Sound Choices in Acoustical Drywall

New generation products deliver enhanced sound suppression solutions that reduce cost and offer revenue opportunities to developers.
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Sponsored by Supress Products

 

On the market for more than two years, one type of new technology product makes use of damping, an acoustical process that decreases the wall's ability to conduct vibration and minimizes resonance problems.  Essentially, the 5/8-inch-thick version of this drywall consists of two thinner layers (two 5/16 inch, or one ¼ inch and one 3/8 inch sheets of drywall sandwich a sound-absorbing viscoelastic polymer-based laminate layer.  The wall assembly would consist of one layer of 5/8-inch acoustical drywall on one side of the stud and one layer of standard 5/8-inch drywall on the other side of the stud.  When one side of the sandwich starts to vibrate the middle polymer layer shears the sound vibration and converts that energy into heat.  

The benefits are discussed below:

 

Wall Assembly Drawing: New Construction - Metal Studs

Source: Supress Products

 

 

Acoustical Performance.  Next-generation constrained layer damping products offer high-performance sound and vibration absorption, with the most advanced meeting high acoustical standards (STC 61-78+), impact isolation (IIC 51-74) and vibration absorption while featuring non-toxic, biodegradable, and a 2-hour fire-resistance rating (ASTM E 119).

Adding Back Re-Saleable Square Footage.   As mentioned previously, a metal-stud wall with three or four layers of fired-rated drywall is a typical sound wall in a multifamily structure. Most sound walls have sound insulation in the cavities as well as the double layer of drywall, or are a configuration which includes staggered studs.

Acoustical drywall can achieve the same or better acoustical performance in just one layer, which means that effectively two or three layers of conventional drywall (and additional layers of insulation) can be replaced with one layer. "Even with the higher material cost of acoustical drywall, the less actual board needed combined with lower labor costs add up to significant savings," says Gregg Jacobs, Vice President of Operations for Supress Products, which manufactures suppressive building materials for use by architects and professional builders. "In a condo situation that means adding back a considerable amount re-saleable square footage to the project.  In some cases that can translate into millions of dollars in a prime condo project in a major city."

Acoustical panels have real-world value-engineered savings versus traditional methods which use conventional drywall, resilient channel and sound clips.

Mold Resistant.   Drywall is the type of material that, when exposed to moisture, promotes mold growth quickly and easily.  On a scale of 0 to 10, some acoustical panels have achieved a mold suppression score of 10 in the ASTM D 3273 test, indicating no mold growth in a 4-week controlled laboratory test, the highest possible on the ASTM D 3273 test. Standard drywall products score about a 5 on this test, which means that standard drywall needs special care in terms of packaging for shipment, storage prior to installation and storage during inclement weather conditions on the job site. Considering new construction and newly retrofitted buildings are built very tightly so that energy efficiency is maximized, the lack of air movement in these buildings often promotes the growth of mold and the propagation of mold spores, further compounding problems and requiring mitigation or removal expense for builders, building owners and occupants.  Acoustical drywall which offers mold-resistance maintains a distinct advantage over standard drywall products and sound-suppressing techniques.

A Green Product.   Acoustical drywall improves sustainability by eliminating one-third to one-half of the drywall required in traditional wall assemblies while delivering enhanced acoustical results.  Since drywall consumes a lot of energy during manufacturing, reducing the amount of drywall in the wall assemblies saves energy and eliminates the transportation and waste associated with those additional layers, all of which have a positive environmental impact. 

Further, laminates and adhesives made of non-toxic, water-based materials result in minimal off gassing, another environmental positive. The other material which is non-toxic is the viscoelastic, polymer-based laminate in between the layers of drywall.  Any waste material from the acoustical drywall is environmentally friendly so it can be recycled without any adverse environmental impact.

 

 

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Originally published in May 2008

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