So the ol' kill room is getting the neighbors suspicious...
Wait, no.
I work from home, and we have 5 kids. I've set up shop in our basement and it's normally fine but does occasionally sound like a herd of elephants are running above me.
The basement has drop ceiling, is there anything you guys can think of to dampen down the thudding?
Spray foam between the joists
Unfortunately, not easily.
Walls typically have a Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating. Floors do too, but they also have an Impact Rating. That's what you're looking to improve here.
And unfortunately that needs 1 of 2 things: mass, like an inch of gypsum concrete on top, and isolation, like a layer of dense foam under the upper finish. Or both. Neither of these is easy to retrofit.
You can add unfaced batt insulation or mineral wool batts between the joists above the lay-in, but without the impact reduction it will not be fully effective.
Ditto what STM317 said: Closed cell spray foam.
Area rugs?
What level are we talking here? No sound what's over or a 10 percent difference?
It will be tough. Duke hit the nail on the head, it's one thing to stop sounds in the air that hit the floor, but another thing entirely to stop sound that is generated by something actually hitting the floor.
Sound hates change. Anything you can do to give it obstacles that force it to change states is a good thing. Sound that has to move from solid to viscous to air and back to something else will have a tough time. Every time it changes substrates, it loses energy. That usually means alternating layers of a hard rigid material and a soft material. For instance, if you were to stuff some insulation batts between the joists and then skin the joists with a floating layer of something solid and rigid like lauan or drywall.
The operative word there being "floating." It can't be attached to the joists otherwise the solid connection to the floor above would nullify most of the sound dissipation you've created. Think about the old glass-against-the-wall trick to hear what is going on next door. If you have the glass pressed against the wall, you can hear so much more than if you pull the glass away even 1/8"
That's a long way of saying... good luck. It's going to be expensive and extensive just to get a couple dB attenuation.
I like SVreX's idea. Area rugs are a super-easy way to reduce the sound before it even happens.
In reply to WonkoTheSane (FS) :
Don't follow my example. I reduced sound transmission by 3 inches of hardwood flooring, hardwood beams 12 inches thick every 12 inches on center. Solid foam between beams. A sectioned off grid and adding another 4 inches of depth in a 3 foot grid. 
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I don't have anything of value to add other than to echo the other voices and say that sound is a really tough enemy.
So tough that I am planning to move to get away from overlooking an interstate.
Denim Jean Insulation batts between the joists and then seal the joists with 1/2" or even 1" soft foam insulation sheets from Lowes/HD
Area rugs are the current solution, the rest is kinda as I feared but you guys always have great ideas so I figured I'd throw it out.
My goals aren't really "the neighbors can't hear me scream," but a few db of reduction would be good. I'm primarily trying to reduce it in my back corner area, maybe 80 sq' ft.
Largely, I was looking for the best compromise of effort vs. cost vs. reward. Ripping up the downstairs floor to install an inch of concrete is out. Stuffing some denim jean batts above the drop ceiling is much more doable.
Thanks for the ideas, guys!
In reply to WonkoTheSane (FS) :
If it's only 80 sq ft , I'd drop the ceiling a bit more, stuff it full of insulation and isolate it from the upper floor
Have you tried a white noise generator? They are very effective for background noises... not sure about thumping.
I'd grab a couple bags of sound deadening batt insulation and lay it on top of the ceiling tiles. You can't buy it at Home Depot- look for a local commercial drywall supplier.
Then I'd install a white noise generator.
Then I'd lean back and smile as I enjoyed the sound of my little elephant herd.
SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:Have you tried a white noise generator? They are very effective for background noises... not sure about thumping.
I'd grab a couple bags of sound deadening batt insulation and lay it on top of the ceiling tiles. You can't buy it at Home Depot- look for a local commercial drywall supplier.
Then I'd install a white noise generator.
Then I'd lean back and smile as I enjoyed the sound of my little elephant herd.
Yeah, I have a air filter running as my white noise generator, and I often have music playing.
The funny thing is it doesn't bother me, it just kinda disappears into the background, but I've gotten some comments on meetings about it (I'm in a LOT of meetings).
