Customer Reviews for 4 ft. x 8 ft. Acoustical Barrier

Used it in the A/C closet, next to bedroom. I have no problem sleeping but wife says she hears the ac kick on all the time. No more. Deadens the sound real well.. She sleeps better.

Yes, I'd recommend on cost, since similar products are much higher, but after sandwiching this behind two layers of drywall and still hearing sounds between apartments, I am not all that impressed. Insyaller had issues with getting it to flatten out before putting on last layer of wallboard.

Great product that definitely reduces noise factor. You will be happy with this product. It is difficult to install on ceilings so make sure you have help and I suggest cutting the sheets in half or even quarters for ceiling install (not necessary for walls, as it hangs). Its heavy so this makes it much easier and allows a few staples to hold in place.

DB-3 Acoustical Barrier is essentially a lightweight mass loaded vinyl (3/4 lb/sq.ft. vs standard 1 lb/sq.ft.) Included leaflet cites STC "maximum" rating of 73, which is, realistically speaking, is way, way overstated. My lazy method of simply nailing sheets to the wall, taping seams and covering it all with wallpaper reduced noise level somewhat, but not by much. Still, I'm satisfied with result. United Plastics installation video makes it seem like installation is effortless. It is not. Unless you are well practiced at handiwork and weightlifting, it's hard to properly keep the roll in place with one hand. The price of this insulation is perhaps the lowest you can find, and quality seems to be good.

I turned my garage into a living space and I had two glass sliding doors there use to hear everything not I can barely hear anything also put this along side a 21 foot fire wall on the other side was a washer and dryer barley hear that. Does not block 100% of noise but now it sounds like muffles and a fan can drown out the rest of the noise. I Installed it myself by myself but two people would of been better.

We bought a new home that unfortunately has a bathroom that shares an uninsulated wall with the family room. While watching tv, or visiting with family and friends, we had a lot of "I know what you're doing" moments. Insulating the wall was a "must" but the idea of tearing down drywall and replacing it just to install insulation was not a feasible option. We installed the acoustical barrier in the bathroom with a staple gun and painted over it. The difference was like night and day. With the bathroom door closed, privacy has been achieved!

I bought 2 rolls to double line a planned doghouse that will wrap around my new Champion propane generator. In the meantime I wrapped one roll around the gen on 5 sides folding it like gift wrap, gripping the folds on 1 end with a spring clamp (folds on the other end did not quite reach each other). It significantly reduced the noise; neighbors stopped complaining. It also proved to be absolutely fireproof. It did melt a hole opposite the exhaust, was way too hot to touch, but nothing burned.

Feels like a very thick non-marking tar paper. The cushioning effect is just about right to quiet sound coupling. I also placed unfaced fiberglass insulation in the wall and the combination seems to be working. The con, the roll is 8 feet long and meant to drape vertically on the wall. The roll is heavy and I could not hold the top evenly at the ceiling while getting enough staples in it so they did not tear out. It requires a two person installation. If the roll had a stronger top lip so that one staple could temporarily hold it up, then it could possibly be installed by one person.

I think this has helped with some of the sound blocking in the house. The rooms are quieter, but not silent. I used it along with denim insulation so its tough to say how much is the product and how much is adding bulk and mass to wall cavity. This is a two person job to install - we used an air stapler and was pretty easy to hang after dropping it a few times. 1 person with a staple gun + ladder won't cut it. It should not be confused with sound proofing - as there is still noise that gets through the walls. Drywall is getting lighter and more like paper. This is more like taking conversations in the next room and turning it into mumbling. Sound also travels though floors and ceilings If you are looking at this I would also suggest sandwich it between 2 layers of drywall. I used sound barrier where i had open walls - for adding soundproofing over existing walls i tried the green glue. There are lots of resources out there for sound proofing and it can get very complex quickly - this solution is in that Fast - Cheap category.

I dislike giving a product only 3 stars when I have no idea if it functions quite well. For my purposes, putting it on the inside of a shuttered door to block the sound of the heater, it was way too heavy and would have put a lot of strain on the hinges. I had to return it and look for something lighter. So don't let my experience, unless you are using it for a similar purpose, stop you from buying.

