How to Soundproof a Room From Gun Noise
Gun noise can often top 150 decibels and can be distracting when heard in neighboring buildings and rooms. Soundproofing against gun noise is a deceptively difficult task, and the extent of dampening of gun noise you can achieve depends on your soundproofing budget. With minimal do-it-yourself skills and a small investment, it can be possible to see some reduction in gun noise within any room. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Check the room for sound weak spots and seal any gaps with acoustic sealant. Sound will leak more heavily through any open joints or thin structures, such as windows, doors and vents, and acoustically sealing channels for sound will prevent external noise from penetrating your room.
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Screw a layer of acoustic drywall directly to your walls from floor to ceiling, using drywall screws to add density to your wall construction.
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Affix a second layer of acoustic drywall to exterior walls, with particular emphasis on the wall closest to the source of the gun noise you want to dampen.
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Cover with a layer of acoustic mineral wool slabs and an additional layer of drywall if further sound reduction is necessary. This will increase the density with products specifically designed to add mass and reduce audible sound.
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Invest in double-glazing for your windows and foam seals for exterior doorways. These will both help reduce the inflow of undesirable external sound through traditional sound weak spots.
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Tips & Warnings
Check the levels of soundproofing provided by your incremental soundproofing efforts before moving on to each new step. As soundproofing is expensive, it is prudent to check if further soundproofing measures are needed by testing the sound dampening of each stage of the modification before you proceed to add another layer of drywall.
Do not confuse soundproofing with sound treatment --- only dense materials will dampen sound, whereas many so-called acoustic products provide no soundproofing.
Ensure all gaps and weak spots are sealed off before testing the level of soundproofing you have achieved. One small gap or vent can be enough to completely undo all of your soundproofing efforts, so make sure you treat every possible source of noise leakage for best effect.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit pistola-476 image by Paco Ayala from Fotolia.com
