Additional drywall keeps sounds out

Privacy and quiet are becoming rarer and rarer around many homes.

Sometimes the disturbing noise is your teenager’s music from the next bedroom. Other times, it’s the teenager’s music in the home attached to yours by a wall, ceiling or floor.

In the days when the interior walls of most homes were constructed of large studs and covered with wood lath and several layers of plaster, noise was less of an issue. Walls and floors prevent sound waves from moving from room to room.

However, the interior walls in most modern homes consist of nothing more than a two-by-four (the 4-inch side actually measures 3 1/2 inches) covered with one layer of 1/2 -inch drywall on either side.

Controlling noise between floors can be a daunting task. The most effective solution is to increase the density of the material between floors; one of the simplest ways is with a thicker carpet and pad upstairs.

If you’ve tried that trick, your best bet is to install a resilient channel (RC) along with a layer of 5/8-inch drywall on the ceiling downstairs. RC is a Z-shaped metal channel acoustically engineered to reduce vibration and the transfer of noise.

It can be attached with drywall screws right over an existing drywall or plaster ceiling. The channel is applied perpendicular to the ceiling framing and should be screwed into the framing.

Keep in mind that light boxes, heat registers and other ceiling-mounted devices must be extended to align with the new ceiling surface.

Reducing noise from room to room similarly involves increasing the density or thickness of the material separating the spaces. Adding one layer of 5/8-inch drywall can have a profound impact. Adding a layer to both sides of a wall can make it virtually soundproof.

A new layer of drywall is attached to the framing through the existing wallboard with drywall screws and/or construction adhesive. Crown mold, baseboard, and window and door trim may also need to be replaced.

There are a few tricks that make the job go easier.

Essentially, hanging drywall is like putting a puzzle together. In most cases, the panels are installed with the long side running horizontally, perpendicular to the wall studs. Ceiling panels are installed perpendicular to the ceiling joist.

If the wall or ceiling is framed with proper spacing (typically 16 inches or 24 inches on center), the end of each panel should align with the center of a stud or joist. Thus, there will be ample bearing for fastening nails or screws.

In addition, joints are staggered to provide maximum strength and prevent cracks.

Ceiling material is hung first, and wall material follows. This allows for a neat corner configuration, which makes finishing easier. It also allows the wall panels to reach down to the floor, leaving only a small gap.

Since most homes have 8-foot ceilings, two panels (one above the other) cover the wall from floor to ceiling. What do you do if the ceiling is higher than 8 feet?

Here’s what the pros do: Rather than hanging two full sheets high and adding a partial strip at the bottom, they hang one strip in the center with one full sheet above and one below.

That places the joints at a comfortable working height, reducing the need to bend over and saving you time, money and back pain.

Hanging the board is as simple as measuring, cutting it with a razor knife, and snapping it in both directions for a nice, even edge. Care should be taken to measure for and mark electrical boxes, pipes and other penetrations that will require cutouts.

Cutouts can be made using a drywall saw, jigsaw or router.

The two primary devices used to fasten drywall to framing are nails and drywall screws. We prefer drywall screws for many reasons, the foremost of which is damage control.

Hammering a nail into a wall consisting of aged, dry framing can crack plaster, pop existing drywall nails, and knock tile off nearby walls and ceilings.

This chaos can be avoided by simply using drywall screws and an electric screw gun.

Finally, with drywall, it all boils down to the finish. That’s the part that everyone sees, and it’s what makes drywall look like a wall.

So don’t take shortcuts. Hiring a pro to tape and finish the job not only will give you professional results. It can make even the poorest installation job look super.