Is DIY Soundproofing Possible: Tips and Tricks
Noise pollution is REALLY a pain to live with. Whether the problem comes from noisy neighbors, traffic, or a misbehaving adolescent with a drum kit, there are solutions that fit even the tightest budget! You see, many people find that DIY soundproofing solutions are vital to eliminating pollution from traffic, neighbors, and other spaces in the same house.
The problem with soundproofing is that if you want a good job done, it can be rather expensive. Permanent soundproofing options aren’t cheap, and when you add in installation expenses, it might be too expensive for some people. However, for those looking to soundproof a room on a budget, there are several DIY alternatives that we will discuss below. From the worst soundproofing advice, we present you with the tips and tricks in DIY soundproofing!
Soundproofing a Room: the Cheap Way to Do It
One thing to keep in mind is that the more soundproofing you want in a room, the more expensive it will be. There are several low-cost solutions available, but if you use them all, the cost can quickly add up.
The mass of the items or materials utilized is a critical component in soundproofing a room on a budget. Soundproofing the space using heavier household items like furniture and rugs is far more effective than using lighter materials like foam and egg cartons.
This article will show you some cost-effective techniques to soundproof your room. The list includes various low-cost soundproofing methods for reducing the amount of noise that enters a room, with prices ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive. Which ones you use will be determined by the source of the noise pollution, but combining all of them will result in a pretty good sound reduction. Let’s take a closer look at each of the methods given.
1. Get More Furniture
Because you should already have furniture, this is perhaps the least expensive. Putting all of the heaviest components in one area creates a lot of mass to space, which enhances soundproofing significantly.
If you’ve ever moved house, you’ve undoubtedly experienced the opposite of this. Sounds reverberate more when a room is empty, and you may have noticed that things sound louder. Filling a room with furniture will help to muffle the sound if you think about it the other way around.
If you choose this option, make sure to select your heaviest pieces of furniture. It’s pointless to use lightweight, flat-pack items because they’re frequently composed of low-cost materials with little mass. Consider the following furniture:
- Sofas for armchairs
- Bookcases or shelves with books as a mass to muffle the sound
- Tables
- Wardrobes or dressers
Furniture not only adds mass to space but also serves to dampen and absorb sound, reducing echoes and reverberations.
2. Install Door Seals
Under doors is a typical source of sound leakage. Doors that don’t fit correctly into their frames are common, and it’s possible that the door was installed when the room had carpet, which has since been removed. Whatever the cause, the space underneath a door allows a significant amount of noise into and out of the room. When it comes to DIY soundproofing a door, there are a few different solutions you can consider:
| Acoustic sealant tape | The cheapest and least permanent approach is to use acoustic sealant tape. This is essentially a roll of tape with a rubber seal that may be used to seal a door. Sealant tape, which may be used on the bottom, sides, and top of the door, is great for blocking minor gaps. The majority of sealing tape products are inexpensive, and some are even engineered to fit themselves into space around a door. |
| Mounted seal | Installing a mounted seal around the door is a somewhat more costly but permanent alternative. They generally include a drop-down seal that can be adjusted to fit the gap on the door and is fastened directly to the door. Metal and rubber are commonly used to make door seals, which offer mass and sound absorption. How much money you’re willing to spend will determine the quality and efficacy of the product. Obviously, this is a budget-friendly option, so even a high-quality door seal won’t set you back a fortune. |
Video: How to Soundproof a Door
3. Seal Your Windows
Windows, in addition to doors, are a prominent source of noise pollution (learn more about How to Reduce Noise from Windows).
The main problem is with the seals surrounding the windows, even if you have modern double-glazed windows that are really extremely effective at keeping noise out. This goes for any gaps around door frames, cracks in the walls, and seams around any DIY projects in the room.
Acoustic sealant isn’t the most effective way on its own, but it may be quite beneficial when combined with other techniques. It’s basically the finishing touch on a larger DIY soundproofing project. If you’re tempted to buy regular caulk because it’s less expensive, don’t! The purpose of the acoustic sealant is to help soundproof a room.
