Stud Walls: Are Resilient Bars Worth It?

Davesnave

We are currently refurbishing our bungalow and moving walls to create a better layout.

Some of these walls bring bedrooms and bathrooms into closer contact than before, so we're looking to keep the new walls as sound-deadening as possible, within normal working practice.

One method of partially decoupling the plasterboard physically from the stud structure is to use resilient bars which are first screwed to the wood and then the boards then screwed only to it. According to the literature, this helps reduce sound vibrations travelling through the stud wall, if joints are filled with the correct sealants and there is no direct contact between plasterboard and floor/ceiling/ other walls.

OK I can see that as a theory, but it occurs to me that these walls won't be very suitable for screwing anything to, since the minute the fixings go into the stud work they'll bridge the gap and compromise whatever isolation has been achieved.

Also, the bars themselves are just galvanised steel, and they're directly in contact with the studs, so the degree of separation isn't great!

Would it be better to omit the bars and just fill the gap with sound insulation, then double skin with the correct plasterboard, staggering joins and sealing gaps with acoustic sealant? Seems to me that's going to do a reasonable job and still allow stuff to be screwed to the framework when built......but I thought I'd ask!

Plumber90

I would go for your second idea, but also put some wood noggins in between the studs as you can guarentee when you come to hang something, the wooden stud will never be where you want to hang it.

jc808

build two stud walls seperated by half inch or so

so wall will be about 8 inch thick

tonyh66

its a bit of overkill just to stop you hearing someone farting in the other bedroom or bathroom.

Davesnave

tonyh66 wrote: »

its a bit of overkill just to stop you hearing someone farting in the other bedroom or bathroom.

Like the Queen, no one in my family farts, but the whip and chains can be quite noisy at times.

It's also about perceived 'solidity' as well as sound-deadening, because solid walls are what we've been used to for a long time. I had the initial impression that these bars would add some rigidity, especially as a close relative had all his upstairs walls constructed in steel framing.....

However, now I'm not so sure it will make much difference.

Davesnave

jc808 wrote: »

build two stud walls seperated by half inch or so

so wall will be about 8 inch thick

Yes, that seems not a great sacrifice of space and would achieve good decoupling. Thank you.

We've the advantage of having one wall 'ready to go,' and that one is very space sensitive, but others aren't. We'll do whatever we do to the first wall and learn from that, I expect.

Furts

It could be my quirk, but I have never come across resiliant bars being used on stud walls. When I last checked the NHBC Requirements, there were four accepted methods detailed, none of these had resiliant bars. Whilst NHBC state that other methods can be adopted I have followed these four - it is straight forward and there is proof of compliance.

That said, I do not approve of the stud wall being un-insulated regardless of the plasterboard and scim detail. Hence I am at odds with NHBC. I believe, based on un-scientific intuition, that an uninsulated stud wall could act like a drum, or echo chamber.

I accept that the White Book by British Gypsum may have other methods, and that the latest guidance fom NHBC may be upgraded - I have not popped the latest disk into the computer.

Davesnave

Furts wrote: »

It could be my quirk, but I have never come across resiliant bars being used on stud walls. When I last checked the NHBC Requirements, there were four accepted methods detailed, none of these had resiliant bars. Whilst NHBC state that other methods can be adopted I have followed these four - it is straight forward and there is proof of compliance.

That said, I do not approve of the stud wall being un-insulated regardless of the plasterboard and scim detail. Hence I am at odds with NHBC. I believe, based on un-scientific intuition, that an uninsulated stud wall could act like a drum, or echo chamber.

I accept that the White Book by British Gypsum may have other methods, and that the latest guidance fom NHBC may be upgraded - I have not popped the latest disk into the computer.

I can't find these 4 accepted methods, but in any event, we will be putting sound insulation material into the stud walls.

lostinrates

Davesnave, we recently replaced a doorway in a solid wall with appropriate sound insulating stuff. ( plaster board and stuff inbetween I believe) The impact is iNCREDIBLY good. Whips and chains cannot be heard one way, its replaced the need for three closed doors. ( though two further doors remain), though the solid wall is shared......I know you saw floor plan of my house eons ago so might make sense to you. Anyway. That stuff is good. We'll be using it in extension too and where ever we have to fuss with partitions between floors too I think. In an already pretty discrete house its really made a difference. Its just normal stud width...

If exact materials are of interest Doozergirl might be able to furnish them. The plasterboard is blue.

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

Davesnave, we recently replaced a doorway in a solid wall with appropriate sound insulating stuff. ( plaster board and stuff inbetween I believe) The impact is iNCREDIBLY good.

If exact materials are of interest Doozergirl might be able to furnish them. The plasterboard is blue.

I was hoping Doozer might see this, but if not I'll PM her later.

I can't remember the layout of your house, which is probably on my dead computer, but I'm glad the insulation worked for you.

We have the heavy, blue plasterboard. I think that, with good rigid framing, will probably be fine.

It's just my builder has sourced these bars....and I can see more down-sides with them than without.

Belenus

Davesnave wrote: »

... because solid walls are what we've been used to for a long time...

Have you considered building solid internal walls?

Probably more expensive but will give an overall more satisfactory result.