Residential Q&A
How do I know what to do?
Most of our clients don't before they start. Remember that most of our first time callers are new to the art of soundproofing. We didn't build this site for the acoustic engineer. Our customers are mostly one-time, first-time calls for help, and we simply pattern our treatments after the room or sound source you describe. The first step to take you've already taken if you're reading this. When you're through with the Basics homework, click to your Application and let us guide you to your treatment.
How do I know how much material I will need?
Your best advice here is to call our help desk at 1-800-638-9355. Barrier treatments for blocking noise require 100% coverage of any common wall, ceiling or floor surface. Absorption treatments for sound quality within the room do not require full coverage. Call us with your room dimensions and we can help prescribe, or fax us a completed Room Analysis Worksheet.
Can NetWell solve all noise problems?
No. Barking dogs, airplanes, street traffic and trains produce outside noise that filters into your home through so many avenues that it is difficult for us to treat them all with our product mix. Also, airflow inside the home with noise spilling out supply vents is also difficult to treat unless you are doing a new build or remodel where we can access the ductwork. These are two examples where our product mix doesn't match well with the application. Partial results can be delivered as outlined in our Applications Guide, or you can refer to your Yellow Pages and locate an Acoustical Consultant in your area to bring onsite!
Will NetWell's treatment get rid of 100% of my noise?
No. No treatment completely cures any sound problem. Your goal should be to better "control" your noise, not "cure" it. If we can help absorb 85% of your unwanted reverb in a room, or block 90% of the noise bleeding through your wall, ceiling or floor, that should be considered a victory. Any common structure will deliver the remaining 10% of unwanted noise through pipes, outlet plates, vents, exhaust fans, light cannisters, switch plates, and a host of other "flanking paths" of noise where sound will cheat the treatment and decay results.
Are there minimum order requirements?
No. You can order a panel, tile or roll of material one at a time. Remember, though, that under treating your room or sound source will have a dramatic effect on the decay of your results. You would be best advised to follow the advice from our help desk and install the quantities we recommend.
How much does it cost?
Sound control products will typically range in the $2 to $14 per square foot range. The cost to treat your room or sound source will depend on the size, shape and surface textures involved. Call our help desk at 1-800-638-9355 and we can quote the quantities you need and the cost for your project on your first call so long as you have room dimensions and know your surface textures.
How do I know if the treatment will work?
Every treatment will produce results, the question is a matter of degree. If you choose the wrong product or apply a treatment incorrectly, the results can deteriorate rapidly. If you follow this website and our help desk advice, select the proper product and quantities, and follow our installation guidelines carefully, you should be more than satisfied with the results. Also note that our products and treatments have stood the test of time, and pre-date the internet boom. We've been treating satisfied clients around the world since 1990. We built our SoundShare Forum as a means for you to connect through to others who share your same sound control needs, and also post numerous treatments in our Case Studies Library.
Do you guarantee results?
No. While we stand by the test results our product mix delivers in a lab setting, we cannot be held responsible for their performance in a field application. There are too many variables beyond our control that could combine to deteriorate the results we get in a lab setting. These could include poor installation, inaccurate sound measuring devices, frequency pitches of various sound sources, and a host of "flanking paths" of noise that will deteriorate results. These paths could include light cannisters, switch plates, exhaust fans, intercom systems, drain pipes, supply vents, chimneys, windows and doors that offer holes in your room that will deteriorate the lab results. Since we have little control over the leakage paths unique to your treatment, we can't guarantee an exact result. Remember, your goal should be control, not a cure, and we can certainly help you produce better control over your noise problem.
Are your products class A fire rated?
Melamine foam and all fiberglass based products are class A fire rated for surface mounting in a room. Polyurethane foam is not. It is UL94 HF-1 rated for self extinguishability. As we outline in our Fire chapter of this Basics section, this foam should not be used in high temperature areas, near exposed flames, or in public buildings.
Do I need 100% coverage on my surface?
For barrier treatments designed to block noise from bleeding through a common wall, ceiling or floor, yes. For absorption treatments designed to enhance the quality of a room's acoustics, no. Only a percentage of your surface needs to be covered. Measure your room and call our help desk at 1-800-638-9355.
Do ceiling tiles block noise?
No. Ceiling tiles disguise the pipes in your ceiling or help absorb echo in a room. They do not block noise from bleeding back and forth through a ceiling. The missing piece is density. Our Ceiling Caps are acoustic lids that you can rest atop your existing ceiling tiles to help block noise, or you can install our Granite Tiles which are finished, weighted tiles designed to rest directly into your grid to both block noise and absorb echo.
Does fiberglass insulation in my walls block noise?
No. Again, it's a question of degree. Stuffing your walls full of insulation is a great thermal barrier for temperature control, but does little to combat the bleed of noise. It's much like asking a sponge to block water. It can't because of the lack of density. As we outline in our Walls section, you need to structurally disconnect a common wall using the framing techniques we outline, and add a layer of dB-Bloc to your surface. While the fiberglass treatment might yield a 1-2 dB drop, the framing + dB-Bloc treatment could deliver 12-15 dB drop. As we demonstrate in our Sound Chamber, this could represent a 90% drop in noise bleeding through.
