# drywall in the attic?



## uglijimus (Apr 8, 2010)

I recently moved into a house that often is in the flight path of a nearby airport. 
I will first attempt to soundproof the windows as they are usually the weak link in when sound is infiltrating a home, but in combination I was considering putting quietrock inside of the attic. Is this dangerous at all? Can you see if any problems I might have in the future with this? thank you


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

Exactly where in the attic? On walls, ceilings, floor??


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## uglijimus (Apr 8, 2010)

bjbatlanta said:


> Exactly where in the attic? On walls, ceilings, floor??


I was thinking probably on the floor of the attic. I originally considered the walls, but because of them being vertical, thought it might prove to be too difficult.


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## oldrivers (May 2, 2009)

Id be afraid of spending that much money and not getting the results your hoping for in the end. and i dont think you want insulation on the rafters and blown insulation on the floor ceiling . id maybe consult an expert and get some ideas and no nos ...


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Moisture in the attic. I built a handful of homes under the flight path, 3/4" ply on roof, baffled vents exiting the roof, triple paned windows, research sound travel.

Be safe, Gary


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## Snav (Aug 20, 2009)

Why do you think the sound comes through the attic?

Your roofing material, dead air space with little circulation or wood-wood contact in the attic, the ceiling and insulation is likely a decent sound barrier. Your sound is probably coming through wall-vibrations.
Brick and siding make horrible barriers - hollow dead space (like inside the wall) and solid, firm space like thick, heavy solid wood doors make more ideal built-in sound proof features (as opposed to add-on sound proofing like Acoustiblok or accoustic foams)

Building fake walls is somewhat easy - though it does take away from the overall dimensions of the room a bit. The key to sound proof fake walls is that the fake wall does not contact the old wall - or contacts it as little as possible. Sound will travel through solid materials as vibrations, so the less vibration the better.

Your fake wall would have to be attached to the ceiling and the floor and built with traditional 2x4's - with a 1" dead gap between the current wall and the fake wall - insulated and then sealed up well. You would have to bring forward any switches or plugs, and deepend any window or door frames.


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## uglijimus (Apr 8, 2010)

I'm not sure that it is coming in from the attic, my ears "tell" me that just soundproofing the windows will not be enough. 

thanks for the suggestion, but changing the dimensions of the room by building fake walls will not go over well with my wife at all. 

Also, I read that brick/concrete are great materials for reducing sound, while wood allows further transmission of sound.


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## uglijimus (Apr 8, 2010)

GBR in WA said:


> Moisture in the attic. I built a handful of homes under the flight path, 3/4" ply on roof, baffled vents exiting the roof, triple paned windows, research sound travel.
> 
> Be safe, Gary


I'm sure those things work, but that is a financial investment I'm sure I wouldn't be able to handle!


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## Ted White (Jun 23, 2009)

Test the window theory by having someone place heavy moving tarp over windows during a fly-over. If you can hear a difference, then you know more than you do now.

If the roof is an issue, a component may be the direct conduction of the vibration of the roof deck, to the trusses / rafters then to your walls that hold these up. The vibration doesn't have to travel through the attic airspace.


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## uglijimus (Apr 8, 2010)

The only problem is heavy tarp and windows may not perform at the same efficiency. I never did think about the rafters though, good point.


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## Ted White (Jun 23, 2009)

They certainly won't perform the same. My point was that a heavy tarp would give a clue if the windows were a big issue. If there were a big difference, then you could proceed with retrofit windows


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## EdLank (Apr 23, 2010)

Thick dense materials absorb the high frequencies but can vibrate at low frequencies and transmit them. Which is it for you...high frequency jet engines, or the subharmonics of the wake from high overhead planes that bother you?


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## uglijimus (Apr 8, 2010)

it's both, but oddly enough the low rumbling vibrations don't bother me as much as the mid-range "shrieking". No matter what kind of soundproofing I do, I don't believe it will ever block out the low rumbling anyway.


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## Ted White (Jun 23, 2009)

This type of sound problem is difficult to assess from afar, as each structure is different. Low frequencies are the worst to deal with, as they are typically the highest energy and common construction doesn't lend itself to low frequency isolation. 

Low frequencies tend to become structure borne and travel through structures petty efficiently. You can try a hit-or-miss approach by trying just a wall, or a wall and a ceiling, and that may help or may do nothing at all. Frustrating.


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