Any Builders/Construction Gurus here

JDaniel

Super Member
I have an off-topic DIY question. Actually, it is sort of audio related.

My two garage door openers are mounted on 2"X4s" attached directly to the floor joists in my garage, right underneath my kids' bedrooms. The GDOs rattle/vibrate the floor & walls like crazy when opened or closed. Is their a way to de-couple the GDOs from the joists, or add something (rubber, neoprene etc) between the opener and joists to reduce the noise and vibration.

How is this audio related? Well, it interrupts your music listening in the bedrooms when opened, or when sleeping in one of the bedrooms, it wakes you up from a good dream about a being on a beach with music playing.........

Thanks guys for any help/suggestions.

JD
 
You need to isolate the drive unit for vibration dampening.
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Suspension isolation mounts
 
Thanks WW - I just emailed the company about the mounts. Also, do you think it would help to isolate (via rubber pad or something else) the garage door tracks that are mounted to studs in the wall? I assume they may be creating vibration to when the door is opened. And would a pad help if placed between the 2"X4" that the GDO is mounted to and the floor joists ?

Thanks amigo.

JD
 
If the joists are open, you may try using joist brackets or blocking to stiffen up the joists around the openers and hangers. It may change the frequency of the vibration and make it less noticable as well.
 
Isolation w/Hockey Pucks

Never tried on something like this, but hockey pucks are pretty good for large heavy devices. No need to freeze.

Tim Moorman
 
Dunno if it would work, but guys here sometimes hang them down a bit with some metal straping and 2x4's. Id have to go look in the garage... Or maybe get a new opener. I doubt the ones we have make much vibrations.
 
Originally posted by Haoleb
... Or maybe get a new opener.


Agreed. Some of these are loud enough to wake the dead.

Screw types not only seem like a good idea, their usually quiet to boot.

You can try isolating it with the rubber doohickys, but the way the house is constructed matters much also. Plus isolating vibration is not easy. Your best bet is taming it at the source(quiet opener) then isolation, then thick sheetrock.

Is the ceiling sheetrocked ? Insulated ? Floors carpeted ?



My ceiling is sheetrocked with 5/8" board due to local fire regs, and insulated to about r-20. I work nights and wind up in the garage till all hours. The only thing that disturbs the wife is constant repeated hammer blows, usually on steel.

Basically, The more massive the ceiling/floor combo the less sound it will transmit.
 
Whatt (and others),

Currently, here's the situation:

1. Chain type GDO. I may opt for new openers, but was trying to cut down on expense - I have two.

2. Open floor joists in the garage. I've just finished insulating with R-25. I want to "correct" any noise/vibration I can before the next step which is sheetrock. I plan to use either 1/2" or 5/8" sheetrock. The bedroom floors above are carpeted.

Thanks for any/all suggestions.

JDaniel
 
IIRC, I've seen TV "home fix-it" shows, where they used what looked ostensibly, like a rubber muffler-hanger (those fabric-reinforced rubber strips with the holes drilled in them, they look like gigantic rubber plumber's straps) to hang a garage door opener. Seemed to work quite well... certainly should be strong enough.

Regards,
Gordon.
 
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