Does blowing insulation in my ceiling block noise?
Not if the ceiling joists are in direct contact with both the floor upstairs and the ceiling downstairs. In that case, the problem is structural, and anything you blow in between the joists is ignoring the problem. You need to disconnect the ceiling from the floor and line with the density of dB-Bloc as outlined in our Ceilings section of our Applications Guide. Again, the results are a question of degree. Our barrier treatments could deliver 10-12 dB drops while blowing insulation might trigger a 1-2 dB drop.
Can these products be used outside?
The majority of our products are not designed to withstand the weather elements or UV rays from the sun. The one product that we recommend for use in an outdoor treatment, however, is resistant to the elements. The QBO blankets featured in our Product Guide can be custom cut for your treatment to serve as a portable barrier wall system designed to surround pool pumps, AC units, and a variety of other outdoor sound sources to lower decibel level exposure.
How can I help my door block more noise?
First, know that a door is a hole in the wall. Regardless of your attempts, the seal around the perimeter will bleed noise unless you replace the entire door with an acoustic door that has been gasketed by the manufacturer to control noise. Much like a metal door in a concert theater hall. Things that you can do include replacing a hollow door with a solid door, lining the perimeter with gaskets an seals, or hanging a Door Plug on the back of the door to block noise. These products are featured in our Product Guide.
How can I help my window block more noise?
If your window is single paned, consider installing Magnetite windows as insets to create a double pane window to help block noise. Also check with your local window manufacturer. Good acoustic windows are built with double or triple panes of glass, each pane is a different thickness that attenuates to different frequencies of sound, and are separate by argon gas.
How do I help block noise from bleeding out my vents?
If you have new build or remodel scenarios, you can insert ductwork lined with fiberglass that can help absorb noise traveling through the duct and spilling out the mouth. You could also replace a straight section of duct with a coiled section that will force the air to have to bend to travel through. This helps slow down the amount that can bleed out. Then wrap the coiled duct with our Netlag material. Unfortunately for most, existing homes with no access to the ductwork cannot be helped.
How do I help quiet down my plumbing fixtures?
If you have exposed pipes, wrap them with NetLag. If not, treat the common wall that houses the pipes with the dB-Bloc and framing techniques outlined in the Walls section of the Applications Guide.
What is a staggered stud construction?
This is a single wall construction technique designed to split the interior of the frame into two sections. By placing a 2x6 on the ground as a floor plate, and staggering 2x4 studs so that every other stud runs flush with one side of the 2x6 or the other, you can have two separate frames built within the same wall with no structural contact point pulling vibrations straight through.
What is a resilient channel?
These are horizontal metal strips that are applied direct to an existing frame or wall to help "lift" your final layer of drywall up and away from the existing structure. Layer dB-Bloc behind the channels to insulate with weight.
How do I disconnect an existing wall?
Resilient channels or simple 1x4 slats of wood can be anchored direct to your existing wall and drywalled over. The only contact point straight through the wall surface would be where the assembly overlaps with the vertical studs in the wall. Layer dB-Bloc behind the channels or strips to gain density. The treatment is outlined in our Walls section.
How do I block foot noise from bleeding through my floor?
For new build or remodel scenarios, place our underlayment products down under your flooring surface. The product options are listed in our Floors section of this Applications Guide. For existing surfaces that are floating, such as carpet or "click and fit" laminate wood flooring, remove the surface and place the appropriate underlayment down. For existing surfaces with nailed or glued floor surfaces, sorry! Consider dropping the ceiling down below as outlined in our Ceilings section.
How can I block noise from bleeding through a common wall?
By disconnecting your wall surface and adding weight, you are combating both the structure borne and air borne paths of energy that sound vibrations travel through. The Walls section of our Applications Guide will show you how to treat both new and existing wall surfaces.
How should I finish off my basement?
We have a complete section on this outlined in our Applications Guide. Start by disconnecting the exterior walls, the interior walls and the ceiling from the rest of our home. These are framing techniques outlined in our Walls or Ceilings sections of our Applications Guide. Then anchor with dB-Bloc and drywall over to finish off the surfaces. Once the room is properly isolated and insulated, then select from the line of wall or ceiling absorption products to enhance the quality of your finished room's acoustics.
How do I proceed from here?
Start by finishing off your visit in the Basics section. Absorb as much or as little of this information as you need to feel comfortable moving forward with your project. Then click through to your specific treatment listed in our Applications Guide, where our Product Bin will lead you to the appropriate products for your project. At any time, consult with ASK or call our help desk at 1-800-638-9355. We are on standby to help quote quantities required and costs if you need them, or you can complete a Room Analysis Worksheet and fax to 1-763-694-8909. Once your treatment has been properly diagnosed, the product order is placed direct to NetWell by phone, fax or online. Remember, all of our treatments are self installable. We wish you luck and welcome your call when you're ready!
Home Page