How To Build A Budget Floating Floor
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
- FREE Soundproofing Workshop: www.soundproofyourstudio.com/...
Owens Corning: www.buyinsulationproductstore...
If you want to save some money and can't build a concrete floor then this budget floor option is for you.
A Word Of Warning!
Now, I know soundproofing and the term "floating floor" are almost synonymous, but the truth is that a floating floor is not always the best option. In fact, a concrete slab will always be the best way to soundproof a room.
The reason is that concrete has a ton of mass and will do a better job of isolation across the entire frequency spectrum. For this reason I always recommend you start with a concrete slab. However, sometimes a concrete slab is just not an option.
If you are building on a second story, on top of a crawl space or simply don't have the budget to pour a concrete slab then a floating floor is for you.
How To Build The Budget Floating Floor
1) Use Rigid Fiberglass
First, lay down a layer of rigid fiberglass insulation across your entire floor, but leave a gap between the wall and your fiberglass. I like to use Owens Corning 703 and I would use the 4" or two layers of the 2" to giv you the most isolation. You also don't want the fiberglass fully compressing to the existing floor when you add weight on top of it.
2) Add 1x4 Strapping
Add 1x4's in a pattern throughout the room to attach the drywall too. These could be every 16" on center or 24" on center depending on building codes and your budget.
3) Add Two Layers of 5/8" Drywall
Add two layers of 5/8" Drywall on top of the fiberglass and 1x4" boards. Screw the drywall into the strapping boards and make sure to lay the drywall boards in opposite directions for each layers so the seams don't line up.
*As a bonus you can add Green Glue in between the two layers of drywall to increase your soundproofing.
4) Add Turned Up Glass Fiber Around The Edges
Add a layer of turned up glass fiber around all the edges of your room to ensure the floating floor does not touch your walls.
5) Add Your Finishing Floor
Add your flooring on top of the drywall. This could be laminate flooring, carpeting, hardwood or engineered hardwood.
6) Add Base Board and Acoustic Caulk
Lastly, you will add your base board on top of the fiberglass insulation. Leave a small gap between the base board and your finished floor and run a bead of acoustic caulk along the air-gap. This will ensure your room is still airtight while also not transferring vibrational noise through the baseboard to your floor.
0:00 - Intro
1:08 - Why Floating Floors Are Not Great
2:48 - Lay Down Fiberglass
3:15 - Add wood strapping
3:39 - Add 2 Layers of Drywall
4:34 - Add Insulation around edges
5:03 - Add Finished Floor
FREE Soundproofing Workshop: www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop
That 'L' in caulk is pretty important. Thanks for the video! Wish I could do all that.
Haha indeed
Hi there!
First off, I want to express my gratitude for all the informative videos you provide us with-they're incredibly helpful! I'm in the process of planning out my studio, which will feature separate control and live rooms within a warehouse setting. The warehouse sits on a thick industrial concrete slab, which is excellent for soundproofing walls.
However, I have a slight concern: My neighbor is a bus mechanic who operates within the adjacent warehouse. While I'm confident about soundproofing the walls, I'm a bit apprehensive about the floor. I want to ensure that any vibrations caused by the buses next door are minimized to maintain optimal recording conditions.
It's worth noting that both warehouses aren't directly connected via a single concrete slab; instead, they're linked by an isolation strip (I'm not entirely sure what it's called). This setup prevents some vibrations from traveling through the slabs, but I still want to be proactive in addressing any impact and vibration concerns from my neighbor's activities.
Do you have any recommendations or insights on how I can effectively soundproof against these vibrations? Your expertise would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
You can float a new slab on top of mineral wool that will float the slab. However, since the slabs aren’t technically touching, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. The key problem is if vibrations travel through the concrete, one thing you can do is put your ear to the concrete and see if you can hear the bus mechanic working if you can’t hear the vibrations coming through the concrete, then you should be good.
Thanks a lot for the great video. Would this help for inside a small vocal booth to reduce the noise for Neighbours below? As in building the floating floor just for the surface area of the birth itself rather than entire floor of the room. I get that sound could still travel down but would it help at all?
Hi! We are trying to soundproof a rehearsal studio located on the second floor. We want to isolate the noise so that the cafe below at ground floor will not be disturbed by the studio. Second floor is also a concrete slab and I'd like to ask if building a floating floor will make much of a difference? Thanks
To do it properly you need to float something very heavy like concrete. You can use iso pads or mineral wool to float the floor and then pour a concrete slab on top of the mineral wool. This is a complex job so ask for help if you go this route. If you do it right the concrete will have a resonant frequency below the threshold of hearing, so below 20hz.
Hey, thanks for a great video. Do you recommend this over a plywood floating floor with iso clips studs and sleeper boards?
I personally like rod gervais floating floor design. This is 2” 703 two layers of plywood and then your subfloor.
@@soundproofyourstudio Thank you. What would be an inexpensive way to add some mass for greater attenuation? Could they add 2-3 layers of 5/8 drywall (or cement board) sandwiched between the two layers of plywood?
This is great. Have you ever helped someone do this in a rental apt? Mine has wooden flooring with a laminate on top which I suppose I could put the fiberglass on. Using this method, what do you think the cost would be? It sounds like under 1k, no?
Maybe under 1k depending on sq footage
Hey- Thanks for these videos! Quick question- Do you cut ridges in the 703 to fit the sleeper boards, or do you place them just right on top?
If doing this design you can lay them right on top.
Great vid but cant sound travel through a concrete slab and outside without the floating floor ?
So sound always travels through everything. The idea that sound can be stopped completely is not entirely true. With soundproofing it is about reducing sound intensity to a level that is acceptable for recording. With a concrete slab surrounded by earth you really can't get a better method. Floating a floor is used in situations where you don't have earth. Pros will float a concrete slab, but that is technical and super costly and not what I recommend doing.
How do you cut channels for the strapping into the 703 insulation board, reliably and cleanly? You don't want an uneven floor.
I don’t usually use this method. I like the 2” of Corning 703 directly on the floor with two layers of plywood on top. I have another vid on that one.
@@soundproofyourstudio I wonder if this will help on my 2nd story timber framed home studio? I know it won't be 'soundproof', but hope it attenuates the sound enough to allow my band to rehearse without annoying the wife and daughter on the other side of the home. I know the 2" insulation will help with impact, but also airborne?