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Resilient Bar Ceiling

Cross section of resilient bar ceiling

How it works.

Where you are constrained by height issues the choice of a resilient bar ceiling maybe your only practical choice when soundproofing a ceiling. With this solution will lose just over an inch (35mm) from your original ceiling height. 

The resilient bar, or sound breaker bar works by decoupling the new suspended ceiling from the joists. The new ceiling is in effect floating off the joists via lightweight corrugated steel bars. The sound is absorbed as it travels through the corrugated flange of the resilient bar. (For a significantly higher performance see our Genie Clip solution page).

The use of resilient bars or acoustic hangers in ceiling constructions significantly improves the acoustic performance of a ceiling soundproofing project both from the impact and airborne perspective. We offer two upgrades to the basic ceiling; one is by adding Tecsound 50 membrane; and the second using 10mm SBx boards

The removal of an old ceiling sounds a little daunting but is in effect very easy to do. The only drawback is that it is a messy job. Resilience bars are attached to the joists perpendicular to the run of the joists at 400mm centres. Acoustic mineral wool is then placed up in between the joists. Finally a double layer of acoustic plasterboard is attached to the ceiling, the perimeter being sealed with acoustic mastic. Advice on finding a fitter is available on our Find a Fitter page.


Sound proofing basics
When soundproofing a ceiling it is necessary to improve three basic components. 

  1. The mass of the ceiling- This is normally achieved by adding two layers of acoustic plasterboard and high density wool. The SBx upgrade further enhances this by the addition of even more resilient mass.
  2. The Resilience of the ceiling- This is the "springiness" of the ceiling. Without this, the addition of the mass will have very little impact. Resilient Bars offer a slim and cost effective method of achieving resilience. Leaving out the resilient layer will very materially reduce the performance of the soundproofing.
  3. The sound "absorbency" of the ceiling. By adding different components the sound gets trapped more easily within the ceiling; here we prescribe the use of AMW60 100mm.

For customers looking to insulate noisy pipes please see our acoustic pipe wrap.


Understanding Performance
Below you will see a performance table. 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.



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 spotlights can be purchased from our on-line store.



 

Key Points:

  1. Delivery direct to your door within 48 hours
  2. A slim fitting ceiling soundproofing solution
  3. A very DIY-able solution
  4. Resilient Bars at just 16mm means minimal space loss
  5. Our Online Calculator will work out your requirements
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Resilient Bar Sound Insulation performance table

Ceiling Depth Gain Total system Performance airborne Typical Airborne Improvement Typical Impact Improvement
Resilient Bars 16mm + (Plasterboard 25mm) 43dB 14dB 13db
Resilient Bars SBX Upgrade 16mm + 22mm 48dB 19dB 15dB
Ceiling Solution Resilient Bars Tecsound Upgrade 16mm + 27mm 46dB 17dB 14dB




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