Some WORST Soundproofing Advice
Now we’ll be talking about WORST Soundproofing Advice. The thing is that doesn’t really work. The thing is that you shouldn’t do it because you’re basically just wasting your money by using either some of these products or some of these methods of soundproofing (How to Make a Room Soundproof From Outside Noise on silencewiki.com). A lot of people have a little bit of confusion between soundproofing and sound absorption.
Soundproofing is when you want to block as much sound as you can from a door, window, or wall (more info about soundproofing on soundproofpanda.com).Sound absorption is a little bit different: you just want to make the room sound better. So you want to get rid of the echo. Let’s say you have a media room or you have a room where you want to do podcasting, and you want the room to sound a lot better. So you add things on the wall or even furniture. Big plush furniture will do a good job at absorbing a lot of the sound (more about sound absorption on soundproofingstore.co.uk).
Let’s Get Some WORST Soundproofing Advice
1. Acoustic Foam
Imagine that you want to add acoustic foam or acoustic panels on the wall. Acoustic panels work a lot better than acoustic foam. But is a lot cheaper; you can get sometimes a pack of 24 for like 50 bucks (read about acoustic foam on infobloom.com). While an acoustic panel is most likely $100 per panel. For really good quality acoustic panels, one that would be about two feet wide and four feet tall, two inches thick.
They are really good acoustic panels (more about acoustic panels on acousticdesignworks.com). However, this does absolutely nothing for sound absorption. Just soundproof the room. Some people would argue that by doing this, you’re eliminating a lot of the echoes. So a lot of the echoes are not traveling through other parts of the house, which is a little bit of soundproofing. I guess you could look at it that way.
But let’s speak about some things that are just wrong, that you shouldn’t do because you’ll just be wasting your money. So by doing a certain method, you’d have to add something else, a second or third layer of soundproofing, to really maximize that soundproofing method.
Some people think it’s good to add some of these panels on the wall to block the sound. It doesn’t help block any sound whatsoever; it’ll make the room sound a little bit better. You will get at least some tangible effect if you fill the entire wall with these panels. But if you want to transform a closet into a recording booth, use these types of acoustic foam all around the walls and ceiling. Now in that type of situation, it does work very well for sound absorption because it is a small enclosure in a closet. It does absolutely nothing to soundproof.
Video Review: Turning A Closet Into A Recording Studio – CHEAP DIY!
2. Soundproofing Paint
Number two is Soundproofing Paint. So does it work in reducing decibels? Yes, it does. But it will cut the decibel amount by maybe two or three, and your ear is not really going to notice the difference. And you have to add at least three coats of this type of paint on the wall to get any noticeable results. So if you have a really big wall to paint, it can get pretty expensive because of the amount of paint you would have to buy. You’d have to buy at least a five-gallon pail (know more about soundproofing paint on soundproofpanda.com).
Video Review: Soundproof Paint: Does it Really Work?
3. Soundproof Wallpaper
Another one that some people suggest is Soundproof Wallpaper. Believe me, there’s not really anything soundproofing in this wallpaper, except that they are thicker than normal wallpaper. They are plusher also, and that is what acts as sound absorption, but not as good as a sound absorption panel. So this type of wallpaper will not do much to reduce high and low-frequency noises such as traffic noise and high-pitched noise. So it’s not worth it when soundproofing a room (read more about soundproof wallpaper on soundproofpanda.com).
Video Review: Does Soundproof Wallpaper Work?
4. Spray Cellulose Insulation
Another one is Cellulose Insulation, the type of spray insulation that people use. This is really good insulation for heat and cold. If you want to keep your house cool in summer and warm in winter, this is a great type of insulation. But for soundproofing, it doesn’t really do anything at all. So using spray foam insulation as your only soundproofing method is going to be a fail. So if you already have this spray foam, add a second layer of five-eight-inch soundproof drywall (more info about cellulose insulation on thespruce.com).
Usually, this soundproofing drywall has two layers of gypsum in between. It’s a sound absorption compound that they put in between to mute a lot of the sound that comes through the drywall. It is a little bit more expensive but really I do recommend using this type of drywall.
Video Review: Insulation Comparison Demonstration
5. Egg Crates
Another one is egg crates that you just flipped over and put on the wall. It’s supposed to soundproof the wall but it doesn’t soundproof at all. It doesn’t even make the room sound better. Egg crates do not work in absolutely anything other than storing eggs.
Video Review: The Egg Carton Acoustic Myth
6. Mattress
So the next one is Mattress. Somebody suggested that you should use mattresses to soundproof a wall. Have you ever heard of something like that? I think that you can try to soundproof a door with a mattress if you put it against the door. But soundproofing a wall by mattresses – it’s nonsense!
7. Dark-Colored Walls
And finally, the last one. Some people suggest the Dark-Colored Walls. What do you think of the dark-colored walls? Do you think that painting the wall black or dark gray will soundproof the wall? It doesn’t make any sense, because the color will affect the eyes and will affect the temperature probably in a room. Because the sunlight hits the black wall, it attracts heat more, it makes your room not only feel smaller but also hotter. Your room becomes uncomfortable and puts you in a depression. And it does absolutely nothing in terms of soundproofing.
Do you know any strange soundproof methods? Share your experience, let’s continue this list to prevent our mistakes. And now:
