How to Soundproof a Room

Are you constantly dealing with unwanted noise infiltrating your room? Or are you worried about keeping the neighbors up at night with your loud music? Need some tips in soundproofing? If you answered “yes” to all questions, you came to the right place!  Keeping unwanted noise from entering a room could be a daunting task, as it involves certain building strategies and various resources.  However, there are a lot of simplified and helpful methods available, which will depend on the room itself and your allotted budget for soundproofing.   If you’re in the process of building a house (or renovating a room) these building tips could be helpful:

• Walls – Bond a layer of silicone (or other soundproofing adhesives) in between two layers of sheetrock. This will lessen the sound waves as they travel through solid materials and other substances of different concentrations, which explains why two slightly separated layers are better than one thick layer.
• Doors and Windows – Thick, hard doors can block more sound, as well as vinyl-framed windows with double or triple panes. 
• Ceiling – Set up a drop/suspended/false ceiling in your room.
• Floors – Mount your carpet over carpet padding or soundproofing mats. 

These tips are also applicable if you have the budget to rebuild a room.  However, if the walls are already in place, here are more tricks to get rid of unwanted noise:

• Walls – Add a sheetrock layer over the existing wall.  Other options include fiberglass, rockwool, mass-loaded vinyl insulations, and other types of soundproofing foam panels
• Doors and Windows –  Apply weather strips or caulk to door or window frame gaps to reduce the sound that sneaks in

If you have a limited budget and time constraints to deal with, don’t worry.   Here are a few affordable and time-saving options for you:

• Place a large book shelf or furniture against a wall.  This will add to its thickness, reducing unwanted noise. 
• Hang thick curtains on windows, use soft rugs and carpet on floors.  This will help absorb the sound that bounces off in a room.
• Decorate your walls and ceilings with sprayed-on texture.  Rough surfaces can reduce sound waves in a noisy room.
• Hang or fasten thick carpets, blankets or cardboard egg cartons on your wall. 

 All these tips and tricks will surely make your soundproofing tasks more convenient and effective.  Go ahead and visit your nearest hardware or Home Depot branch.  Or better yet, make do with what you have! Oh, and don’t forget this soundproofing motto: “The thicker, the better.”