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My living room has vaulted ceilings, but the acoustics are so poor that I am forced to wear headphones whenever I am in there. To improve the sound quality, I am planning to install an acoustic ceiling. Here is my plan:

  1. Attach 2X2 furring strips to the ceiling joists.
  2. Put Rockboard 60 mineral wool between the furring strips.
  3. Cover it all with high end wood veener (such as https://www.thewoodveneerhub.com/collections/wood-wall-paneling/products/slatpanel-oak-acoustic-wood-wall-panels) by attaching them to the furring strips.

I have included a diagram below to help illustrate my plan. enter image description here

According to the Wood Veneer Hub, this approach should achieve a highly effective Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC). However, I am still uncertain about the best method for attaching the 2x2s to the ceiling. Should I use wood screws, brad nails, or liquid glue? I want to choose a method that is both effective and easy to install (since the ceilings are high).

Thanks for your help.

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    acoustically, what are you trying to accomplish? noise transfer/ ingress/egress, reflections/resonance, other...? and by how much? so far, the proposal will likely not sufficiently address either, despite what the beautiful marketing materials tell you
    – P2000
    Commented Feb 25, 2023 at 3:25
  • While I am not an acoustic expert, my goal is to reduce the amount of reverberation in the room. It's frustrating to listen to anyone speak in there, as the sound bounces around excessively. Despite the room being carpeted, it still has an empty, hollow sound, reminiscent of when you first move into a new, unfurnished space.
    – Emin Ozkan
    Commented Feb 25, 2023 at 14:30

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You ask about the best method for attaching the 2x2s to the ceiling.

Fasten the 2x2 with 3in construction screws, through the drywall into the joists. Anything less might not hold the weight of the paneling you wish to add. Do not use glue, as it adds nothing but a false sense of safety.

Each screw will penetrate the joist by 1in, and have a pull-out strength of about 90lbs. I would work with a number far less than that, because you will be screwing blindly: you'll know roughly where the joists are, but you cannot visually confirm proper penetration, and the quality of the wood (SPF) may vary from nominal.

Divide the weight of the panel per unit of area by the number of screws per same unit of area, based on the screw spacing and 2x2 spacing. The result is the required pull out strength.

Shoot for about 20 lbs/screw, but at most about 16in screw spacing.

When driving the screw, pay attention to the joist penetration, and try to get confirmation that it's penetrating by at least 1in.

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  • I guess brad nails don't have much strength either?
    – Emin Ozkan
    Commented Feb 25, 2023 at 14:34
  • Brad nails are for holding something in place until glue dries, or for fastening light lumber like trims. I would never attach a heavy assembly to a ceiling, above my head, with brad nails. Good luck with the project and tell us in an update how you find the acoustics: any little bit will be noticeable (even dust is acoustically noticeable), but I'm curious whether it's enough for what you need.
    – P2000
    Commented Feb 25, 2023 at 14:51
  • Thanks, your answers cleared up a lot of questions for me. I am also measuring the reverberation with app called ClapReverb (appadvice.com/app/clapreverb/1407467855). For example I haven't able to measure any change with acoustic paint in another room.
    – Emin Ozkan
    Commented Feb 25, 2023 at 14:56
  • @EminOzkan yes those apps are nice but the human ear and brain are far more sophisticated, which is why such measurements often mis the mark. To do it right and get numbers you can draw engineering conclusions from, you need high resolution binaural measurement and recording equipment. Even that NRC measurement on the panels, as reported, is a joke. What you can conclude is that, yes, they absorb. Anyway, I tried to answer your fastening question, and am glad it helped. If you still have an acoustic question, perhaps ask it in a separate question.
    – P2000
    Commented Feb 25, 2023 at 15:45

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