How to Soundproof a Stud Wall

Stud walls are a fantastic way to divide an indoor space quickly and cost-effectively. However, the nature of their design also means they can be susceptible to letting noise pass through.

Thankfully, soundproofing a stud wall is just as simple as installing a stud wall, so long as you know how sound travels and what’s needed to stop it from happening.

How to Make a Stud Wall Soundproof

Sound is a physical phenomenon. Noises are created by tiny vibrating sound waves, so to soundproof anything, you need to stop these waves from travelling.

Stud walls are particularly bad at stopping sound from travelling through because, in many cases, they are not fully sealed. Unlike a brick wall, stud partitions often leave some space, which creates a drum effect, amplifying the noise.

However, just fully sealing a wall isn’t enough on its own. Sound can easily vibrate through lightweight materials, especially if there’s no gap between them, which is why things like thin metal walls don’t block out sound in the same way a brick wall can.

So, when you’re trying to soundproof a stud wall, you need to achieve two things:

1. Add Mass – Fill the cavity with dense, weighty materials that sound will struggle to pass through.
2. Decouple – Create a space (or add flexibility) between the wall and the plasterboard to stop sound from freely vibrating through the material.

Step 1: Remove Plasterboard

This guide assumes you are soundproofing an existing stud wall. If not, you can build the stud wall as you would usually, but don’t install the plasterboard just yet.

While it is possible to add some soundproofing to a stud wall without removing the plasterboard, if you’re looking for truly effective soundproofing, you really need to remove it, or at least ensure you have acoustic insulation fitted.

Depending on how the plasterboard has been fitted, you may need to remove and replace it with new boards. However, if it’s been screwed in place, you may be able to undo the screws and reuse the same boards. That being said, you may want to invest in new acoustic plasterboards if you don’t have them already (more on that below).

Step 2: Install Acoustic Insulation

If your stud wall doesn’t have anything to fill the cavity, adding acoustic insulation is immediately going to make a huge difference.

Acoustic insulation often comes in the form of mineral wool and is designed to add density to the wall. By reducing the amount of air gaps while still leaving some room for sound absorption, acoustic insulation will slow down any sound waves that were passing through previously.

Note that acoustic insulation should always be installed while wearing personal protective equipment, as it contains a lot of small fibres that can cause irritation.

Step 3: Decouple the Plasterboard

The next step depends on how much space you’re working with. Ideally, you would create a space between the stud wall and the plasterboard using something like a resilient bar. These support the plasterboard so it can be physically detached from the stud, making it harder for sound to vibrate through.

If you don’t have the space to decouple the plasterboard from the stud wall, you might want to explore acoustic plasterboard solutions. These often add density and flexibility to the plasterboard, helping to dampen the sound waves.

Step 4: Reinstall the Plasterboard

Once the insulation and resilience has been installed, you can put the plasterboard back in place. Using standard plasterboard alongside these acoustic solutions is acceptable, but if you need even more soundproofing, you may want to look at acoustic plasterboard.

There are plasterboards available that have been designed to provide further soundproofing. They are often much denser and heavier than regular plasterboard and are usually thicker, containing various layers of materials designed to reduce the ease with which sound waves can pass through. If you need a high level of soundproofing, look out for soundproof plasterboard solutions.

And just like that, you’ll have a stud wall that’s much more effective at keeping the sound out. We have everything you’ll need for the job here at Fastbuild, from acoustic insulation to resilient bars and more. Explore our range of products at great trade prices today.