Domakihub How to Soundproof a Stud Wall: 5 Steps That Work
Cut noise transfer between rooms without tearing out your walls from scratch.
Reviewed by Domakihub home & decor pros · 2026-06-23 · 6 min read
Whether you are separating a home office from a living area, dividing a holiday rental into quieter zones, or reducing corridor noise in a hotel, a well-built stud wall with proper acoustic treatment can dramatically lower sound transmission. The video above covers the core principles in detail; the steps below walk you through the full process from planning to finishing, with practical pointers for Greek construction conditions. No structural changes are needed — a standard partition stud wall is tenant-friendly and reversible.
Why Stud Walls Leak Sound (and What to Do About It)
A standard plasterboard stud wall does almost nothing for sound. The air cavity between the two plasterboard faces acts like a drum, amplifying low-frequency vibrations, while every rigid connection between stud and board transmits impact and airborne noise directly. Soundproofing is therefore about three things: mass (heavier boards block more sound energy), decoupling (breaking rigid contact so vibrations cannot travel), and absorption (filling the cavity so airborne waves are damped before they reach the far side).
In Greece, cavity walls in older apartments are often 8–10 cm brick, not timber stud. If you are retrofitting on top of a masonry wall you follow the same principles but you will be building a new independent stud frame against the existing wall — which also means losing 10–15 cm of floor space on one side. Factor this into your plan before ordering materials.
Materials You Will Need
The core shopping list: CW/UW metal stud profiles or 75 mm timber studs, acoustic mineral wool batt (50 mm is a minimum; 100 mm is better for low frequencies — look for products rated 40–60 kg/m³ density), two layers of 12.5 mm high-density soundproof plasterboard per face (standard 9.5 mm board adds little), resilient bar or acoustic clips (the key decoupling component), acoustic sealant, and jointing compound. Optional upgrades include a mass-loaded vinyl (MLV) membrane stapled between board layers and acoustic putty pads behind any socket backboxes.
For a typical bedroom wall in a holiday flat, budget roughly €35–55 per square metre in materials, depending on the specification. Labour from a qualified drylining installer in Greece (Attica or island markets) adds €20–35/m². Always get at least two quotes: acoustic work is specialist and prices vary widely.
How to Soundproof a Stud Wall: Step by Step
- 1
Plan the frame and check for services
Before you cut a single stud, confirm there are no electrical conduits, water pipes, or gas lines running through or near the planned wall line. In Greece, building permits are not required for a non-structural interior partition, but if you need to re-route utilities, a licensed electrician or plumber must do that work. Mark the floor, ceiling, and side walls with a chalk line, then calculate how many stud bays you will have — standard centres are 400 mm or 600 mm, with 400 mm preferred for acoustic builds as it gives more fixing points for the plasterboard layers.
- 2
Install the frame with acoustic isolation
Fix the floor and ceiling channels (UW track) using acoustic isolation tape between the metal track and the concrete or screed — this thin neoprene or foam tape prevents the frame from acting as a direct sound bridge into the building structure. Slot the vertical CW studs into the tracks at 400 mm centres. Do not rigid-fix the studs to the track with screws on an acoustic wall; the friction fit is intentional and allows micro-movement that interrupts vibration paths. If you are building a twin-leaf wall for maximum performance, use staggered studs on a wider 150 mm track so the two board faces share no common stud at all.
- 3
Pack the cavity with acoustic mineral wool
Cut the mineral wool batts to fit snugly between studs — they should hold themselves in place without sagging. Wear gloves and a dust mask; the fibres are an irritant. Use a density of at least 45 kg/m³ (sometimes labelled 'acoustic' or 'sound insulation' grade, distinct from standard thermal insulation which is too light and porous to absorb sound effectively). Fill the full depth of the stud bay. If your stud is only 50 mm deep, consider packing an additional layer of thinner batt on resilient bars on the far face before boarding.
- 4
Board with resilient bar or clips, then add mass
This is the most important step most DIY guides skip. Instead of screwing plasterboard directly to the stud, fix resilient metal bars horizontally across the studs at 600 mm vertical centres. The board then screws to the bar, not the stud — the bar flexes slightly under vibration and prevents the sound energy reaching the stud framework. Hang the first layer of 12.5 mm acoustic plasterboard vertically, leaving a 3 mm perimeter gap all around (to be sealed later). Apply a bead of acoustic sealant between the first and second layer, then hang the second layer of 12.5 mm board in a staggered brick pattern so joints do not line up. The double layer roughly doubles the mass and eliminates weak points at board edges.
- 5
Seal all gaps and finish
Sound finds every gap — a 1% gap in a wall can account for 50% of noise leakage. Run a continuous bead of non-hardening acoustic sealant along the perimeter gap between the wall and floor, ceiling, and adjoining walls. Use acoustic putty pads inside any socket backboxes flush-mounted in the wall (or better, offset sockets on opposite faces so they do not share a cavity). Tape all board joints with joint tape and fill with jointing compound in two passes; skim or sand to a finish. The wall is now ready for painting — no special paint is needed. Check that doors into the room also have perimeter seals and a threshold drop-seal; an acoustically perfect wall is undermined by a hollow-core door with no seals.
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FAQ
- Do I need a building permit to add a stud wall in Greece?
- For a non-structural interior partition that does not affect load-bearing elements, modify external walls, or re-route major utilities, no building permit (oikodomiki adeia) is generally required under Greek law. However, if you are working in a listed building, a building in a preserved settlement (paradosiakos oikismos), or a property with an existing planning irregularity, always check with a licensed civil engineer (politikos michanikos) before starting. Structural alterations — even seemingly minor ones — require a registered engineer and formal approval.
- What STC rating should I aim for between rooms in a rental or hotel?
- STC (Sound Transmission Class) is the international benchmark. A standard single-layer plasterboard stud wall scores around STC 33–36 — you can clearly hear and understand speech through it. A well-built acoustic stud wall with decoupled boarding and mineral wool cavity can reach STC 55–60, at which level normal speech is inaudible and loud music is only faintly audible. For short-term holiday rentals in Greece, an STC of at least 50 between sleeping rooms is a realistic and worthwhile target that significantly reduces guest complaints.
- Can I soundproof an existing stud wall without rebuilding it?
- Yes, though the result will be less effective than a full rebuild. The best retrofit approach is to remove the existing plasterboard on one face, add acoustic mineral wool into the exposed cavity, fit resilient bars over the original studs, and re-board with a double layer of acoustic plasterboard, sealing all perimeter gaps. You will not be able to fully decouple a wall that already has rigid connections throughout the structure, but this approach typically improves performance by 8–12 STC points — enough to make a noticeable difference in everyday noise levels.