How to Construct a Sound Deadening Chamber

Trains can be a major source of noise pollution.

If you live in a city or near a major source of noise pollution, getting to sleep at night can be a hassle. Trying to hold a conversation while a freight train is going past your house or apartment, or dealing with the constant thrumming of a pump station or other industrial facility is unbearable for some people. Thankfully, there are steps that can be taken to ameliorate these problems. With some fairly common building materials and a week or two, any room can be made nearly soundproof.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic sheets
• Stud finder
• Marker or chalk
• Stepladder
• Silicone caulk
• Drywall
• Drywall screws
• Drywall screw gun
• Drywall tape
• Drywall compound
• Construction adhesive
• Sound-deadening tiles

Instructions

1. Move all furniture and other items from the room that you are going to soundproof. Lay down sheets of plastic to protect the flooring from getting scuffed or otherwise marked or damaged.

2. Measure the room. Total the areas of the walls and ceiling to estimate how many square feet of drywall will be necessary. Sketch out a basic plan for how you will install the drywall, taking into account that it is sold in 4-foot by 8-foot sheets. The drywall sheets should be arranged so that there are as few continuous joints between sheets of drywall as possible. For example, each row of drywall sheets should be offset from the last so that the joints will be broken up (think of the way that the bricks are arranged in a brick wall).

3. Use the stud finder to locate all of the studs in the walls and ceiling, using a stepladder to reach the top of the walls and ceiling. Mark the location of each stud with a marker or chalkline when you have located it.

4. Start installing the new drywall sheets over the preexisting ones with the drywall screws. Before you put up each new sheet, apply a thick layer of silicone caulk to the area of old drywall it will cover. This silicone will prevent the new drywall from resting directly on the old (which would have allowed sound to be conducted through both). This will help insulate the interior of the room from sounds originating outside of it. Install the new drywall over the walls first, then do the ceiling.

5. Apply drywall compound and tape to all of the joints created by the intersection of the drywall sheets. Start with a thin layer of compound to act as an adhesive, then immediately press the tape into it. Let this dry overnight and then apply a second, heavier coat of drywall compound the next day. Sand it smooth with the surrounding surface when it is dry.

6. Use construction adhesive to apply sound-deadening tiles (available at many hardware stores) to the walls and ceiling.

Tips & Warnings

• If the room has windows, you will have to replace them in order to successfully soundproof the room. Using thicker glass or double-paned windows can help, but the only truly effective approach is to install a second window to the inside of each of the existing ones.

• Use a drywall tee or scaffold to hold up the panels of drywall that are to be installed on the ceiling.

• Having a friend or two to provide assistance will greatly facilitate the drywall-hanging process.

• Thick carpets and heavy drapes can also help deaden sound by preventing any sounds that do enter the room from echoing around it.

References

• Basic Soundproofing Course