In an end-unit townhouse, cell foam is being used to insulate the three exterior walls. Would the gains from also using cell foam on the party wall be noticeable? Or would the cheaper alternative of using traditional fiberglass insulation be sufficient? The neighboring house's wall will also be insulated separately on their side, most likely using fiberglass, so the R-value gains from using cell foam would likely be negligible. Our primary concern is reducing noise.
On a party wall between two adjacent, standalone houses, where each side is insulated, but between which there is not necessarily an air gap, would using cell foam insulation on the party wall provide noticeable soundproofing over fiberglass?
Best Answer
While closed cell foam will perform a bit better than fiberglass in noise reduction, there are much better ways to tackle this for the same or lower cost. What you really need for sound isolation is to add mass between the living units and to mechanically separate them.
If both living areas are sharing a wall, building with double studs that are staggered will prevent sound from traveling through the studs from one dwelling to the next. Another great option for soundproofing is to use double layers of 1/2 inch drywall or a single layer of 5/8 inch drywall on each side (or at least on your side) instead of a single layer of 1/2 inch (typical).
I've used 5/8 inch drywall everywhere in my home that I've remodeled and even without insulation in the interior walls, it's helped tremendously. I'd skip the cost of cell foam for interior walls and only use it where needed for air sealing and insulation from heat and cold.