Acoustic insulation is an effective way to soundproof a ceiling. We recommend RW3 or RS60 as insulation for the acoustic cavity. You can lift the floorboards to install soundproof insulation in the ceiling cavity. When finishing the ceiling, we always suggest using acoustic plasterboard.
All gypsum board manufacturers offer a range of soundproof plasterboard. These are usually blue-colored boards and come in two thicknesses, 12.5 mm and 15 mm. Soundproof panels are denser than standard gypsum boards, which means they block more noise. The best way to soundproof a ceiling is to use acoustic ceilings. The acoustic ceiling plates will absorb sound from inside the space and also prevent outside sound from entering the space.
The most economical way to soundproof a ceiling is to add acoustic plates. We are often asked if products used for thermal insulation (such as Kingspan or Celotex) will also be effective for soundproofing. To a certain extent, when adding the thermal material, it could be said that they offer more mass than before, but this would be so minimal that it would not mean that walls, floors or ceilings had more soundproofing capacity than before. Acoustic mineral wool provides a high level of sound absorption and sound insulation in cavity partitions.