What Can I do about sound in a duplex with thin walls?

[Marc Shin]

Hello - I have a side-by-side duplex that i'm converting into an STR. I noticed that the walls are somewhat thin and when I'm sitting in one of the units I can hear some noises from the other unit. Is this a problem? Should I install some sound dampening panels on the walls to reduce the noises from the other unit? Help!

[Michael Baum]

Hey @Marc Shin, what you can do is add a second layer of drywall over the first. This will keep you from having to tear it all out and making a mess. A good drywall guy can hang and finish it in less than a day easily.

But what you need to do is put a bunch of Green Glue between the sheets.

When hanging, the contractor will spread the Green Glue on the new panels in a random pattern with a caulking gun. Then attach as per normal.

Green Glue is a product that is designed to reduce the transference of sound between rooms. It is usually used in conjunction with decoupling clips and the like for listening rooms, audio recording rooms and home theaters.

It is very effective in and of itself so it is something that can be done reasonably cheap without taking a ton of time.

https://www.greengluecompany.com/