How to Reduce Noise Through a Wall

LESLIE: Alright. Annie in South Dakota has got a noisy house. Tell us what’s going on there.

ANNIE: My house is around 13 years old and our master bathroom shares a wall with another bedroom in the house. And a lot of noise can be heard through the wall, if you get what I mean.

TOM: I do. (Leslie laughs)

ANNIE: I was wondering (chuckles), is there some way of insulating that wall without being too destructive?

TOM: Well, insulation would only help to some extent. You could do blown-in insulation. Probably a better thing to do is to put a second layer of drywall on it with an insulating glue in between, called Green Glue.

ANNIE: Green Glue?

LESLIE: Mm-hmm. It’s made to deaden noise.

TOM: Specifically designed for this particular purpose.

ANNIE: OK.

TOM: OK? Because what it does is – as Leslie said, it makes a deadening – sort of a deadened space where the vibration can be absorbed between the layers of drywall. You don’t have to use full, half-inch drywall; you can use three-eighths. But that will make a big difference, especially if you do it on both sides of the wall; you’ll find that the walls are a lot quieter.

ANNIE: Oh, OK.

TOM: Alright?

ANNIE: Thank you.

TOM: You’re welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.