In the main living space of the first floor (living room, dining room, kitchen), to reduce footfall and other noises from the bedrooms above, the ceiling will be decoupled from the framing. Here we see spring isolators (640 in total, each engineered and located to provide a specific deflection over the known load) secured to the sides of the joists. The 25 guage 7/8" steel furing channels will hold a 5/32" mass-loaded vinyl noise barrier (similar to what was used in the TV room) and 1/2" plywood installed with staggered seams. The finished ceiling will be secured directly to the underside of the plywood and will move as a single unit but independently of the structure and any vibration from above. Stone wool insulation will be placed between the joists for sound absorbency and as a fire retardant.
The design, engineering, and installation of the spring isolators has been an incredibly time-consuming process. The finishing work -- wood floors, tile, millwork, etc -- has continued to move in parallel on the second and attic floors, but can't begin yet on the first floor until this ceiling work is completed.
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