Saving Etta: Drywall Update + Reducing Sound in the Master Bedroom

One of the biggest progress milestones (besides the framing stage) in building a house happens at the drywall installation. This is the point where the structure starts to really feel like a house. This is also the point where the flow in the house becomes apparent. It also sucks not being able to walk through walls anymore. (Ghosts have it made, I tell ya!)

But seeing the drywall go up felt like a monumental step. I’m excited to show you this progress update and explain all the different types of drywall we installed. You may remember that Ask For Purple (a National Gypsum line of products) is a Saving Etta sponsor. And you might remember learning How Drywall is Made and What is Purple Drywall. Now I get to share with you the perfect spots for all those different types of drywall.

Purple XP® – We installed Purple XP® in the kitchen, all three bathrooms, and the laundry room. Any room that had water pipes were going to get this mold and mildew resistant drywall. I can’t begin to tell you how important it is to get rid of regular drywall in rooms that have a lot of moisture and/or water.

Master Bathroom

Shared Downstairs Bathroom

Upstairs Bathroom

Laundry Room

Kitchen

(After this picture was taken, I asked my drywall contractors to tear out the two lower sections of regular drywall and use Purple XP drywall on the entire lower portion of the kitchen. After I explained to them why, they were happy to make the swap.)

Hi-Abuse XP® – This drywall was installed in the mudroom and the stairways because it is more resistant to scuffs and scratches. We all know entryways and stairways get the most abuse in a home. Hopefully the new homeowners will appreciate a stronger drywall in these areas.

Mudroom

Stairway

Hi-Impact® XP® – The stairway is one spot I wish I had installed this strong impact resistant drywall. Little did I know that one of my carpenters was going to lose his grip on a big sheet of masonite as he carried it up the stairs. Unfortunately it left a big gash in the stairway wall. Oh well, we’ll patch it before painting. Normally the Hi-Impact wall board is made for garages, locker rooms, rec rooms, or anywhere holes are more likely to happen. For my next build, I’ll consider installing Hi-Impact in the stairways and behind doors (where door knobs frequently puncture the wall.)

SoundBreak® XP® – This is the innovative drywall product I’m most excited to share with you. SoundBreak is designed to absorb and dissipate sound between rooms and spaces. During construction, you can take measures to reduce sound transmission between rooms.

Below you can see the two layers in the SoundBreak XP sheets. They are separated by a polymer material specifically designed to absorb and reduce sound.

I knew this would be an important product to use between the living room (with its tall ceilings) and the master bedroom. Anyone who has a house with tall ceilings knows that sound can bounce and magnify in these type of rooms. I wanted to make sure the new owners could rest easy when one person stayed up late watching Netflix and the other wanted to go to bed. Maybe SoundBreak needs to be marketed as a marriage saving product. LOL!

How to Install Purple XP SoundBreak for Maximum Sound Reduction:

Before installing the SoundBreak drywall, the wall has to be prepped for maximum noise reduction. To start, install insulation in the wall separating these two spaces. Don’t forget to add insulation up against the header joists and any spots that are open to the adjacent room. (You might want to leave a little note for your drywall installers to make sure they install the SoundBreak drywall on the correct walls.)

Now it’s time to add acoustic putty pads (affiliate link) to all the light switch and outlet boxes on this shared wall. I created a video to show you how to install the putty pads and finish prepping the walls before hanging the SoundBreak XP drywall.

Following these tips will help control the sound transference between two adjoining rooms. Hopefully the homeowners will appreciate the extra measures I’ve taken to give them a better night’s sleep.

Installing the SoundBreak XP Sheets

Master Bedroom

I can’t wait to install the doors to hear how much of a difference the SoundBreak makes in this bedroom!

SoundBreak XP Retrofit® – For anyone who is upset that their home builder didn’t use SoundBreak XP, I have good news for you! There is a solution to your woes. You can add SoundBreak XP Retrofit to your existing walls and reduce the sound transference.

Gold Bond® Gypsum Board – I’m not going to lie, there is an added cost to using the specialty purple drywall. Therefore, non-water, non-traffic heavy, and non-noise sensitive rooms received Gold Bond Gypsum drywall to be easier on my budget.

Living Room as seen from the Kitchen

Front Foyer

North Bedroom

I hope you enjoyed this Saving Etta update. Things are really moving along at the house. I’ll try to get you another update soon, but honestly we’re in major crunch time right now. I’m going to attempt to list the house before Thanksgiving. If you live in the local area (or don’t mind making the trip) I’m planning an open house style home tour that will be open to the public on Saturday, November 17th. I’ll be sure to share more details as soon as I have them.

In the meantime, have some patience with me until I can post the remaining updates for the Saving Etta project.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for National Gypsum and Ask for Purple. I was provided with some complimentary products to use in the Saving Etta house. I was not told what to say, all opinions are my own. As always I only work with brands that I would use myself.