Sound Proofing Walls

I am thinking about trying to sound proof a wall in my house, not sure how much sound proofing I need but I am looking at different ideas, and this is what I have found.

The partition walls in most family homes are constructed of drywall (wallboard) firmly attached to both sides of a wood or metal stud frame. When sound waves hit one side of the wall it causes the drywall on that side to vibrate. Since the drywall is rigidly connected to the stud frame, the vibration is transmitted right through the studwork to the drywall on the other side. Those same vibrations traveling through the studwork can also channel noise throughout adjacent floors and ceilings. Noise will radiate easily through the structure because there's almost nothing there to cushion and absorb the sound waves.

Another solution is to apply cork tile squares to the wall. Cork is quiet because 50 percent of its molecular structure is air. These are available in 12" x 12" self stick squares, are easy to apply and can be wallpapered over if you need a more decorative finish.

We have even installed inexpensive foam backed "indoor outdoor" carpet to walls. The real cheap ones are a level loop with foam back appx 1/4" thick and they work really well for deadening sound. (easy to clean too:-)) The carpets come in widths of 12' and can be applied with mastic

5/8" type "X" fire rated drywall has much better sound deadening properties than 1/2" reg drywall. The cost is not that much more so I recommend you use 5/8"X. Attach it to the studs using construction adhesive and a few screws to hold it in place until the adhesive dries. Avoid using too many screws...this is a path for sound to travel, 6-8 per 4'x8' panel of drywall is enough to hold it.
When installing the drywall do not fit it tight into the ceiling, corners or floor. Hold it off at least 1/4" and use an acrylic caulking to fill those gaps. The caulking acts as a flexible buffer for sound vibration so that it minimizes the sound transfer.
Caulk an fill ALL openings, around outlet and switch boxes, light fixtures etc. NO Cracks or holes left uncaulked!
Tape and finish the drywall using normal procedures-

--
Apply fiberglass insulation batting to the walls. The batts can be packed in fairly tightly–—the denser the material, the more sound you stop. But remember that for actual insulation purposes, the insulation loses value if it's too tightly packed. Hang the drywall as usual.

---
for more soundproofing:

Get a lot of silicone caulking. It is not expensive, so get more than you think you will need.

Apply a thick bead of the caulk to all stud surfaces before you apply the sheetrock (see the blue in the drawings). Then attach the sheetrock with screws or nails. Screws are actually better, because you can use fewer holes.

Now, follow the same procedure and apply a second sheet of sheetrock. The silicone acts as a dampener and retards vibration transfer. It does an excellent job for the bucks spent. This second layer of sheetrock will usually be all you will need to apply if you already have one layer of sheetrock up in the room.