Acoustic Fiberglass in Soundproofing
Fiberglass has to be one of the best choices when it comes to soundproofing. It is useful to soundproof walls, ceilings, and floors in closed spaces like music production studios. Acoustic fiberglass as a form of audio insulation consists of rather small particles of compressed glass or plastic. In order to make this soundproofing material, the sand is heated and then spun on high speeds in order to form glass. It is also common that some manufacturers of acoustic fiberglass use recycled glass to produce the mentioned material. The common forms of fiberglass used for soundproofing come in the form of batts or rolls. Other common twhich usually fill attics and ceilings have a somewhat loose-fill form. Also, it comes in rigid boards, and insulation explicitly made for ductwork.
Thermal Isolation
Fiberglass conducts thermal isolation; therefore, it stops the transfer of heat, cold, and most importantly, in this case, the sound. The isolation properties of fiberglass are further able to tap down the temperature and soundwaves and prevent them from passing through. Another interesting fact about fiberglass material is that it will absorb the sound and not block or reflect it as some of the other soundproofing materials do.
NRC Rating
Noise Reduction Coefficient measures the amount of sound that certain material absorbs. The values for rating the materials varies from 0 to 1. Fiberglass is rated from 0.90 to 0.95, so we can say that it works quite well when rated to sound reduction. Furthermore, STC (Sound Transmission Class) is a method of comparing how well windows, doors, floors, walls, and ceilings are at reducing sound transmission.
It measures the decibel (dB) decrease as sound passes through or is absorbed or blocked by material or wall. For example, a quiet home has an STC 40 rating. The International Building Code (IBC) recommends a rating of STC 50 for walls, ceilings, and floors as a minimum requirement. An increase to STC 55 or STC 60 would be better. Using standard 3-1/2” thick fiberglass batts in wall cavities can improve the STC from a rating of 35 to 39. The sound that travels through drywall is further reduced before it transfers into the next room.
The thicker the better
As mentioned above, rigid fiberglass insulation helps to reduce noise by absorbing sound. The thicker and denser the batt or roll of rigid fiberglass, the better it will absorb the noise. It is one of the best soundproofing materials, but it will not stop noises 100 %. Bearing this in mind, fiberglass insulation is not only efficient at absorbing sound, but it also makes a pretty decent sound barrier as well.
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