Whether you are a solitude lover or if you are thinking to start a recording studio of your own, you will need the space which you think of using to be soundproof. There are many advantages of having a sound-proof room. It cuts down the noise to a great extent even if you are in the heart of a city.
Methods to Soundproof Your Room
Here are few points which give you an idea about how to soundproof your room.
- Install Sound Curtains or Thick Blankets: By installing blankets and thick blankets to the wall, a little sound can be absorbed. However, if you have thick insulated walls then spend some more money to buy heavy sound curtains. It gives an extra effect in preventing sound.
- Use Book Cases: You can use your bookshelves to make your wall thicker as it will be more soundproof. It will work as effective barriers of sound as well as you can a nice library in your room.
- Mount Shaky Items: You have noticed that your neighbors are turning up their music volume such loud that the ratting and buzzing vibration annoys you a lot. So mount items like speakers and sound box in your room, make sure you place it over an insulation pad to prevent vibrations and prevent annoying everyone around you.
- Install a Door Sweep: Block the gap between the door and the floor using a door sweep by nailing the rubber at the base of the door. If this does not cover the gap, then use a strip of lumber and nail at the base of the door.
- Use Acoustic Wedges Panel: Acoustic wedges can absorb frequency ranging from high to low. Purchase a panel of 2” depth and size of 12” by 12”. Most of the panels come with adhesive peel, however, if you are not provided with it then use an adhesive of 3M to stick the panels according to your dampening desire. Doing this you will reduce the noise inside the room and makes it better for music rehearsals. Try to buy a fiberglass panel; such panels are one of the best in absorbing sound.
Another method to soundproof your room:
The points below will give you another method to make your room soundproof.
- Use Thick Materials: The material will absorb more sound if it is thicker and denser. Use at least up to a minimum thickness of 1.6mm material to get a better result. If you are working on a prevailing wall then, first of all, build a wall frame and after this attach it to the surface of the wall. Now use a sheetrock or drywall to cover it.
- Separate the Two Layers of the Wall: It is a basic science that whenever sound travels in substances, some of it is absorbed and some are reflected back. You can increase this phenomenon by building walls with the help of sheetrock or drywall. Try to keep a distant space between them; this method is called decoupling. By this process, the wall becomes worse in obstructing sounds of low frequencies.
- Plan Your Stud Placement: In many walls, there is only a single stud which touches both the layers of the wall, which helps in the movement of sound. While you are building a wall always choose a double row stud or a staggered row stud.
- Consider Sound Clip or Channel: They are an additional sound barricade and are positioned between the drywall and the studs. There are two options mainly, sound clips or resilient channels. Sound clips absorb sound with the help of heavy rubber components whereas resilient channels are made up of springy materials which are intended for soundproofing.
- Fill with Damping Compound: Sound energy can be converted into heat energy through this substance. They are used between the layers of floor, ceiling or walls.
- Insulate with Other Materials: Except damping compounds, other materials which can be used instead are fiberglass and foam.
- Fill Cracks with Acoustical Caulk: Soundproofing gets undermined even with a small gap or crack between the materials. So try to fill these gaps with a sound, a resilient material using special acoustic caulks easily available in the market. Use normal caulks if acoustic caulks are difficult to handle.
- Install Soundproofing Panels: Even after completing your room, you find that the soundproofing is not enough, try to use acoustic panels. Do not buy the cheaper ones. Attach these panels to your walls and other structures. Your soundproof room is complete.
With these few steps, you will be able to soundproof your room efficiently.
