How to soundproof a garage turned to living space?

[stelz]

Hello all,

Hope everyone is well. 

We are in the process of converting our garage into a living space for guests.

The garage is located deep inside the front of the house, and it adjoins wall from the front entry down towards our living space. So, there is a major soundproofing issue that needs to be addressed, including noise from the bathroom.

Here are the ideas we are considering:
1. Using Earthwool R2.5 90 x 580 x 1160mm 9.4m² HD Insulation SoundShield Wall Batt
2. Installing a mass-loaded vinyl noise barrier
3. Using double gyprock
4. Using pipe soundproofing wrap to reduce the noise from the pipes.

We have already purchased the soundshield R2.5, does the grade of the R make any differences?  

Please see the picture for reference.

 Front entry of the house and Garage placement

Front Entry of the house/garage 

Entry hallway/our toddler play area 

Inside wall from the garage

Wall inside the garage 

Thank you all,

[MitchellMc]

Hi @stelz,

If you were to use SoundShield Wall Batts, a mass-loaded vinyl noise barrier, double gyprock, and pipe soundproofing wrap, you'd be well on your way to creating a sound studio. Just the insulation and double Gyrock would see quite good results in obscuring noise transition. It really depends on how little noise you wish to prevent transferring.

The Earthwool insulation you’ve chosen is a good option for soundproofing due to its density and sound absorption properties. The R-value (R2.5 in this case) primarily measures thermal resistance, but higher-density insulation like the one you have also improves soundproofing. While the R2.5 grade is adequate, higher-density options can provide better soundproofing results. There is the 2.7, which is slightly thicker and would have a tad better insulation quality. However, it needs to fit within your studs depth. The 2.7 is 90mm thick, and if you are using 90mm studs, that is fine. If you're using 70mm studs, then compressing the bat down into that space is not optimal and can make it perform worse than a batt of thickness to suit the cavity.

Using double gyprock is certainly an option, but you might like to consider Gyprock CSR 3000 x 1200 x 13mm 3.60sqm Soundchek™ Plasterboard RE instead. It's specifically designed for situations where superior acoustic resistance is required and is twice the weight and density of standard plasterboard.

Lastly, wrapping pipes with soundproofing material can help reduce the noise from the bathroom, especially if you have water hammer issues or if water transfer through them is a disturbance.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell