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 anoisy upstairs neighbor stomping around, then you are probably very familiar withimpact-based sounds.

Isolation clips work by decoupling — or separating — two surfaces from eachother to reduce the impact noise that vibrates the structure. These clips can be used to decouple walls and ceilings from theunderlying framing studs and joists, preventing direct contact between thesedifferent parts. Once installed, the isolation clips significantly lower sound transfer, across all frequencies, from one surface to thenext. 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 Clipsperform best when installed during the construction process, directly on the studsor joists.

Decoupling With Isolation Clips
One of the most effective decoupling methods is known as a floating ceiling orwall. It is created by using sound clips that are attached to ceiling/wall joists orwall studs, with metal furring hat channel, Hat Channel, snapped into thechannels and the drywall fastened to the channels. This creates a larger space ofseparation between the ceiling and walls, making it more difficult for impact orairborne noise to travel across and effectively soundproofing the area. If you areadding an extension to your home or designing a new office, think aboutincorporating isolation clips for a better soundproofed and tranquil environment.These sound-dampening clips are highly versatile, able to be installed onto mostsurfaces. Drywall furring hat channels arerequired as opposed to resilient channel. Sound isolation clips offer a highlyeffective method to significantly reduce structure-borne sound at an affordableprice, 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 toinstall. These clips are some of the simplest pieces to install — just screw theminto place, insert the Hat Channel. While some soundproofing methods can strain your bank account, theseclips are extremely affordable and often perform better than some moreexpensive options. Isolation clips have been proven to be able to reduce soundtransfer up to 70% . This includes sounds from footsteps, voices,TVs, and stereos. For maximum soundproofing, you may opt todecouple 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 theyare hidden from sight. While some acoustic treatments such as wall panels arevisible 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 aroundelectrical outlets, a door frame or window allows air to pass through. These airleaks are easily treated with Putty Pads, Acoustic Caulk Sealant, Door Seals, andNeoprene Gaskets. Putty Pads are ideal to apply on the back and sides, on theoutside, of electrical boxes to block sound from finding its way to the other side ofthe wall, floor, or ceiling. Acoustic Caulk Sealant works best to fill small, up to1/4” 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 indicatorthat points to a sound leak. Door seals are installed along the top, sides, andbottom of a door to soundproof a solid or soundproof door. Neoprene IsolationGaskets reduce the amount of sound thatis able to travel through the structure. Neoprene gaskets are recommended toisolate sound along the perimeter of a wall, between metal studs, or other pointsof contact between rigid materials.