Green Glue Noiseproofing Compound - Tubes vs. Pails

When planning for a soundproofing project, once you have decided that Green Glue Noiseproofing Compound will be designed into your build, the question becomes "should I use Green Glue Tubes or Green Glue Pails?"  This article on the difference between Green Glue sealant vs compound in tubes or pails will go over some of the pros and cons of using both items to help guide you into selecting the correct product for your specific job.

Coverage of Green Glue Tubes vs. Pails

A case of tubes contains 12 tubes.  Each tube contains 28 ounces of Green Glue compound.  The recommended application is using 2 tubes for each 4ft x 8ft sheet of drywall.  Each 4 x 8 sheet is 32sf and with once case you can apply Green Glue to 6 sheets or 192 square feet.
*Case of Tubes = 192sf

Each pail or bucket contains 5 gallons of Green Glue compound.  A gallon contains 128 fluid ounces which makes a 5 Gallon pail equal 640 fluid ounces.  640 ounces equals approximately 23 tubes per pail of Green Glue.  The coverage of a 5 Gallon pail is approximately 368 square feet.
*5 Gallon Pail = 368sf

The coverage of a case of tubes vs. a pail of Green Glue shows that a pail is approximately equal to 2 cases of tubes.

Cost of Green Glue Tubes vs. Pails

Please note that the pricing in this article are based on current Green Glue compound prices on www.BuyInsulationProductStore.com. Both Pails and Cases of Tubes are shipped with free shipping. (Pricing from Summer 2023)

Cases of Green Glue Tubes start at $249/case.  
Volume discounts start at 5+ cases = $243/case and 10+ = $230/case

5 Gallon Buckets of Green Glue start at $395/pail
Volume discounts start at 5+ pails = $385/pail and 10+ = $375/pail

Ok, so now we have both the coverages and costs for both cases of tubes and pails.  Now we can go through some different project sizes to see what product should be used for each.

Comparison of Green Glue Tubes  vs. Pails

Project A: A simple retro-mod soundproofing project that requires adding 5/8" drywall to an existing shared wall in a townhome.  The shared wall has a 9ft ceiling height and is 20ft long.

Coverage Needed: 180sf

Recommendation: 1 Case of Tubes ($249) - This was an easy one since a pail would be way too much material for this project.

Project B: The owner of the townhome in Project A decides that in addition to the first floor they also want the 2nd floor shared wall to be soundproofed as well.  The second floor has an 8ft ceiling height and is 20ft long.

Coverage Needed: 340sf

Recommendation: This one is a tossup.  This project would require either 1 pail or 2 cases of tubes.

Cost of 1 Pail = $395 + $80 pail dispensing gun= $475
Cost of 2 Cases of tubes = $498

Although the pail and dispensing gun would be $23 cheaper, using the tubes may be easier in this case and you may have a tube or two leftover that could be saved for a future project, sold, etc.

Project C: An owner of a newly opened gym/yoga studio is receiving complaints from both neighboring tenants about the loud music.  The studio has a 15ft ceiling height and three walls totaling 125ft in length.

Coverage Needed 1,875sf

Recommendation: Usually any project requiring more than a few cases of tubes will be better off with using 5 gallon pails.  This project requires 10 cases of tubes or 5 pails.

Cost of 5 Pails = $395/pail (5+ pails = $385/pail) + $80 pail dispensing gun =  $2,005
Cost of 10 Cases of tubes = $249/case (10+ cases = $230/case) = $2,300

Going with Green Glue pails will save the contractor $295 and will most likely save time without having to open each individual tube and load/unload the new/empty tube cartridge. Getting use to the pail dispensing gun does take some time, but once you get the hang of it, using pails reduces the install time.