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Isolation Clips for Soundproofing


How Do Isolation Clips Work?
Sound works in two ways: It is an energy that can travel through the air, water, wood or through any solid surface. If you have ever lived in an apartment with a noisy upstairs neighbor stomping around, then you are probably very familiar with impact-based sounds.

Isolation clips work by decoupling — or separating — two surfaces from each other to reduce the impact noise that vibrates the structure. These clips can be used to decouple walls and ceilings from the underlying framing studs and joists, preventing direct contact between these different parts. Once installed, the isolation clips significantly lower sound transfer, across all frequencies, from one surface to the next. While these clips are a surefire way to help obtain quick, effective results, they will increase the thickness of the wall or lower the ceiling up to two inches, depending on the materials installed. Isolation Clips perform best when installed during the construction process, directly on the studs or joists.

Decoupling With Isolation Clips
One of the most effective decoupling methods is known as a floating ceiling or wall. It is created by using sound clips that are attached to ceiling/wall joists or wall studs, with metal furring hat channel, Hat Channel, snapped into the channels and the drywall fastened to the channels. This creates a larger space of separation between the ceiling and walls, making it more difficult for impact or airborne noise to travel across and effectively soundproofing the area. If you are adding an extension to your home or designing a new office, think about incorporating isolation clips for a better soundproofed and tranquil environment. These sound-dampening clips are highly versatile, able to be installed onto most surfaces. Drywall furring hat channels are required as opposed to resilient channel. Sound isolation clips offer a highly effective method to significantly reduce structure-borne sound at an affordable price, making them a popular choice for new construction or renovation.

Why Use Isolation Clips?
Isolation clips are often used due to their effectiveness, low cost, and ease to install. These clips are some of the simplest pieces to install — just screw them into place, insert the Hat Channel. While some soundproofing methods can strain your bank account, these clips are extremely affordable and often perform better than some more expensive options. Isolation clips have been proven to be able to reduce sound transfer up to 70% . This includes sounds from footsteps, voices, TVs, and stereos. For maximum soundproofing, you may opt to decouple both sides of the wall. Between their low cost and high performance, isolation clips are one of the best options for soundproofing today. Worried these clips will look ugly with your decor? It doesn't matter, because they are hidden from sight. While some acoustic treatments such as wall panels are visible for everyone to see, these clips hide behind the finished walls, making them invisible to anyone without X-ray vision.


Soundproofing Accessories
A small gap around electrical outlets, a door frame or window allows air to pass through. These air leaks are easily treated with Putty Pads, Acoustic Caulk Sealant, Door Seals, and Neoprene Gaskets. Putty Pads are ideal to apply on the back and sides, on the outside, of electrical boxes to block sound from finding its way to the other side of the wall, floor, or ceiling. Acoustic Caulk Sealant works best to fill small, up to 1/4” wide, gaps along the perimeter of walls, between any perpendicular surface, a rough opening and a window or door frame. A ray of light is a clear indicator that points to a sound leak. Door seals are installed along the top, sides, and bottom of a door to soundproof a solid or soundproof door. Neoprene Isolation Gaskets reduce the amount of sound that is able to travel through the structure. Neoprene gaskets are recommended to isolate sound along the perimeter of a wall, between metal studs, or other points of contact between rigid materials.