Dry Wall for sound insulation on base

Personally, I would think it would be hard to work with, it can break and crumble, it can fall apart when wet and I do not think it would reduce the sound.

I am not keen about the cork either. Just my two cents.

Why not just get mass loaded vinyl sheeting?  It's meant specifically to deaden sound?

I found carpet like the stuff in the trunk of a car.  I was thinking about putting it down under the track to see if it would cut down the sound.  It's gray in color and about six feet wide.  I'm thinking a little paint and ground foam will do the trick to hide it.  The fabric store also had some foam panels that are sticky on one side and about 1/8 inch thick.  I picked up a couple pieces that I can cut to fit the track and stick to the plywood or pink foam base.

I really don't see the upside of drywall in this application.  Weight, crumbling, texture - I don't see this as anything but a major PITA.

There are lots of things you can do to deaden noise, but drywall is about the last thing I would have thought of.  How about Vinylbed or cork roadbed?

George

GG-1 Fan,

     The product you want is Homasote. Here is a link:

        http://www.homasote.com/applications/hobby.aspx

JohnB

As far as mass loaded vinyl sheeting, it is expensive and actually does not have the overall insulating properties that gypsum board has across the frequencies based on a study I saw.  The reason I considered dry wall over plywood was to increase the mass of the base. I plan to put cork on it as well.  Hopefully, the effect would almost be like running a train over a carpet that is on a concrete floor.

Homosote is excellent but is impossible to locate in my area.  It tends to swell in damp areas (like basements) unless painted, too.  

Drywall is only effective in deadening sound when used in a complete construction system that involves other sound deadening techniques.  The frequencies that drywall blocks vary with thickness and it is a heavy material to work with. 

Mass sheet vinyl is really the most effective material.  I have used that as flooring underlayment in several radio station sound studios I designed over the years and does a nice job of providing an acoustic separation.

The most economical solution is probably the high density foam products in pink, blue, or sometimes green.  They not only deaden sound, but are rigid enough to work with too.

Just as an FYI, anytime you penetrate the sound deadening layer with a solid connector, sound will transmit through those fasteners. 

Good luck in your project!

I hope my post did not mislead the responses on here,  When I mentioned dry wall "over" plywood, I did not mean dry wall in place of plywood.  I would install the dry wall directly atop the existing plywood base and then apply cork.

Just my opinion, but I disagree with you. My layout is full 3/4" heavy duty roofing plywood, and the Atlas O track is glued to 3/8" thick VinylBed (now called FlexxBed), which was glued down on the plywood. It is just about a quiet as you can get, and everyone who has visited comments that, although the trains & steam locomotives make "noise", the LAYOUT is surprisingly quiet.

I simply can NOT imagine the MESS that working with drywall will create in your layout room! The dust/powder alone just from drilling holes for wiring should be quite interesting. Plus, I wouldn't plan on screwing anything directly to the drywall, expecting it to hold for long.

I agree

I have to agree with Hot Water.  The drywall sounds like a major cluster.

But, it's your railroad.

George

GG-1 Fan,

     You can cut the Homasote with a circular saw and use it as a base for you track. Put a coat of grey paint on it, lay your track, apply ballast etc. I do not think a damp basement will hurt it much. There is a "where to buy" tool on that Website or google Homasote. We used it at my club Black Diamont Society of Model Engineers in Bethlehem. Its messy to cut best do it out doors during the warmer weather. It worked well for us.

JohnB

Thanks for the suggestions  The dry wall dust from drilling is minimal I have done handyman projects with dry wall in the past and there is really no cutting necessary to place  4x8 sheets atop 4x8 plywood panels.  I would use surface wiring except where there are bus strips requiring me to go underneath for the main wire to the transformers, and so the drilling is minimal (I've cut more in situations requiring holes for electric junction boxes when installing dry wall over wall studs).  Dry wall pieces will cut very easily anyway by scoring it first, placing it over a 2x4, and then pressing down for a clean cut.  I would use straws in the holes to help me push the wiring through.  My question beyond the mess is whether the sound deadening properties are valid.

