#Mass loaded vinyl on wall windows#

Mass loaded vinyl curtains provide a decent amount of mass without permanently blocking the opening.

#Mass loaded vinyl on wall windows#

Using MLV as sound dampening curtains over doors and windows is a great use for the material (1/2 LB is most common in this application). Click the installation tab to view more on installing mass loaded vinyl sound barriers on acoustic grids. Without converting the acoustic grid ceiling to a framed assembly with drywall, the best option is to add a layer of MLV atop the acoustic grid panels.

ACOUSTIC GRID BLANKETДЄ frequent complaint in commercial office space is sound transfer from over the top of common walls, or the floor above, coming through the acoustic grid ceiling.

For significant gains in ceilings, we recommend the GenieClip and for floors, GenieMat RST rubber underlayment. TotalMass MLV will not help to improve impact footfall performance in either wood or concrete assemblies. If the sub-floor is concrete or lightweight concrete, MLV will have no value in the assembly. The use of mass loaded vinyl barrier in a non-resilient ceiling/floor assembly (an assembly with no resilient clips or channel installed) can provide a slight improvement in airborne noise isolation only. Because of this, the benefit of TotalMass in a ceiling or floor is often less significant. CEILINGS/FLOORSД«asic ceiling and floor assemblies already consist of a variety of materials with different resonating properties.

Which is a very noticeable jump over a standard wall and accomplished without any demo or decoupling. A standard duty wall, (2x4 framing, single layer drywall on each side, and insulated stud cavities) will achieve an approximate STC 45 with 1 LB TotalMass and an approximate STC 48 with 2 LB TotalMass. Offices, bedrooms, and any area with sound issues relating to voices and television noise will benefit from TotalMass MLV. The most significant gains from the MLV Sound Barrier are in the mid to high frequency ranges. These gains are the result of resolving resonance issues in common building materials and not the mass of the material as it weighs less per square foot than a layer of drywall. Installing TotalMass Mass Loaded Vinyl Barrier in a standard duty wall will decrease sound transmission. The difference is testable though and noticeable. In a wall or ceiling you should expect less of a difference overall from one thickness to another. Also, the 5 point difference is only fully realized when the material is installed as a standalone product and not in a wall or ceiling assembly. So in real world terms, we recommend considering each product this way: The 1/2 LB is best utilized with higher frequency sound issues and in curtains or other areas that require extra flexibility, the 1 LB is a little more balanced between upper low frequencies to higher frequencies and more universally used, and the 2 LB is best in the lower range to upper mid range frequencies. Although a 5 STC point difference is generally a doubling effect to the human ear, the actual gains can be more significant, or less significant, depending on the exact frequency. The standalone STC rating of each of these thicknesses/weights jumps about 5 points as the material thickness increases (STC 20, STC 26, STC 31). A quick search online and you will find numerous tape options at every cheap prices. Sheathing tapes are generally polypropylene with acrylic adhesive. If your project requires the use of seam tape, then we recommend using sheathing tape to adhere best to our mass loaded vinyl. The largest gains from MLV are experienced in walls, doors, windows, and other odd areas like around pipes, duct work, in curtains, in cars, and hanging on exterior fences. MLV is an acoustically dead material that will bring a value, sometimes big and sometimes small, to any assembly. It doesn't rely on an assembly with particular spacing for framing, or common walls, or existing drywall, or certain finish floors, etc. One big advantage to MLV is that it works essentially anywhere. However, TotalMass MLV Sound Barrier still has its place in sound isolation. With advances in technology, higher-rated products have been introduced, providing more cost effective alternatives in walls, ceilings, and floors. For some time, it was considered the best solution for a number of sound issues. Mass loaded vinyl (MLV) is one of the original sound isolation products. View our Product FAQ for answers to common questions about TotalMass MLV.