Soundproofing your row house

I came across this question at the Prince of Petworth blog regarding soundproofing in a row house.

"I was wondering if you would mind asking your readers if they ever had insulation put in the walls of their homes to soundproof it from the neighbors. We need to do it to one side of our house and were wondering if anyone out there has done this and what their experiences were.”

Row house's usually have solid walls or minimal space behind the drywall or plaster, so putting insulation in them is out of the question and it would do little for reducing the sound. You could isolate the offending wall by building a 2nd wall, however since row house's are usually narrow, this may not be an option and may not be to code. If you do have the room to add a 2nd wall, this would be your best option.

You can remove your old drywall or plaster and put regular or recycled denim insulation underneath it, then use products such as Quietrock Drywall, Supress Drywall or two layers of regular drywall with Green Glue between. You can also simply put the these products on top of your existing drywall or plaster. The more mass the better your soundproofing will be.