Mass Loaded Vinyl Sound Barriers

Mass Loaded Vinyl Sound Barriers
Mass loaded vinyl (MLV) sound barriers are made from vinyl of high grade to which silica (sand) and barium salts are added to make it equally effective like lead sheeting minus the health hazards of lead. Many suppliers now deliver mass loaded vinyl as soundproofing material to their customers. To name some suppliers, Acoustical Surfaces, Inc., Sound Isolation Company, Sound Proofing America, Green Glue Company and Super Soundproofing Company are few among them.
Applications
Mass loaded vinyl as a sound barrier material is used in homes, hospitals, businesses, music studios, theaters, and quite a few places. It possesses so many adaptable characteristics, that it can fit into nearly any situation. The other benefits of MLV are that it fulfils the building code regulations for fire ratings and does not pose any threat of toxicity to those who occupy the building.
Method of Fixing MLV
The best way to use mass loaded vinyl sound barrier to achieve the desirable effect is to fix it directly to the wall with the help of studs. In case there is any problem doing this at the time of constructing the main walls, the other way to do this is to fix it to the drywall and paint it or fit it to the rear side of paneling and then fix it to the drywall with finishing nails.
MLV for Homes
Mass loaded vinyl sound barriers can also be installed on the floor to insulate it from noises from below as well as to prevent impact noises like things getting dropped or children running from disturbing the floor below. Many houses today are built with home theater in the basement and the living quarters on the upper floors. To insulate floors above from the disturbance from the media room, the flooring of the upper floor and the ceiling of the media room below are treated with MLV.
MLV for Theaters
It is important to provide a theater with excellent acoustic quality. It has become a widely accepted practice to treat the floors, walls, and ceilings of a theater. Before MLV was introduced in the market, it was the practice to use raw lead sheets to act like a sound barrier and prevent noises from outside leaking in. Now, after the mass loaded vinyl sheets became popular, lead sheets are not used any more. The advantages of using MLV, like the ease with which it can be installed, the absence of toxicity unlike lead, and the lower cost have made mass loaded vinyl sheets the favorite alternative to raw lead.
Mass loaded vinyl sheets can be screwed, nailed, stapled or can be used as a curtain after reinforcing grommeting it. For situations where you need effective control of transmission of noise and sound, mass loaded vinyl sound barriers are the right choice as a sound barrier.