isoTRAX

FAQs

Is isoTRAX™ the right soundproofing product for me?
isoTRAX™ Sound Isolation System was designed to reduce noise transfer from one area to another. So, if you are trying to reduce the amount of noise, or sound, from entering or leaving a room, then yes...isoTRAX™ is the right product. However, if you are trying to improve the sound quality or speech intelligibility within the same room, then you actually need sound absorption materials. isoTRAX™ Sound Isolation System will not improve the sound quality within an environment. For more information on sound absorption materials, please visit our sister site at: www.soundproofcow.com
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How do I calculate how many sets of isoTRAX™ I need?
Determine which walls you need to soundproof. Measure the height and width of each wall, rounding up to the nearest foot. Multiply the height by the width to get the area of each wall and add up the areas. If you need to soundproof the ceiling, add in the ceiling area. Multiply this by 1.15 to account for waste. Then divide by 64 and round up to the next whole number. This will give you the number of isoTRAX™ kits you need to order.
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What is isoTRAX™?
isoTRAX™ is made up of four components: a C-shaped metal channel to support drywall, a damping tape to reduce linear vibration along the channel, a viscoelastic polymeric pad to reduce structural vibrations spreading from the studs to the drywall, and a screw with a viscoelastic washer to minimize vibrations traveling through fasteners.
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How does noise travel through walls?
Noise, which in acoustics is a term for unwanted sound, is made up of vibrating waves of particles which propagate, or travel, through air and other media and produce an audible sensation. When noise from a sound source hits a typical wall, it imparts the sound waves to the drywall. This sets up vibrations within the drywall. These vibrations transmit through the studs and the air in the wall cavities, vibrating the drywall on the opposite side. More often than not and particularly at low frequencies, the air in the wall cavities resonates, much like in a hollow box, amplifying the sound waves. The sound waves from the vibrating drywall then vibrate the air and eventually affect the listener.
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How does isoTRAX™ help soundproof a wall and isolate noise?
Properly installed, an isoTRAX™ mounted wall will "float" over the studs. Any vibrations from either side of the wall are reduced by the damping components. Resonance within the wall cavity is diminished as small dimensional changes occur and further soundproofing is achieved by limiting contact points between the structural elements of the walls and the isoTRAX system.
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How far out does isoTRAX™ extend the wall?
About one inch.
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Can I use isoTRAX™ on the ceiling?
Absolutely. isoTRAX™ not only reduces airborne noise associated with conversational noise, music etc., it is also an excellent soundproofing solution for reducing noise caused by footfall.
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On which side of the wall should I install isoTRAX™?
You may install isoTRAX™ on the noise side or the listener side of the wall. It makes no difference.
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Can I hang things on an isoTRAX™ wall?
You may hang picture frames, light shelving and the like but we do not recommend hanging heavy objects like kitchen cabinets on isoTRAX™ walls.
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Can isoTRAX™ be used over existing drywall?
Yes. While isoTRAX™ will perform better over open studs, excellent sound isolation is achieved over existing drywall.
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How many layers of drywall will isoTRAX™ support?
isoTRAX™ can safely support two layers of 5/8" drywall on the walls and one layer of 5/8" drywall on the ceiling.
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Should isoTRAX™ be used with insulation?
isoTRAX™ will provide excellent performance alone. However, further noise reduction can be accomplished when the wall cavities are filled with a highly sound absorbent material like our Quiet Batt, which further attenuates wall cavity resonance.
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Will isoTRAX™ improve Impact Insulation Class (IIC) on floor/ceiling assemblies?
Yes, with isoTRAX™ installed on a ceiling, Impact Insulation Class is significantly improved. IIC is a measure of how well a floor/ceiling section reduces impact noise often associated with footfall.
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My neighbor has a home theater with a subwoofer; will isoTRAX™ block all the noise?
No, it will not block all the noise, no reasonable sized wall system can. However, a significant improvement will be made and isoTRAX™ is more effective at reducing low frequency noise than most competing systems.
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Can I find isoTRAX™ at a local distributor?
No. isoTRAX™ may only be purchased from us directly.
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Do you ship to Canada?
Yes. We provide product and service to our friends up north. However, there may be additional shipping charges depending on your location. Please contact us at 1-866-680-TRAX (8729) for further information.
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1-866-680-TRAX (8729)