So, what’s the difference between the acoustic sealant and regular caulk? The purpose of the acoustic sealant is to keep the binding flexible and rubbery for as long as possible. Normal caulk hardens over time, which causes it to shrink and break, reducing its soundproofing qualities. Once you’ve obtained some acoustic sealant, make sure to apply it to any gaps or seams between two building materials (DIY Window Soundproofing – 7 Best Ways How to Soundproof a Window on soundproofguide.com).
4. Put Rugs or Carpets
Rugs are great at absorbing vibrations. If you have noisy downstairs neighbors, put a large, thick soundproof rug exactly over the source of the noise, such as above their TV, stereo, or wherever they prefer to stand and argue! A rug won’t stop you from hearing anything, but it will soften the impact of loud noises, particularly noise vibrations. It won’t help with airborne noise unless you have a hole in your floor that the rug covers!
Rugs also offer the added benefit of muted footsteps, so if your downstairs neighbors or family members have ever complained about your heavy feet, a rug will undoubtedly help maintain the peace. Rugs or carpets not only aid with soundproofing, but they also increase a room’s heat insulation, so they’re well worth the money. A carpet is very simple to install, and all you have to do with a rug is set it on the floor.
Video: How to Soundproof Floors in Apartment: Do-It-Yourself in 3 Easy Steps!
5. Use Blankets
When you have a soundproofing emergency, blankets can be handy. Well, we all have blankets, right? Therefore, you may apply this soundproofing technique at no cost!
Once you’ve pinpointed the source of the noise, all you have to do now is mask it using blankets. If the sound is coming in via your door, drape a blanket over it and pack blankets over the door frame to seal any holes where air-borne noise could be entering. If the sound is leaking in through your window, the same rules may be applied.
If the sound is vibrating through your walls, hang your heaviest blankets on the wall, which may require nails to secure…or put it up on broom handles to assist muffle sound vibrations.
6. Add Curtains
Curtains act the same as the blankets, it may be even better! Is there such a thing as soundproof curtains? Find out at Noise Reducing Curtains.
Whether soundproof curtains are a myth or a fact, one thing is certain: having thick multilayered curtains will greatly minimize the quantity of noise that enters your room. Because it has numerous layers, vibrations are dampened and sound energy is wasted when sound waves pass through it. There’s no need to spend money on pricey curtains when you can just hang a blanket or two (or three) on your curtain rail and achieve the same effect for free.
7. DIY Soundproofing Panels
Soundproofing panels are simple products, they are solid pieces of material that are attached to your wall to make impact sound travel through them more difficult. You can get them at a reasonable price if you are prepared to go pick them up yourself.
All you have to do to install a soundproofing panel is bolt it to your problematic wall. The entire wall should be covered, so measure your wall and make sure you acquire enough panels to cover your wall area. However, if you don’t want to spend money on pre-made soundproof panels, you may create your own soundproof panel fairly easy:
| Step 1 | Make a frame, make sure the frame is the right size for your wall. |
| Step 2 | Fill the frame with insulation, such as Rockwool, which is excellent at sound absorption and dampening. |
| Step 3 | Wrap the frame with a cloth to allow sound waves to reach the Rockwool rather than a hard casing. |
Video: How to Make High Performance Sound Absorption Panels for $5
So, Is DIY Soundproofing Possible?
Definitely, YES! Take the techniques we mentioned above as a start, it places a greater focus on filling gaps and preventing air leakage. Because they are all low-cost options, though they aren’t the most effective ways to soundproof a room, they will definitely help if you’re on a budget.
When soundproofing a room, the most important thing to remember is to add mass to the room. Obviously, how you accomplish this will be determined by your budget, but it’s pretty simple to combine several of these methods without going overboard. However, if you want to soundproof a space completely, you’ll need to spend a little more money and maybe conduct more extensive DIY work.
Video: 10 Cheap Soundproofing Hacks You Should Do!
In Conclusion
Soundproofing a room on a budget is entirely achievable; you just have to be a little more inventive in your approach. All of the techniques on this list are affordable and will give some soundproofing; but, if you want to do a better job, you will have to spend more money.
The ideal method for soundproofing a room is to identify the weak points, start there, then work your way around the room. You should eventually have a room that is adequately soundproofed!
