When it comes to soundproofing a ceiling it is essential you consider the two things that need resolving. That is impact and airborne sound.
The Genie clip ceiling is the best performing suspended ceiling system available from both an airborne and impact sound perspective (see comparison table). A suspended ceiling is where you are attaching the sound proof system to the existing joists.
In performance terms it is far superior to a resilient bar system (see the comparison below) and second only to a full independent ceiling. This extra performance derives from the much higher level of resilience that is manifest within the Genie clip structure, the vibration of sound transmission being absorbed better with rubber than with the metal of resilient bars. In effect the mass of the new soundproofing surface that you are adding is much better isolated than is the case with resilient bars.
The Genie clip ceiling can be fitted either by retaining the original ceiling, or removing the existing ceiling plasterboards.
We recommend you retain the existing ceiling if it is made of lathe and plaster due to its inherent soundproof qualities. Where you retain your existing ceiling 50mm easyfit slab is prescribed ( higher density wool will not fit).
Where there is a single 12.5mm plasterboard you can remove this. Removing the existing ceiling is often desirable where ceiling height is an issue and you wish to maximise the amount of headroom. Where you remove the ceiling 100mm AMW60 will be prescribed
Sound proofing basics
When soundproofing a ceiling it is necessary to improve three basic components.
- The mass of the ceiling- This is normally achieved by adding acoustic plasterboard and high density products. The Sbx upgrade acheives this with its increased mass.
- The Resilience of the ceiling- This is the springiness of the ceiling. Without this, the addition of the mass will have very little impact. The Genie clips are the best form of resilience we know of.
- The sound "absorbency" of the ceiling. By adding different components the sound gets trapped more easily within the ceiling; here we prescribe the easfit slab.
SBX Upgrades
For those customers looking for the maximum possible performance from an acoustic ceiling we also offer the possibility of an SBX board upgrade. This is a fine silica filled board that has excellent soundproofing properties far in excess of regular plasterboards. For an overview as to what the SBX board is please see here.
In general we believe that the SBX board will improve performance by around 8-10 db over and above the stated figures in the comparison table. There is also an improvement in impact sound performance as well.
As you can see The GenieClip™s outperform traditional resilient bars by a significant margin. As borne out by the above figures, the difference is all the more impressive given the non linear nature of the dB scale. Please note that these figures are test data figures and might be a little confusing. Click here for a more detailed explanation.
Understanding Performance
The total performance which is normally quoted on most sites refers to the performance of an average ceiling with soundproofing materials added.
We also give an indication of performance uplift. Remember that every 10dB of performance uplift corresponds to roughly a 50% improvement in the performance of the ceiling. So 20dB would indicate a 75% improvement over and above the original ceiling.
Sound Stop refers to dB improvement when we compare any of our systems. This we hope is an informative way of telling the customer what kind of improvement they will get when they add a soundproofing system. Many competitor sites offer products that will boast much higher numbers. Be aware these are often referring to a complete system which include the original ceiling or floor. This often leads to confusion when trying to compare systems. We are an independent site and as such will try to sell only the most effective solutions available in the market today.
Further information
New Product
The GenieClip™ is screwed direct to joists in the same manner that a resilient bar ceiling would be and it houses "furring strips". To these furring strips plasterboard is screwed.
The GenieClip™ system is a superior alternative to the conventional resilient bar system producing better performance from an impact and airborne sound perspective but also it is far less prone to fitting error. In fact its virtually impossible to fit incorrectly.
The GenieClip™ is a moulded rubber and steel isolation clip used to to control the passage of noise. It significantly improves low frequency sound control performance and this is often the hardest frequency to cope with. Of all the resilient solutions that fix direct to joist it offers the best performance.
Performance of Genie Clip
It significantly improves low frequency sound control performance and this is often the hardest frequency to cope with. Of all the resilient solutions that fix direct to joist it offers the best performance.
Important note on recessed lights
If you are adding recessed spotlights in this ceiling you will need to add an acoustic fire retardant light hood to each light, otherwise your soundproofing efforts will be severely compromised due to the hole you have created. These
acoustic spotlight hoods can be purchased from our on-line store.
Fitting Instructions