QuietRock

QuietRock is a brand of internally damped drywall panels by PABCO Gypsum which acquired the line from Serious Materials, an American manufacturer of building materials started by Kevin Surace. It is designed to provide high levels of sound transmission loss between rooms. the first product was introduced in 2003.

QuietRock uses a damping technique called constrained-layer damping (CLD). This technology had been used for at least 20 years to reduce vibrations in mechanical objects from disk drive heads to bridges, but had not been applied to architectural acoustics prior to 2003. QuietRock panels use several tuned constrained-layer systems to create a higher ability to damp vibrational (and therefore acoustic) energy. In essence, the panel does not "want" to vibrate due to stress and strain caused by the damping method. Acoustic energy ends up dissipating as small amounts of heat.

Sound attenuation is measured using tests known as ASTM E90 and ASTM E413 to achieve a single sound-transmission-class (STC) rating. Note that the STC method has changed significantly over the years, and STCs from publications prior to 1995 may not be accurate to today's standards. QuietRock is one of a class of soundproof drywall products that, according to independent lab tests and field reports, may add 15 to 20 STC points in comparison to standard drywall. STC does not consider the most problematic frequencies below 125 Hz.

Unlike resilient channels (RC) and other methods, internally damped drywall cannot be shorted out by the builder or homeowner. Therefore, the use of "soundproof drywall" may be a more reliable method for sustained high STCs.

QuietRock panels are manufactured primarily from gypsum drywall and viscoelastic polymers. One QuietRock model (530) uses a thin sheet of metal for added shear and impact resistance. Many QuietRock models are UL certified for fire rated assemblies. The company said in 2008 it had shipped more than 1 million panels. and 2 million panels had shipped by 2010.

QuietRock ES (EZ-SNAP) was developed and invented primarily by Kevin Surace and introduced in 2009. All QuietRock EZ-SNAP panels are manufactured as a single panel without paper or metal in the center. This patented technology makes the panel easier to score and snap using a common drywall knife – no special tools required. EZSnap and Video of using. The company has several patents covering the invention and manufacture including U.S. Patent 7,908,818.

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