If you have a room in your house where you simply need to have some peace and quietness then the best way to get that is to soundproof a room. But how to soundproof a room?
To learn about soundproofing a room first you need to know what exactly is soundproofing and what benefits can it give you. Soundproofing can be defined as some method of stopping the sound from travelling from one place to another. It is done by reducing the noise. Soundproofing methods are mostly used in recording studios to reduce the sound from going out and in large buildings to reduce the noise that come from different apartments and give the residents some privacy.
The best way for soundproofing is to use sound insulations. Those are the materials used stop the noise from entering into the house from the outside or to travel between rooms. How does sound insulation actually work? Well, sound is transferred with vibrations that travel through the air, walls, floors, and similar. In that way sound waves can move from the outside to the inside of the house. Sound insulation easily absorbs the sound and minimizes the noises that travel through rooms.
There are lots of different benefits you get from soundproofing. Sometimes benefits are not realized until you actually check the room that is soundproofed. Some of the things that soundproofed room can do is to strop outside noises that comes from stuff like weather, traffic or people. But soundproofing a room can also help with some inside noises that come from things like equipment including air conditioners, fans from the computer and similar. And if you live in some apartment or large house then soundproofing a room can help with reducing a noise from footsteps, things falling down on floor and similar.
Soundproofing different parts
- Solid wall
A good thing to consider when soundproofing a solid wall is to improve its mass. That can be achieved by adding different products for mass and density. Another thing is to always improve the ability of the wall to actually absorb sound and vibrations because without that ability large mass won’t have any influence on soundproofing. And try to use a combination of different materials for mass because there are lots of materials designed for different sound frequencies and combination of them could create better results. Here are some more tips
- Construct timber stud frame with 8mm gap from the wall.
- Use acoustic mineral wool.
- To absorb the vibrations of sound use genie clips.
- Seal all gaps in a wall with acoustic sealant.
- Use isolation strips around the perimeter of timber stud frame.
- Timber floor
The same thing that I said for solid wall above stands for timber floor too and that is using a material that will improve the mass of the floor because that helps with absorbing the sound energy and vibrations that come through the wall. And using a combination of different mass materials helps here too. Some other good tips are:
- Seal perimeters and gaps with acoustic sealant.
- User rubber strips under carpet gripper rods.
- Use special high density acoustic foam. That foam will add mass to the floor and absorb noise in the same time.
- Use isolation strips because they help with reducing the amount of vibration that travel into the walls.
- Use mineral wool to absorb sound.
- Use two layers of 15mm plasterboard on the ceiling below.
- Timber ceiling
For timber ceiling it is also very important to add mass and combine different mass materials. Some other tips include:
- Don’t forget to seal all the gaps with acoustic sealant.
- You need to block airborne noise and you can do that with adding different mass types to the ceiling.
- Use GenieClips to absorb the vibrations that come from the footsteps.
- Absorb sound with using the acoustic mineral wool.
- Party wall
Party wall is used to divide building of two owners and it is often positioned at the center of the wall. It is important to soundproof that wall to avoid any problems you may have with your neighbor. The good things to do with this wall is to seal all the gaps in the wall with acoustic sealant and to use wall panel like M20 wall panel because that panel adds different types of mass and absorbs sound vibrations and noises.
That’s it with walls, ceilings and floors. I hope you learned something new. Here are some additional tips for soundproofing a room or the full house.
Try to use sealed windows because sounds enters the house every time the air enters the house. That’s why sealed windows could help. Doors should have a solid core because that blocks the transference of sound. And a good investment could be buying a heavy door. Heavier doors can reduce the noise problem and give you a quiet place.
Windows can be soundproofed by installing second, thick window pane on the inside on the window too. And another thing about windows, it is a good idea to install a double glazing windows or to get a glass door because that could also help with insulation of the sound and a thermal insulation too. Curtains can also help a lot because thick curtains could reduce the noise that comes in.
A good thing to do with curtains is to get plush acoustic ones. That will look good and reduce the noise that comes from the outside. Lots of people don’t know that placing a couch on a wall or windows that is close to the street can also help with absorbing sound and reducing the noise from the street. And the last thing to consider placing are the rugs. Rugs can easily reduce the sound.
The most important thing to do when deciding to soundproof some room or a complete house is to hire a professional. Hire someone with reputation and someone who knows that he’s doing. It could cost more than usual but it’s worth that. It’s always better to pay more money and get the quality than paying less money and end up with badly soundproofed room.
That’s it. I hope you learned something new and that these tips and tricks I mentioned will help you in your “noisy” apartment or house. And remember, you don’t know what the noise is if you haven’t been in some soundproofed house or apartment. Enjoy!
