Is cement board a better soundproofing material than 5/8 drywall?

Question

Cement board has a higher density than 5/8 drywall. It also probably, and this is just a guess, probably has a lower resonance as well (being cement), so less sound should get through.

5/8" drywall is about 2.2lb per sqft.
1/2" cement board is 2.355 lbs per sqft.

The price is comparable between the two, with cement board being a little more expensive but not by much. 1/2" cement board comes in 3' x 5' sheets, at about $10 each (about 67 cents per sqft). 5/8" drywall comes in 4' x 8' sheets at about $15 each (about 47 cents per sqft).

Is 1/2" cement board a better soundproofing material than 5/8" drywall?

represton · Answer

The less dense material would be better for soundproofing, the 5/8" drywall.

There's a lot that goes into soundproofing and there's even professions within the construction industry that specialize in it, acousticians. That being said I did a bit of research with this in college and it turns out that less dense materials provide better soundproofing. The more air bubbles in the material, the more the sound bounces around before reaching the other side of the material.

Is cement board a better soundproofing material than 5/8 drywall?

One Answer

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question