Haven't tried it, but must ask: what part of the frequency spectrum are you trying to block? Most likely the bass is primarily what's getting through to above right now, and a layer of cork isn't going to do much of anything about the bass. Neither is anything else you just stick to the ceiling. To affect this part of the spectrum, you have to go with a decoupled secondary "wall" (actually the ceiling). This means either some fairly deep self-supporting beams (probably 6-8" minimum, more if the ceiling span is large), or else the special flexible decoupling studs that are made for just this purpose (although I don't honestly know if they are designed to withstand ceiling use), plus drywall. If you want to save vertical space, you should probably tear out the existing drywall on the ceiling and install the decoupled beams parallel to and in between the existing floor joists so that they hang an inch or so below the bottom of the joists, then reinstall the drywall attached only to the new beams. A major project but it will be very effective and you will only lose an inch of ceiling height.
Cork as an acoustical ceiling block
I'm trying to come up with a cost effective solution for my existing HT ceiling. It is only 100" high so I really don't want to add a channel and drop new sheetrock to minimize the noise to the family room above. I'm thinking about going with cork - Seems to have great absorbtion qualities and looks cool too? Has anyone tried this?
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