I was trying to reduce noise around the refrigerator, I didn't realize the material would be so bulky. I think it would be great if you install it before you put up the dry wall but not sure how to use it over the drywall. It does reduce the noise, but it is pretty unsightly in the kitchen. I would definitely use the product, but next time I will make sure to have it put in before the drywall goes up.

I ordered this to cover over the accordion panels of my window AC. My apartment faces a busy street and was letting in noise through the AC. I had 2-3 layers of this material, patched over the accordion panels, and also shaped a "case" to fit over the AC facade itself (since it's not in use for the winter). And one final layer over the whole contraption. This made no or little difference to the level of noise coming in. It might help with general talking voices, etc, but not with bus, vehicle engine and brake noises. Besides, this material has a layer of grit over the surface that got all over my floors and on to my clothing. Not a big deal, but annoying. The material is however, easy to cut if that's any consolation.

I've used this product previously and it does enhance the soundproofing quality of drywall, especially when surrounding HVAC duct areas in soffits.

I had a new geothermal air conditioner installed, and the sound level was unacceptable outside the closet containing the unit. After investigating my options, I decided to use the DB-3 Sound Barrier. It performed better than I expected, the sound level is very quiet now.

Attached to sheeting on a partition covering a commercial air compressor to reduce shop noise. Without any other insulation, makes a signifigant difference! Recommend highly!

Easy to install, works as advertised. Will use again, very soon.

I was looking for a soundproof system between a guest bedroom and family room. I tore down the drywall on one side and added r-13 denim insulation, quiet putty around the electrical boxes, then applied db-3 to the bare studs. Then used a 5/8 drywall. I also applied an acoustical caulk around all the edges and seams. My advise is to hang the db-3 to the studs, but leave the edges loose so to can caulk them and the seams after. Cover the seams with duct tape to avoid a mess when stapling over the caulk. Overall I'm pleased with the performance, but I cannot say how much improvement it is over just insulating the wall.

Installed this on the interior wall of a bathroom in a room addition I am building. I'm still working on putting up drywall, so I cannot attest to the soundproofing qualities yet. However, installation was a breeze - yes, the stuff is heavy (it has to be in order to block sound) but once it unrolls it is nearly stiff enough to stand up on its own, so stapling it up was not nearly as difficult as some reviews had led me to believe. Fingers crossed about the soundproofing. Even if it isn't perfect, it was a cheap enough experiment.

I had new roommates move in that are nocturnal, I am not. I bought this hoping to help sound proof the door to my room where most of the sound was coming through. I placed a sheet of it over the door as well as flaps covering three of the side to stop the noise. I can't tell a difference. Instead I now run a humidifier to create white noise. It is really easy to cut to the correct size with a box cutter. I used spray adhesive and staple gun to attach it to the outside of my door and frame.

I'm installing it in the basement on to floor joices on the ceiling. They are a little cumbursome to attach to the joices themselves so we are going to try to lay them on the sheetrock as we put it up.

Dense, high quality product. I used it as an underlayment piece for a creative acoustic panel project to reduce noise (a common problem for the metro/urban dwellers like myself).

I'll admit it, I'm pretty sensitive to noise. I recently bought a 1920s home on a relatively busy street and some nights I feel like I'm on the Indy 500 racetrack. Many of the solutions I looked at required tearing down walls and massive construction costs- basically rebuilding, not an option for me. Someone mentioned they'd used this as wallpaper, it's relatively thick so I don't know if I'd try that in a living area. Even painted I think it would look wonky. I used this to line the insides of my closets and to line the floorboards under my house. I also used it in a studio I built outside. My contractor installed this on an interior bathroom wall and you CANT HEAR A THING. It's unreal. Caveat: This stuff is HEAVY and dense (which is probably why it's so effective at blocking noise.)

This product is basically cheap Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV). It is 4x8=32 sqft. It weighs 32 lbs, making it 1 lbs per sqft. It costs under 30 dollars and ships for free if you buy 2 or more. This makes it the holy grail, 1 lb MLV for under a buck. It is not as flexible as I believe some MLV might be, so it might not be practical in certain automotive applications that require tight curves. However for anything where you need flat, thin, heavy material for sound insulation, this is the cheapest option.

