# Insulating basement ceiling from sound, not heat loss?



## Kory Beam (Nov 15, 2014)

Hi all. Have question about insulating for sound transmission, rather than heat loss/retention in the ceiling of a conditioned basement.

Basement walls are insulated with Roxul Comfort Batt (also rigid FB insulated/sealed rims)
I will be doing a tongue & groove ceiling with faux beams.
It seems that insulating between a conditioned basement (my office/tv room) and the conditioned living space above is not necessary, seeing as the basement is conditioned space. 

I was going to put nothing in the ceiling. Just close it up with pine T&G. However, I am mildly concerned with occasional foot traffic noise from above... and basement noise (tv) from below. It is a 1 bed - 1 bath, so not many people in the cabin. More of a weekender escape. Was thinking of using Roxul Safe 'n Sound in the ceiling between floors, but I wonder if it will act as insulation and not allow the heated air from above to leak into the basement below, resulting in a colder room below.

There is no AC, nor any heating ducts. Just a wood burning stove above in the living room, thermostat controlled Cadet wall heater in each room, including a Cadet wall heater in the basement. I will not always be down in the basement room, and it will likely only be heated by the Cadet wall heater when I am down there in the colder winter months. SoCal mountains @ 6000'. Not that cold... but we get a little snow in the winter.

Any insight? Roxul S&S worth the expense? Will any insulation in the joists (even Roxul sound insulation) result in a colder room down there in the winter months (not allowing heat from above to leak into the basement)? Having used both the Comfort Batts and the Safe 'n Sound, they seem like the same material, so it must have some insulating properties?

Thank you!


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

The heat from above does not travel down to the basement by way of air flow unless you motivate it with a fan. It first conducts through the floor and framing which then radiates that energy to everything below. Once you install the ceiling as described it will slow the process with or without the safe and sound. But the insulation will slow it further.

To isolate the sound, as much as possible, you would want to decouple the mechanical connection between the wood ceiling and the floor joists. They make a "Z" metal strapping for that purpose. Never used it but have seen it discussed on forums like this.

Even if you had to add some heat down there it should be minimal.

Bud


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## Kory Beam (Nov 15, 2014)

Thanks, Bud. Yes, you explained it much better than I did. I meant that I did not want to eliminate the heat from upstairs conducting through the floors down into the basement. I figured that a lack of insulating material in the ceiling would allow for the upstairs warmth to better conduct into the conditioned space below. Since the Roxul Safe 'n Sound has no stated r-value, I wonder if it is a poor insulator... but as I stated above, it is so similar to their Comfort Batt that I figure it must have some insulating properties. 

I'm not dealing with much noise here. Wondering if many bother insulating for sound between floors if it is not going to be a dedicated boob-boom theatre type of room.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

The safe and sound (IMO) is just comfort batts packaged for sound isolation. I believe it has the same r-value per inch. I saw 2.5 lbs per cubic ft vs 2 lbs for comfort batts so maybe even a bit higher r-value, but it is an insulator.

Bud


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Fiberglass is as good or better with sound, than safe and sound.

Heat goes up so there is no heat coming from upstairs now.
Fire stopping all holes in the structure is to prevent air flow thru a ceiling floor system

Just thought I would drop that off.


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## Kory Beam (Nov 15, 2014)

Thanks, Neal. All fire-stopped. I did think that heat would convect through into a cooler space below. Not through holes, or air flow gaps. At least that is what I thought the green energy sires were explaining. Maybe I misunderstood what I was researching.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Kory Beam said:


> Thanks, Neal. All fire-stopped. I did think that heat would convect through into a cooler space below. Not through holes, or air flow gaps. At least that is what I thought the green energy sires were explaining. Maybe I misunderstood what I was researching.


That would explain why nobody ever adds heat to the basement.:surprise:

There might be something there but to count on it to help with anything would be foolish.:vs_cool:


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## Kory Beam (Nov 15, 2014)

Got ya. So a lil' sound insulation won't be making too much of a difference, either way? Concerning any heat loss from upstairs, that is...

I guess the better question... is a little insulation going to make much of a difference in sound traveling between floors? It's not a loud theatre room, nor is anybody making much of a racket upstairs in the cabin. Maybe I'll just split the difference and split the Roxul down the middle. Kidding.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

http://www.soundproofing.org/infopages/channel.htm

Bud


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

I did all my basement ceilings with Safe n sound when I finished it. The TV or music playing downstairs can't be heard upstairs (unless it's way too loud anyway)save the bass. Hard to stop the bass levels. The sound will however travel through the duct work with ease. In one guest bedroom on the main level you can hear clearly a TV or radio playing downstairs. And, I keep the supplies downstairs closed year round. Never have needed any heat of cooling downstairs.


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