PAGE 1 OF 2

1 2

There’s a lot of noise around these days, both inside and outside the house, and most of us would like to turn down the volume a bit. Fortunately, the truck rumbling by doesn’t sound as bad as it could because some of the so is blocked by the insulation in the exterior walls. Unfortunately, interior walls aren’t insulated. In fact, these walls sometimes seem like amplifiers, especially when the kids are watching TV in the next room. While it may be impractical to soundproof an existing wall, as shown here, it does make sense if you re remodeling.

Step 1. There are several good ways to reduce the sound transmission through a wall. One of the best is to build a 2x6 wall with staggered 2x4 studs. Begin by culling and nailing a 2x6 plate on the floor and ceiling. Then cut studs to fit between these plates, and begin nailing them in place along one edge of the plates.

Step 2. When you’ve nailed one row of studs in place, nail studs along the other edge. Center them in the open space between the studs in the first row. Make sure the studs fit tightly between the plates. If they are loose, the toenails won’t hold as well.

Step 3. Weave fiberglass insulation batts between the stud rows, beginning at the bottom of the wall and working up. Pack the insulation together so there are no air gaps between batts. Using batts that are enclosed in plastic reduces the spread of fiberglass fibers, but wear a dust mask or respirator anyway.