We needed a sound barrier to reduce the noise from our In-Law Quarters & the Main House and this product did exactly as it said it would. We didn't need to do a full wall, but over section of wall where we had French Doors with sidelights. Definitely made a difference in sound control. (Those darn 30-something kids of ours & their music--LOL) It IS a bit pricey, so I was glad we weren't doing a full wall. Installation was very easy. And, as someone else mentioned, it's too bad this product is not carried IN the store where it can be purchased directly instead of online--even though we received it VERY quickly from manufacturer. Very Happy with this purchase.

Based on review of another person put barrier over dry wall in bedroom which shares the wall with apt next door. Put three sheets of 4' x 8' over wall. Made absolutely no difference at all. Not sure what previous reviews are talking about since the sheets of barrier are so thin they couldn't possibly block any sound. Do not waste your money on this product!

Overall I do not recommend this product. Save your money! I purchased and installed about 17 rolls of this product in my condo/townhouse garage/work shop. The end result is I am dissatisfied and wish I could get a full refund. I was excited about finding this product but now I am disappointed. There is no noticeable decrease in sound transmission. I can still hear the neighbors garage door opening and closing, their car starting, radio, and doors closing. I consider these noises to be typical average daily life sounds unlike the use of power tools etc. If anything my garage now vibrates and resonates like a subwoofer box. I would not consider this an improvement. The products actual dimensions vary per each roll. My DB3 rolls were not 4'x8' as advertised. The actual dimensions were 37 7/8" wide x 96 1/4 - 96 3/4" long. The dimensions inconsistency increases the time and labor involved to cut the product down to size. If you have 8' walls every piece will need to be cut with a sharp utility knife and straight edge. It will not fully cover a 4'x8' sheet of material because it's 1/8" too narrow. This is very frustrating considering the expensive price. I also recommend a minimum of 2-3 people to install this product. The install instructions are poor. When handling the DB3 handle it with care. How can a building material that's so dense and heavy be so fragile? You must not roll it up too tight, squeeze or put any pressure on the unsupported material. Fold or crease DB3 and it will crack and tear instantly. This product must be placed flat against a solid surface for it to not get damaged. This issue along with the dimensions should be corrected from the manufacturer. It is possible to install this without a helper but I do not recommend it. It was a challenge to install by myself. Regardless of my recommendation against purchasing I'll give you tips and instructions on how I installed it with no helpers. First measure your wall and DB3, and cut to size. Take a small piece of scrap DB3 and a scrap piece of 2x4. Adjust your staple gun depth, or air compressor regulator supply psi to the staple guns lowest operating psi. Staple the scrap DB3 to the scrap stud and make sure the staple doesn't countersink tearing through the DB3. Adjust the psi until it's dialed in. It's better to have the head of the staple sticking slightly above the DB3 surface vs. counter sunk. Counter sunk staples will not hold/support the DB3 and the heavy DB3 material will tear out from the wall. You can always hammer the staple in deeper if it's sticking out slightly too far. If the staple sticks out more than 1/16" they tend to bend when hammering flush. DB3 is too brittle and I found the best psi range was around 60-65. My staple gun manufactures operating spec is (75psi-120psi). 75 Psi will shoot the staple straight through the material when using 5/8" long staples. Lean your ladder securely against the wall studs. Roll DB3 back up and center it on top of the ladder to support and balance it's weight. Have your compressor on/full and staple gun loaded, and within arms reach. Start by aligning the DB3 with the wall/ceiling top edge, and unroll the product down the wall until it rests on the top of the ladder. Your ladder is your helper. Use your shoulder and hand to keep the DB3 in alignment. This is the tricky part. With your other hand use your staple gun to attach the DB3 to the studs. I staple at least 1/4"-1/2" away from the edges. 12" spacing worked well. You can add more staples later along the edges for a tighter seal. If you staple too close to the edge of the DB3 it will squish outwards making it more difficult to get a tight seal when installing the next piece. Make sure you get the first piece for each wall installed nice and straight. Like most products every following piece you align to the orientation of the first. If the first piece goes on crooked they all must be crooked to get tight fitting edges butt up against one another. You'll end up with larger inconsistent gaps to fill with caulking at the top and bottom edges. When attaching DB3 to metal studs use short sheet metal screws. They hold the DB3 much better than the staples hold DB3 to wood studs. If you use screws to hold the DB3 to wood studs the screw heads stick out further than with metal studs. On metal studs the screw heads sink into the DB3 material so be careful not to over tighten or the screw head will easily pull all of the way through the DB3. I can see how under some circumstances it might be easier to install the DB3 to the new drywall first then install both pieces as one assembly. I assume you would have to glue it to the drywall. I would only recommend that if you had a crew of strong people to carry the heavy weight of both products sandwiched together. I would do this if I was installing 2 layers of drywall. However If you want the best sound deadening results it's important to overlap the seams of drywall and DB3, and seal all seams with permanently flexibly caulking. You don't have to use expensive acoustical caulk. As long as the caulking remains flexible it will be less likely to crack, breaking the air/moisture/sound seal. If all of the seams are in the same place it's a weak spot for sound transmission to pass through more easily. I think DB3 needs to be made more durably like the rubber material used in car tires so it doesn't crack, tear and pull of the wall so easily from it's own weight. One or two screws can temporarily hold a piece of plywood or wall paneling from falling off a wall during install. This is not the case with DB3. If you tried that with DB3 it would immediately tear off and fall on your head. This is where you really need a helper to support the weight until it's securely fastened. If you heir a contractor to install DB3 I imagine the labor would cost far more than the total product cost. DB3 is labor intensive because of it's weight and difficulty to roll out and install to a wall. A ceiling would be much more difficult. It would be much easier to install this on the floor as an underlayment. When you make it to the end of the wall the final smaller strip will be much easier to manage aligning and installing. If installing by yourself it would be much easier to do the entire job installing the product in smaller pieces. However there would be more scrap and more staples/screws involved because of the stud spacing. The job would cost more in materials. Good luck with your sound deadening project. I don't believe there is a true sound proofing solution available especially in a standard 2x4 wall. It takes complete decoupling with use of a double wall along with the combination of several different sound deadening materials and thick dense layers of insulation. This consumes limited and far more valuable finished living space. Think twice before beginning a sound proofing project. There is no simple solution. It's far more costly, time consuming, and tedious job than it's made out to be. The end results can be very disappointing. It's better to just have your own background noise of choice going to drown out whatever sounds are bothering. Save your money for a good set of noise canceling head phones or a lifetime supply of ear plugs.

