Finding a peaceful space in your home or business is next to impossible. Everyone has a portable speaker in their pockets. Combine that with traffic noise, construction, and loud conversations, and you may find it difficult to enjoy a cup of coffee or the latest streaming show without interruption.
For many in the construction, engineering, and building fields, using an STC rating guide helps reduce any unwanted noise or disturbances. With the right materials or deadening wall boards, you get higher STC ratings to maximize noise transmission reduction – making everyone around an apartment with a young family with newborns or a dog sitter with multiple beagles happy for the extra effort.
What Is an STC Rating and Why It Matters
STC stands for Sound Transmission Class. That is the measurement used to determine how much a material or building partition (wall, ceiling, cubicle, etc.) blocks airborne sound. The STC rating guide uses decibels (dB) as a measurement for sound passing through a material or assembly.
The way it works is simple. The higher the STC rating, the better the sound insulation. For example, if you have a traditionally built wall with standard materials at an STC rating of 33, then you can expect regular speech between two gossiping friends about last night’s game to bleed through into nearby rooms.
However, if you have soundproof walls with STC ratings of 50 or more, that endless speech gets knocked down to a dull murmur or nothing at all. Sound can be incredibly uncomfortable. A 120-130 dB jet aircraft flying overhead can result in physical pain to the ears. A 100 dB thunderstorm can be deafening. Even an 80 dB cocktail party can leave ringing in the ears if you’re not accustomed to the noise.
The better engineers or anyone in building and construction understand noise transmission reduction through STC ratings, the more effective unwanted noise is no longer a factor.
Understanding Noise Transmission in Walls
Sound is not static. It is a wavelength that travels through different materials, whether through the air or physical structure. When it is airborne transmission, it tends to be conversations, music, or TV noise. For structural, it could be impact noise like vibrations, footsteps, or the neighbor’s kid constantly slamming the doorway after getting home from school.
Noise transmission reduction based on STC ratings seeks to find the places where noise is traveling the most. It uses soundproof drywall or acoustic panels STC rated to close issues like:
• Open gaps and cracks around doors, windows, and other ingress pathways.
• Unsealed or not properly installed electrical outlets and fixtures.
• Lightweight materials without insulation or sound-blocking engineering.
Soundproof boards are one of the best ways to boost STC ratings of a given space. Not only do these materials reduce the airborne and structural transmission of noise, but also add mass and density to walls which often help with durability and safety.
MP Global provides Quieture as an option. This premium noise-canceling fiberboard is insulated using denser materials that impede sound waves more effectively. The damping properties dissipate sound energy and, as a bonus, use eco-friendly materials, resulting in an STC rating of 60 dB or more. That’s a lot of privacy your guests and tenants will appreciate.
Combining Materials for Maximum Soundproofing
A good “trick of the trade” is combining materials to elevate a given space’s STC rating guide result. Noise transmission reduction isn’t always from one single layer of materials. Experienced construction professionals know adding multiple layers often makes a building more valuable to prospective tenants. Some of the more common combinations would include a mixture of:
• Soundproof Drywall – Engineered drywall with more mass and dampening properties than standard drywall.
• Insulation – Fiberglass, mineral wool, or other insulation materials filled into wall cavities to reduce resonance.
• Resilient Channels – Metal channels that decouple drywall from the wall studs should be added so the vibrations don’t have a connected structure to travel through.
• Acoustic Panels STC Rated – Panels specially constructed to absorb sound within a given space, reducing the instances of sound wave echo.
If you can find a substitute that does most of this on its own, like Quieture, you will end up with a higher STC rating to prevent noise transmission and save a bit in material cost from layering during construction.
Choosing the Right Materials for Your Space
How you layer or what materials you choose has a lot to do with the type of space you’re working on. What is appropriate for a free-standing music studio in someone’s backyard will be a lot different for a high-rise office space in an urban environment.
If installing soundproofing walls in a residential space, focus on materials that balance noise transmission reduction and aesthetic value. Some homeowners prefer more flexibility in their building materials. However, a multi-unit building almost always benefits from soundproof drywall or something similar because of the proximity of residents.
For commercial spaces, stick with higher STC ratings, especially if the tenants have concerns about confidentiality. Legal offices, medical teams, therapists, and even retail offices need to protect identifying information about clients and customers. You’re doing them a favor and increasing the likelihood of low occupancy by using high-rated STC materials like Quieture.
Industrial settings are where layering is the most effective. You want to combine high STC rated material with insulation, acoustic panels, and resilient channels here. This way, when a production machine starts up, or an engine is operating, the rest of the facility and surrounding properties won’t complain.
Building a Quieter Future, One Wall at a Time
Try not to think of an STC rating guide as a technical reference only. While the specific dB rating you generate matters, it also is a clear roadmap for more privacy and peace in a given space.
Layering different materials and sticking to premium quality soundproof drywall or soundproofing board is a great way to enhance sound reduction. Every layer is one more opportunity for improved focus, rest, and privacy.
We recommend Quieture fiberboard as a solution. You’ll get high STC ratings designed with performance and sustainability in mind. This lightweight material minimizes structural load, adding an acoustic barrier with easy installation that reduces labor costs. Every recycled fiber-infused board is made in the USA, helping organizations contribute to LEED credits and a greener future.
STC rating is important for construction, but not every contractor has the time or resources to layer multiple materials. A good, simplified solution is integrating Quieture fiberboard so the next time a plane passes over an apartment, it won’t shake everyone awake.
