One builder that I listen to a lot has recommended 5/8″ sheetrock on walls and ceiling.
I’m sure that it makes the rooms at least some quieter – is it enough to notice?
I can easily figure out what the difference in material cost is, but is the labor significantly different?
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Replies
Labor should be the same. 5/8" rock is way superior to 1/2" IMO, but not much quieter.
Bill
I'll second all 5/8 ths. Most of our drywall is finished to level 5 and it really helps in making everything smoother. The walls don't flex either.
This creates some additional work
1. On stock door jambs you need to somehow adjust for the additional 1/4 inch. My supplier does not have a standard 4 3/4 jamb. We usually rip 1/4 or 5/16 strip and apply at the indent on the jamb. It just makes on side of trim look slightly thicker.
2. May need to consider jamb extensions on windows or special order appropriate thickness.
3. When you have shower and tub walls butt up to the drywall. It is one additional step of having furring strips so the Hardibacker is at the same level. We usually rip strips out of 1/8 hardboard and all is good. For tubs surrounds we have changed over to USG Aquatough and it comes in 5/8's.
Bruce
Personally, I think it is unnecessary, and I'd be shocked if someone said it would be noticeably quieter.
If you are using prehung doors or windows with factory returns, expect some more work making them fit or plan on special ordering some with larger jambs - more $ for special order.
I don't that quite thing too. Think about it. Sound is transmitted best through uninterupted solids vs say insulation. 4 units of drywall solids (ie 4/8 drywall) vs 5 units (5/8)? Still a solid.
The other advantage is a better fire rating for 5/8". For real world installations, it would be real hard to claim a human-noticeable difference in sound. Best case, with microphones built into windowless doorless rooms in a laboratory, you might be able to measure a difference.
-- J.S.
Believe it or not, I actually read the book on drywall that Gypsum wrote. It was like 300 pages. I did it because it was required reading for the WV Contractors Liscencing. Anyway, it said that 5/8 was recommended for ceilings or anything spanning 24". Since most trusses are 2' apart; there you go. 1/2" was for 16" o.c. on walls.
If you want your house to be noticeably quieter, install RC track. If not, I wouldn't waste my money on 5/8 on the walls.
I install 5/8" rock on all my jobs unless matching something that has 1/2".
Most who say there isn't a worthwhile difference, haven't been around walls rocked with 5/8". There is a difference in how the walls sound and feel.
It does cost a bit more and most installers will charge a bit extra--probably 15% difference in overall dw costs.
Additional trim costs are small if it's planned for up front. Sometimes that means special ordering extra thick jamb extensions on windows or slightly wider door jams. Sometimes it's a quick rip on an oversize jamb.
If it's difficult to alter a jamb width because of the window or door design a thicker trim profile can often be backcut, allowing room for the extra 1/8". On thinner profiles it's probably best to add an extension to the jamb that can be sanded smooth.
Nothing looks more tacky than a jamb extension that is sloppy and isn't blended into either the jamb or trim.
On rare occations when the wall width on a small section has to be the same as if 1/2" rock was used, we'll rip 1/4" from the framing material. Of course it helps a great deal if all this is planned for up front. In our case the finish carps are the framers. :-)
The most bang for the buck as far as wall sound transmittion goes is unfaced fiberglass bats in all interior walls and floors.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
"Most who say there isn't a worthwhile difference, haven't been around walls rocked with 5/8". There is a difference in how the walls sound and feel."
Interesting. I never met anyone who regularly conversed with their walls or felt-them-up either.
The added mass of5/8" is definitely a better sound absorber.
The added cost is mostly in the extension jambs for trim.
5/8" is required on cielings where the span is more than 16" OC. 1/2" will eventually sag at spans over 16" and even at 16"oc in some situations.
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Does 1/2" high strength drywall come into play? I've been told by 3 different DW contractors that 5/8" on a ceiling is not as good as HS 1/2". I'm confused!Rip
i've never used it so they might be right. If i5t were my job, I would check it out on manufacturers specs. They all put their data sheets online in pdf format
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On some of my houses I use 1/2" "ceiling board". It is about $1.5 more per 12' board than regular 1/2".
and even at 16"oc in some situations.
What are the "situations"? Just curious.
if the hangers use too few screws
if the immediate climate is humid and damp
if the kids upstairs rough house too much
if insulation is packed too densely and heavy behind/above it
probably otheres but those come immediately to mind
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Go with 1/2" blue board and skim coat it.
5/8" for ceilings
Install costs are the same for 5/8 or 1/2 here. If they want to charge more for it it shouldnt be much though.
5/8" on walls we get $0.03 more per square foot of wall for labor. on a 4*12 it's like a 1.33 more. i like the 5/8" on walls bacuse of the better finish.
5/8" will have less tendancy of being wavy if framers did their job right and the drywallers do their job right. But I still always tell my clients there is no such thing as a perfectly straight wall. Natural light hitting a wall will always play games with you.
5/8" for both walls and ceilings.
I think that San Antonio requires 5/8 on the common wall between the house and the garage.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Do you have kids?
My fourteen year old tried a handstand last week, and lost his balance. The hallway now has a 12" diameter dent/hole in it. This happened 1/2 hour before guests arrived for Thanksgiving.
I believe the added thickness and fiberglass in 5/8" might have prevented this.
Paul:
I've done a fair amount of research on sound deadening - am putting in a home theater in my remodel...
Thicker drywall translates into heavier mass, equals slightly better sound damping. However, there are a variety of mechanisms that support sound transmission and I suspect the increase in thickness will not make much of a difference if:
- there's any "air gaps" whatsoever into or out of the room (higher frequencies especially)
- if there's rigid connections through framing to adjacent spaces - the main reason sound channel is used (to de-couple the resonating drywall sheet from the framing underneath) (this applies especially to the lower range of audible frequencies)
If you're serious about obtaining acoustic isolation, you ought to do a little Google searching on acoustics - there's lots to be learned, and the liklihood of disappointment by pursuing an oversimplified approach is pretty high...
Can't argue with those that say 5/8" offers a different finishing substrate, or a different "feel" or "sound". It's stiffer and more massive...
If that's the only technique you're planning to incorporate, and you're primary motivation is acoustic deadening, my guess is the effort won't be worth it. Used in conjunction with other tricks, and you might make a difference. On the other hand, if you're simply after a more "solid feeling" wall and the additional cost from your builder is fairly modest, then go for it!
Good luck!
5/8 is far superior in all aspects and the rockers should get more money at least for the ceilings. Some insurance compoanies will lower their rate for 5/8 in the entire house in case of fire.