Whether you are working on a 20-story hotel, hospital, apartment building, classroom or your personal bedroom, odds are you have had conversations about soundproofing. The game isn’t new. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) first began publishing literature in regard to the importance of soundproofing in multi-unit structures in 1967. In the past decade, the demand for crews competent in acoustic-sensitive methods of installations has grown exponentially in the drywall industry. While the assumption is that a private, quiet environment equates to a high-priced bid, I disagree.
Sound is a type of energy that travels in the form of waves. Once a sound wave comes in contact with an obstacle, like a wallboard, it’s transferred through the obstacle via vibrations. Vibrations then carry the sound through the barrier to your clients’ ears. As a soundproofing expert, your job is blocking as many of these vibrations from reaching the other side of your barrier as possible to raise your STC or IIC rating.