What is Green Glue & How Is it Applied?

Green Glue is a versatile product for soundproofing walls, floors, and ceilings. Simply apply it between two sheets of drywall or other porous, rigid building materials. Green Glue is highly effective for reducing both impact and airborne noise.

Green Glue typically comes in 28 oz. tubes. Each layer has a 0.5mm thickness. You can use any quart size caulk gun, available at most hardware and building material stores. It is very fast and easy to apply. No special skills whatsoever are required. Application instructions and information are available upon request.

How does Green Glue Work?

In a constrained layer damping system (CLD), a damping material is sandwiched between two typically rigid materials, such as Green Glue between two layers of drywall. Damping occurs when the viscoelastic core of the "sandwich" is sheared. 

As the layers bend, shear forces pull and stretch the damping material. The unique polymer composition of Green Glue efficiently converts this mechanical vibration energy into heat, effectively dissipating it. Rather than isolating the vibration, Green Glue eliminates the energy entirely.

Can I use Green Glue with Only One Layer of Drywall?

No, Green Glue must be used as part of a constrained layer system, meaning it should be sandwiched between two rigid, dense layers of building material. There's no limit to how many drywall/Green Glue layers you can add, and performance will improve with each additional layer. To save costs, you can reduce the amount of Green Glue per layer if you're using more than two layers of drywall. For floors, any common materials such as cement board, OSB, or plywood can be used.

Are Nails or Screws required in Conjunction with Green Glue?

Yes. Audio Alloy recommends the use of screws in accordance with local building codes. Screws assist with the compression of the Green Glue layer into a thin film.

Should I use Conventional Adhesives along with Green Glue?

No. The presence of rigid, low-damping materials alongside Green Glue between layers is not desirable.

Can Green Glue be used in Floors?

Absolutely, in fact when used in floors, Green Glue yields a double benefit - it helps with both impact (footstep) noise and airborne sound, and is very effective at both. Green Glue may be used between layers of subfloor, between subfloor and tile backer board, and between thin-set mortar and the surfaces below. You may be able to use 2 layers of thinner subfloor if convenient.

Can I treat just the Ceiling, or Should all Surfaces be Dealt with?

If you're trying to stop sound from traveling upstairs, the most obvious path is through the floor/ceiling, which is known as the direct path. However, sound can also travel through the walls or even the floor as mechanical vibrations, which then make their way upstairs by vibrating surfaces in the room above. This type of sound transmission is called flanking noise. Think of it like an aquarium: if there's a hole in one side, water will leak, regardless of how secure the other sides are. The same principle applies to sound—treating all surfaces of your room is key. You may also need to address other sound paths, such as doors or ductwork. Read more to learn how sound can travel along non-linear paths.

Can Green Glue create a high performance Wall without any Decoupling Methods?

Yes, and better performance can be had. In fact, Green Glue has performance advantages in many applications relative to some decoupling schemes. For walls, the preferred decoupling methods are double studs > staggered studs > modern sound clips > resilient channel. For applications where low frequency isolation is important, things such as resilient channels are not recommended.

Will Green Glue perform Better between Drywall and Soundboard?

No. Soundboard is far lighter than drywall and isn't preferable in application to any ceiling or wall assembly.

Is Green Glue toxic?

No. Green Glue is water based, non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, and very low in VOC (<5grams per liter / compliant in all 50 states and worldwide). As with all products, paints, glues, and so forth, you should use proper precautions and read the MSDS before using Green Glue. Green Glue has a mild odor, typical of latex products. This odor is not dangerous and will dissipate completely given time.

Is Green Glue a Fire Hazard?

No. Green Glue has been fire tested, and can be utilized in fire-rated walls without affecting the rating of the wall.

How much do I need?

The recommended application for Green Glue is 2 tubes per 4' x 8' sheet of drywall. If you're looking for even better performance and budget isn’t a concern, you can use 3 tubes per sheet. Each case of Green Glue covers approximately 192 square feet at the 2-tube rate or 128 square feet if you opt for 3 tubes. However, using more than 3 tubes per sheet won't improve performance and can actually reduce effectiveness—so don’t waste your money!