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Smart Ways to Soundproof a Room on the Budget

There are several reasons why one would want to soundproof a room. Noisy neighbors and heavy traffic are just some of them. Calling the pros make sense when you want to start your own music space or a recording studio, but if you just want to get rid of insomnia and build your fortress of solitude, there are ways you can do it without desolating your wallet. In fact, creating your own soundproof room doesn’t have to be difficult, and it requires just a little bit of your time and creativity. Here we will show you several smart, quick, simple and affordable ways to do it.

Close the Doors to the Noise

Your household members may be entering in your room by opening the doors, but noise doesn’t even have to do that – it simply goes through. Getting an already soundproofed doors, with the bottom attached, is the safest and the cleanest way to prevent the noise from entering, but you can also buy a door bottom gap sealer and install it by yourself. If you care more about the functionality than about the looks, you can simply add a layer of plywood onto the doors and put a fresh coat of paint.

When the Doors Are Closed, Maybe the Windows Are Opened…

If you think that your work is done after soundproofing the doors, you are, unfortunately wrong. You still have some gaps and holes concerning your windows. In most cases it is enough to simply add more layers to your windows, but you can consider double glazed soundproofing windows, because of the long term benefits (e.g. cutting down the heating bills). It may seem costly at this point, but it will surely save you a lot of money in the future.

Don’t Forget about the Walls

Some noise can come in through the walls, especially if your room has wooden or hollow walls. Prevent this from happening by installing a heavy mass vinyl, layering some glue on top of it and attaching a layer of drywall. Besides blocking the outside noise, this can also provide you with additional cold protection. Another option is to put damping compounds on the walls facing noisy parts of your home or the street.

Sound Waves Travel Low

In most of the houses sound waves can travel along the floor, and make your life impossible even after you have taken all of the previous steps. Still, no matter how complicated it might seem, this is in fact the easiest noise entrance to deal with. Just get an additional layer of thick carpeting that will not only make the noise disappear for you, but also for the people living or working in the rooms bellow yours.

Bonus: Soundproofing Tricks and Hacks

If you are in a hurry, and you don’t have time for soundproofing projects that will last for hours or even days, there are some simple and quick ways to lower the noise at least for a couple of decibels.

  • Use bookshelves – By covering the wall with bookcases you will get a decently effective sound barrier and a great librar at the same time, so you have nothing to lose.
  • Use sound-absorbing materials – Although this is not an ideal way to get rid of some major noise, it will help you eliminate some smaller disturbances. To achieve this you should use soft surfaces, such as padded carpeting, acoustic ceilings and laminates.
  • Get a white noise machine – This may not be the exact solution you were looking for, but it can eliminate the outside noise and swap it for more pleasant sounds, like sea waves, wind blowing through the trees or rushing waterfall.

Investing some money, time and effort into soundproofing your room can be very rewarding. After all, you cannot put a price tag on a good night’s rest. Remember to be thorough when inspecting your room, though. Sound can travel through the tiniest and the most overlooked places.

Written By

Lillian believes that the question of business goes far beyond the maximization of profit through different money-grabbing ploys. Instead, she likes to think that ethical principles should be at the core of every commercial venture, paving the way for much more balanced distribution of wealth on a global scale. As a seasoned business consultant, she tends to advise her clients to always focus on long-term goals and sustainability, rather than on some questionable get-rich-fast schemes.rn

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Langamba

    July 21, 2016 at 11:39 am

    Wow, great ideas. I will certainly try this for my music room.

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