In my opinion, no.  In all my years of modeling in HO, and now 3-Rail SCALE, nothing beats vinyl nor Homasote for sound deadening. 

I used acoustic ceiling tiles instead:great sound absorption, lighter, easier to work with.  Still crumbles somewhat but overall easier to live with.

There is some newer drywall on the market that is specifically marketed for sound deadening purposes.  This may be suitable.  Questions about friability and installation requirements remain.

Being limited to a crowded bedroom display I don't have any experience with building a large layout. But I experiment with new ways to deaden sound. One thing I found that reduces the resonating of the plywood base is to cover the top of the trusses with foam pipe insulation before I set the plywood down to float on top of the base. It works pretty good on an 8 X 4 display but I don't know if it's feasible for larger layouts.

Mechanical based sound attenuation is based in relieving friction, air pressure and or movement/vibration.

Many paths to that goal.

We used hardwood floor sound deadening cork.  Came in a huge roll and was fairly easy to dice up.  So far with 1/2 ply base, layer of cork, and WS foam roadbed... its whisper quiet.  Basement is finished with carpeting and I think that helps.

If you use green glue and 2 layers of drywall it would be super quiet, worth it I don't know.

Yes, increasing the mass will reduce vibration but there are less cumbersome ways of doing so. I wouldn't use drywall for all the reasons mentioned. 

There are several drywall sound deading products on the market. One in particular is manufactured by Serious Materials and is marking under the QuietRock brand. They have a 4x8 sheet with limited sound control properties that sells for $40-50 each but also have much more expensive products.

They control sound by converting the sound energy to heat.

These products are intended to be installed as a system using sound control non-drying sealants and other products as part of the assembly.

They also product a thin, sound control underlayment but it comes in large rolls not suitable for the average DYI project. You could contact them via their e-mail site and get some additional information. They also make sound control plywood but it is very expensive.

I used Homosote over 1/2 inch plywood and if I turn down the sound systems on my engines they run as quiet as a church mouse. I did use black plastic wire ties to fasten the track which really made a difference over screws and much easier than gluing.

One other thing. Homosote can be ordered with a cork layer and other materials on top. Not sure of the price but you could contact them.

Use 4x8 Quietbrace, about $11.

Not to mention that it is also known as "Sheet Rock".

I like it - run your trains, heat the basement.

Another Option: Celotex Soundstop.

Engineered to damp out sound, doesn't have a tar coat like quietbrace.

However, It is not Structural. You can screw track down to it but don't pick a sheet up by a corner, you will just get the corner.

I find it costs much less than homosote and it more widely available.

I get mine at the local lumber store or Home Depot. (whichever I'm closer to)

Additional note about noise damping:

A while back a member used actual sound measuring equipment to determine what worked and didn't.

Surprising thing he found:  Boxcars and such reverberate and broadcast the noise.

Put some foam in them and they are much quieter.

He used spray in stuff, messy.

I cut pillow foam blocks and stuffed them in. Works great and leaves the door area open so I can run with it open or put items in there.

Bottom Line: 

Your RR, Have FUN !!!

Excellent idea Russell. Are you doing cork (or Woodland Scenic) roadbed over Celotex on 1/2" plywood? Is it cookie-cutter style or tabletop with cookie-cutter for inclines? Is Celotex messy to cut?

I put some weight in an old sock, roll it up loose and put in the ends of boxcars or covered hoppers.

I agree with Southwest Hiawata.  I did not prime the Quitebrace and it sucked up a lot of paint. It does reduce the sound

Brent

Homosote also makes a sound control product Homosote 440. Go to their web site and you can view a video and find out where you can purchase.  Part of the issue with some types of sound control is their are intended for impact sound like high heels on a tile floor. Other types are designed for different frequencies.

I think the basic homosote will work just fine.

One other thing to consider is to isolate the support legs of your layout so that the sound is not reflected off the floor if it is not carpeted.

Yep, carpet absorbs a lot of the noise.