build it this way in the first place then it is to retro fit. A retro fit can cost $10 - $15/sf.