QuietRock

QuietRock is a brand of internally damped drywall panels by PABCO which acquired the line from Serious Materials, an American manufacturer of building materials started by Kevin Surace . It is designed to provide high levels of sound transmission loss between rooms. the first product was introduced in 2003.

Design

QuietRock uses a damping technique called constrained-layer damping (CLD). This technology had been used for at least 20 years to reduce vibrations in mechanical objects from disk drive heads to bridges, but had not been applied to architectural acoustics prior to 2003. QuietRock panels use several tuned constrained-layer systems to create a higher ability to damp vibrational (and therefore acoustic) energy. In essence, the panel does not "want" to vibrate due to stress and strain caused by the damping method. Acoustic energy ends up dissipating as small amounts of heat.

Sound attenuation is measured using tests known as ASTM E90 and ASTM E413 to achieve a single sound-transmission-class (STC) rating. Note that the STC method has changed significantly over the years, and STCs from publications prior to 1995 may not be accurate to today's standards. QuietRock is one of a class of soundproof drywall products that, according to independent lab tests[1] and field reports, may add 15 to 20 STC points in comparison to standard drywall. STC does not consider the most problematic frequencies below 125 Hz.

Unlike resilient channels (RC) and other methods, internally damped drywall cannot be shorted out by the builder or homeowner. Therefore, the use of "soundproof drywall" may be a more reliable method for sustained high STCs.

Two companies have published third-party tests of mass-loaded vinyl (MLV), an older method used by do-it-yourselfers for home studios. These tests show that MLV scores 43 to 45 STC points in 24-inch-on-center (24OC) single-stud walls,[2][3] whereas internally damped drywall typically scores 50 to 55.[4]

People can make their own CLD panels using various viscoelastic polymers available from several companies.[5][6] These glues can be spread at 1/2 gallon to 1 gallon per layer to improve the STC values of standard drywall and may be less expensive than using engineered panels, especially for do-it-yourself projects.

QuietRock panels are made from standard drywall or cement board and polymers. One very early model (530) used thin metal to add a shear rating. Many are UL certified for fire rated assemblies. The company said in 2008 it had shipped more than 1 million panels.[7] and in 2010 stated more than 2 million had been shipped http://www.quietrock.com/soundproof-products.html

QuietRock ES was developed and invented primarily by Kevin Surace and introduced in 2009 as the first soundproofing drywall with no paper in the middle - so it scores/snaps like regular drywall EZSnap and Video of using. The company has several patents covering the invention and manufacture including this Patent

There are other internally damped panels on the market as well without easy-snap, such as National Gypsum's SoundBreak.

Uses and availability

QuietRock and similar products are often used in projects that require soundproofing, such as hotels, hospitals, schools, condominium party walls and home theaters. There are several types of QuietRock, including a THX-certified version introduced in 2005 (now called 545) used to build walls rated to STC 80.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Quiet Solution | Product Test Reports
  2. ↑ http://www.quietsolution.com/Mass_Loaded_Vinyl_scn.pdf Archived July 9, 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ http://www.greengluecompany.com/transmissionLossTests/OL05-0822_Report.pdf
  4. ↑ http://quietsolution.com/QR525_both_sides_wood_studs.pdf
  5. ↑ QuietGlue | Soundproofing Glue
  6. ↑ Green Glue is your soundproofing and noise reduction material
  7. ↑ Quiet Solution Ships 1,000,000th QuietRock Panel to Joie de Vivre Hotels
  8. ↑ http://quietsolution.com/QR545_2X_both_sides_double_wd_stud_STC80.pdf

See also

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