I want to build a soundproof party wall for a garden style aparment building at a reasonable price. What would you suggest?
Question: I am building a four-story garden style apartment building and the adjoining units have back-to-back bedrooms. I want to build a soundproof party wall but the price of construction needs to be reasonable. What would you suggest? Answer: It is difficult to build an inexpensive wall that is truly soundproof. However, you can build a wall with good acoustical abatement qualities for a reasonable price. Airborne noise levels are usually measured by Sound Transmission Class or STC. Most building codes require a minimum STC 45 level rating at party walls that separate two dwelling units. However, for better sound attenuation, you should consider designs that test out at STC 50 to STC 60. One example is to construct two, 2×4 walls parallel to each other with a one-inch air gap between the two walls. Since the studs from either of the two walls do not touch the studs of the adjacent wall, the one-inch air space acts to interrupt and isolate the flow of noise from one unit to the othe
