Comments on: How to Soundproof a Room

on 4/18/2008 If you look at the structure of a wall, most of the sound is going to go through the framing. It provides a solid transmission path for sound and heat. The top plate of the wall is the biggest single solid mass, so we put soffits up around the room. This has had two effects - siginificant reduction in sound and it creates a "tray ceiling" which looks good. It is some level of work, but wa less than tearing walls out.

on 4/9/2008 I would also recommend Soundproof Drywall by Supress. I recently helped my old roommate from college soundproof his new pad with this and it does wonders!
http://www.supressproducts.com

on 4/9/2008 I would also recommend Soundproof Drywall by Supress. I recently helped my old roommate from college soundproof his new pad with this and it does wonders!
http://www.supressproducts.com

on 2/13/2008 Great article! I used Supress Products Drywall on my friend's basement studio and it worked great!

Check them out:
http://www.supressproducts.com

on 2/4/2008 How to sound proof a room? Two layers of 1/2" drywall mounted on resilient channel mounted on the studs. Insulate the inside of the wall to a little bit of extra sound deadening, but the BULK of the sound stoppage comes from the drywall MASS, being DECOUPLED from the studs so vibrations don't pass from one side of the wall to the other. So far the only material I've listed that's not normally used in regular construction is resilient channel, but don't be afraid, it's available at Home Depot for a couple bucks for a 12' piece.
Foam is used simply to control the acoustics within a room and offer NOTHING in the way of sound proofing.

If you really want to know how to sound proof a room, talk to some people who've built recording studios (like me) or go to www.homerecording.com and check out the studio building forum. Don't listen to this article.

on 12/23/2007 If you live in the New York City area, you can check out cityproof.com for sound proof window solutions.

on 9/17/2007 can you soundproof a floor so we cannot hear the any sound below us

on 8/8/2007 I have spent the past 17 years in the soundproofing business. Noise bleeds through walls structurally. The vibrations connect through the common studs to deliver to the other side. Regardless of what you blow or layer in between the studs, unless you disconnect your wall structure and line it with density you will still have bleed. Many of the postings I see here, along with the hosts comments on how to soundproof a wall are incorrect. For those who want to see a visaul on how to do it, or listen to a before/after broadcast online, go to www.eSoundproof.com. Remember, sound bleeds through fiberglass or foam like water through a sponge. You need density to impair vibrations, and a disconnected framing technique to force the collapse of the transmitting sound wave. Disregard much of what you read above or below this message if you're serious about controlling your noise.

on 7/27/2007 The first question is, "do you want to keep the sound in or out of a room?" these are 2 different things. The most common is "in", to not let the sound you make escape. Most common sheetrock built walls with no insulation is a pretty good barrier. Air is the issue. Sound travels first and foremost on air. You need to stop its flow. Doors, windows, around walls, these all need weatherstripping, door sweeps, caulk. Every nook & cranny sealed. You still need air. A window not in a common interior wall but on an exterior wall is ok to skip.

on 1/22/2007 easy soundproof room use bed fome that looks like it holds eggs ... glue to walls and ceilings then get a shaggy carpet ... works great and its cheap

on 9/15/2006 The easiest way to improve noise reduction through walls is to add a layer of Soundproof drywall, such as QuietRock or other brands. These products can be placed directly over existing walls and reduce noise by 50% or more.

on 8/8/2006 See www.soundproofing.org for the up-to-date methods and products to do effective sound control.

on 2/14/2006 I used MDF and Drywall Scraps cut into varying thicknesses and shapes and used liquid nail to attach it to the back of the drywall. It acts like a waveguide to redirect and eventually kill the sounds from my home theater. This basically creates an anechoic chamber inside the drywall. Then I filled it with fiberglass insulation and siliconed the studs lightly to keep the drywall from radiating the lower frequencies into the space and drywalled as usual.

on 1/25/2006 This will be more expensive, but will sound proof a dry wall far more effectively.

When building, build a drywall as you normally would, with one side plastered. Then, build a second wall with studs in different places from the first wall a short space away from it. Fill this with fiberglass or whatever you choose as a deadening material.

The reason this will work a lot better is because it stops transmission of sound through the actually wooden studs.

on 12/12/2005 Never use egg cartons for acoustical applications! Whenever you hear or read about this, run, don't walk. Egg cartons have a relatively narrow range of absorption which basically increases with increasing frequency. As for their use as diffusers, the size of the egg surfaces roughly correspond to the wavelength of a 9KHz tone, which is purely in the harmonic region for musical and speech tones. And if you really want a scare, take one of these outside and see how easily and quickly they can catch fire. They are a fire hazard. There is a substantial difference between sound transmission (loss), and interior acoustics involving things such as absorption, diffusion. Unfortunately egg cartons are not very effective for either.