Have not really had a chance to install it yet. But it arrive on time and in excellent condition

I used this product by the recommendation of a friend for a work project I acquired at a gallery. A room in the middle of the gallery was being used as a therapy/meditation space. There was a noise problem within the room because of an open span at the top of the walls which allowed noise to easily pass through. I was hired, as an artist, to build creative sound proof boxes to fill the space above the wall to keep out unwanted noise. I used The Home Depot Acoustical Barrier product inside each of the boxes to help cut down on the noise dilemma. The product was very easy to cut and install just a nice product to work with. The noise has been cut down considerably in the gallery room since I installed the sound proof boxes. Everyone is happy with a job well done and I really liked the ease of use of this product. Happy costumer indeed!!!

We used this on a metal stud wall before sheeting over with 5/8" drywall. Since the material is heavy weight going over steel studs was quite the chore without tearing the matting. Overall the product if heavy and seems to drop noise level considerably.

This product was used under a second layer of drywall to help with road noise as I live too close to a road traveled by a large amount of motorcyclists. I previously purchased an acoustical barrier from another online dealer, it was much heavier and made more of a rubber material; however this made it extremely hard to install on the walls without two or three people helping. HD's product was much easier to install, the cost was a third of the amount of the other product and it blocked the noise just as well. However when I install on the floor next, I believe I would use the other product as HD's has an almost 'clothlike' quality rather than a rubber base that will work better with shock absorbing. Overall I would say great product for the price, quick and easy install as this beginner home improver as able to finish the work in a weekend by myself.