I'm about to insulate the ceiling in my basement, which has a drop ceiling and is about 300 sqft in size. It's in a 100-year-old house, and I'm trying to reduce the sound coming from the floor above. Does anyone have tips or advice before I get started with this project?
2 Answers
You might want to keep your expectations in check. While insulation helps, the real key to soundproofing is sealing and decoupling the ceiling. If you can add something elastic between the floors, that could really help with footsteps. Also, consider adding mass to your ceiling to further dampen sound. Insulation is a good idea, but don't forget simple fixes like area rugs on the floor above where sound travels the most—they can be surprisingly effective!
I tried putting some fiberglass bats in my ceiling, but honestly, it didn’t make much difference for me. If you want to spend money wisely, you might want to consider saving up for something more effective. Some folks opt for rockwool, which you might want to look into instead—it has a better track record for sound dampening!