But yeah, it's not all bad :)
I'll see if I can find some sound deadening batts and just accept it from the sounds of it.
Who knew twin three year olds would become noisy?
I feel your pain every morning at 10:15 when my "school from home" teenage son has band class - playing his trombone directly above my WFH office in the basement. My basement ceiling is painted (exposed) open wood joists - no insulation or drop ceiling. The ONLY thing we have that helps is wall to wall carpet + pad in the bedroom above. But I still hear that brass horn pretty loudly. And the foot tapping...
If I already had a drop ceiling I'd buy some rock wool insulation batts and place them loosely on top of the tiles. The next level would be to spend a bit more on an easy retrofit.. purchase some 4" thick rock wool ceiling tiles - Rockfon 5200. This product is made for parking garage ceilings with conditioned space above.
Maybe build a specific sound resistant room?
I have been hiding on our 2nd floor (instead of the basement) because of this and a good headset with noise canceling seems to be doing a good job. I check in quite a bit with other folks if the kids are being particularly noisy while I am talking and it seems to not pick it up. Plantronics Voyager 8200/BT600
Get some acoustic lining/batts on top of the tile. There will be some sound transmission through the wire hanging the ceiling grid. You can use some rubber exhaust hanger donuts in the middle of the wire run to isolate sound, so there is not a continuous wire from the floor to the grid.
WonkoTheSane (FS) said:
I'm primarily trying to reduce it in my back corner area, maybe 80 sq' ft.
If you put something on top of the ceiling below, you're going to have to do pretty much the whole lay-in ceiling or else the sound will just go around the end of your insulation like the Germans went around the Maginot Line.
If you are putting insulation up in the joist space near the bottom of the floor, you can keep it to the limits of the room above you are trying to isolate from.
I just finished my studio in the basement. It's not soundproof at all, just wanted to deaden reverb. Still need to add some insulation batts overhead in the joists and stretch some fabric over it. It's under the kitchen, right beside a dehumidifier, and 5' away from the furnace. Those two I can easily turn off while recording, but it never fails... the fridge kicks on, or dumps ice into the bin.... or my dog walks through the kitchen.
Duke said:WonkoTheSane (FS) said:
I'm primarily trying to reduce it in my back corner area, maybe 80 sq' ft.If you are putting insulation up in the joist space near the bottom of the floor, you can keep it to the limits of the room above you are trying to isolate from.
Does this work going the other way? Demon spawn has her bedroom directly above the downstairs living room. You know, where the big tv and sound system live/my desktop is setup/our only couch.
Surprisingly, it's fairly quiet aside from bass, but it would be nice if it was better so that maybe we could go past quarter volume once in a while or hangout downstairs.
I'm going to be removing the drop ceiling and doing drywall instead, eventually, and was already planning on batting, but would there be something better to use to prevent sound from traveling up?
In reply to RevRico :
If you are rebuilding the ceiling system, there are more thorough approaches. The insulation suggestions are just bandaid patches to try to help the OP accomplish a little bit without a major rebuild.
In your case, you may want to work a little harder at a real system of acoustical isolation.
...but bass is ALWAYS hard to control.
RossD said:Get some acoustic lining/batts on top of the tile. There will be some sound transmission through the wire hanging the ceiling grid. You can use some rubber exhaust hanger donuts in the middle of the wire run to isolate sound, so there is not a continuous wire from the floor to the grid.
This is a reasonable comment but the upstairs floor framing is very likely supported by walls.. and there is no isolating them. So isolating the wires may not be worth the effort.
In reply to RevRico :
Yes, pretty much. For good sound separation you need to create the best box you can around the source. Or, alternatively, around the area you're trying to keep quiet.
Making a really quiet room is surprisingly complicated.
Install ceiling joists between, but not touching, the floor joists. Insulate and hang your ceiling from those. Basically what was said above--dont let sound-transmitting joists touch each other, or let the floorboards connect to the ceiling, even indirectly.
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May be somewhat easy and inexpensive in your small space.
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