r/soundproof

Here is the issue I am trying to fix. My roommate has crazy hearing and can hear me talk to my friends on discord from anywhere in the house. This upsets him because he can’t focus on anything in the house as long as he can hear me(this is stemming from other issues between us but not particularly relevant to this). I do not yell or holler or otherwise try to make excess noise but it doesn’t not matter he can still hear it. We have talked about how to fix this issue because as it stands I can’t comfortably do anything in my room at night nor call my girlfriend and hang out at night because he loses his shit ( slamming doors and yelling). He refuses to do anything to try and work on his issues so I am trying to fix it on my end. My question is what is the best way to muffle noise coming from my room?. I do have a deep voice but again I’m not yelling and I use headphones. I’m just looking for the best way to muffle noise from leaving the room.

Edit: For more context. I usually spend on average 2-3 hours upstairs at night and don’t stay up later than midnight on most nights. Activities include gaming with friends and Girlfriend or watching movies/shows with my girlfriend (long distance relationship)

I know it’s not gonna be totally soundproof but any way to minimise the noise.

First off we live in the end house of a row of houses. The drums aren’t gonna be next to our neighbours adjoining wall. I’m considering building up a small stage (like a little step up) and filling it with some kind of soundproofing materials -which materials would work best? And then surrounding the wall behind it with some more sound proofing materials. Honestly it’s probably the banging that’s going to be an issue has anyone gotten around this?

Side question- anyone that does have electric drums upstairs how has that worked out? What’s your set up? Have there been any issues?

[Update: Thanks for the feedback! Rather than risk the primer drying out and cracking open, I chiseled a few dozen open and filled with wood putty. Took a lot less time than I thought it would.]

I have an outer wall:

7/8" stucco | 2x4 + batts | 3/4 sheathing | 2x4 + batts | fabric

The 3/4 sheathing (existing garage interior) has seen random #8 screws from mounting things and some #10 and #9 construction screws.

Are the screw holes going to be a leak problem? I already primed the sheathing, so I can't see all of the holes now. Stupid mistake.

There will be an inner room with its own insulation and sheathing. Hoping that might mitigate any small problems from the holes I can't find.

We have a finished basement suite that we would like to improve the sound deadening in the ceiling. Its finished with about r30 of insulation and 5/8" drywall

Two contractors are suggesting different solutions. Both involve leaving the existing drywall and insulation.

1. Install Sonopan ontop of existing drywall followed by res channel and then another layer of reg 5/8" drywall.

2. Install quiet rock 5/8" over the existing drywall.

Option #1 is cheaper but im concerned that this may produce a triple leaf effect. Both companies have experience with similar renos.

Let me know yout thoughts and if you have any questions

Okay so I’m very aware that “soundproofing” is a broad term - what I guess I am really looking for is the best way to sound insulate/stop sound transferring OUT of my space?

I have just signed the lease on a small commercial space that is in the ground floor of an apartment building to run my singing lesson business out of.
My biggest issue re: “soundproofing” is that 2 of the 4 “walls” are glass!!

The space is roughly 10m L x 3.6m W x 2.5m H - the windows/glass panes are about 1250mm x 2450mm inside aluminium frames (depth of the frames is roughly 105mm)

I need to figure out the best (and cheap enough) way to mitigate sound transferring out of my space into the common areas/hallway (there is barely any foot traffic and almost all surrounding spaces on the level are empty.. but rather be safe than have my landlord on my ass)

My original thought was to purchase 6mm acrylic sheets and mount them on the aluminium frame to create an air gap (with acoustic sealing of course) and then most likely by some thick curtains to put over the windows to dampen the sound even further, but this starts climbing up in price quite quickly…

The alternative I had come up with (which I have no idea would even work like I’m thinking) is to purchase acoustic wood slat panels and attach them in place of the acrylic. Would this work at all/the same in terms of creating an air gap and also absorbing some of the sound?

This obviously needs to be a temporary fix (and cannot be a full structural reset like I know it actually requires) as obviously I am just leasing and when/if I have to move out of the space it all needs to be able to come down.

Any opinions on this would be welcome, I’ve sent myself insane reading a million forums and trying to figure this out for myself, so just a direct answer to my specific scenario would be much appreciated.

So I have a neighbor who started riding his motorcycle a few months ago and I have sensory issues that’s are getting a little better but I still can’t handle motorcycles without plugging my ears.and I hate going into the bathroom every time he turns it on.so I want a way to soundproof outside noise without spending money.

Hi,

I searched all over but haven't found an answer for my specific case.

We have a new born coming soon. My neighbor is building their brick and cement house (next to my also brick and cement house) and will keep building for 2 months after the birth.

Realistically, is there anything I can do to make the drilling and hammering noise manageable for those 2 months? Moving out is the last resort. My wife and I can use earplugs, the main concern is our baby.

The room has a wooden door, a glass window and a glass door.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi

ich habe mir eine portasplit bestellt, ist noch auf dem Weg zu mir. da ich aber an einer relativ lauten Straße wohne, würde ich gern schon bisschen recherchieren wie man den Schlauch am besten durch ein deutsches kippfenster legt und das ganze dann so gut es geht schallisoliert.

(Mein aktueller Gedanke ist mir irgendwie eine Plexiglas Platte da rein zu hauen oder so mit nem kleinen Loch für den Schlauch und das ganze dann mit diesem Fensterisoliertape zu versiegeln so gut es geht)

danke im voraus ✨

I’m looking for advice on how to reduce noise in my downstairs bedroom. The biggest issue is that there’s no door at the top of the stairs—it’s an open spiral staircase that goes straight downstairs, so sound travels really easily both ways.
Since I’m renting, I can’t make any permanent changes. I was looking into soundproof curtains, but I’ve read mixed reviews and a lot of people say they don’t actually block much noise.
Has anyone dealt with a similar setup? What renter-friendly solutions actually made a noticeable difference? I’m open to things like curtains, acoustic blankets, temporary barriers, rugs, panels, or anything else that works. My goal is to reduce both noise coming into my room and noise leaving it.
Any recommendations or photos of your setup would be greatly appreciated!

I love my house but it backs up onto a 55 mph road, that isn’t crazy busy but when cars and especially trucks do go by it’s fairly loud. Any ideas for sound barriers? Preferably some sort of plant, would a tree or some such work to lessen the noise? Preferring something I could quietly plant as the only space for putting up a sound barrier of some sort is not technically my land more a roadside grass area. Thanks.

I'd love some advice on soundproofing my 2nd floor condo bedroom from a new bar that has opened up across the street. Unfortunately, the bar's first floor windows open up which means when the loud music is playing at 2am, it sounds like there is a block party going on outside. They've been throwing world cup watch parties, so things have gotten a bit out of hand recently.

Current strategies:

• foam ear plugs
• blackout curtains
• recaulked the window
• fan and white noise machine

I'm not super handy and I'd like to avoid totally replacing the walls or window if possible. But it's hard to sleep and the city doesn't care about noise complaints.

Does anyone have suggestions?

For any relevant context. I rent and while I can do some drilling I can't replace walls or fill in-between them with foam. I have a carpet but don't know how thick it is. So far I have added a u shaped door sweep and weather stripping to my door. I also added outlet incert pads or whatever they are called. In terms of white noise I have a fan on in my room and a air purifier/fan in the living room outside it. I don't know if my door is solid or hollow but can't change it regardless.

My main goal is to reduce sound leaving my bedroom and being heard by my roomate who is typically in his room sharing a wall with mine. Due to the layout of my room I basically need to have my bed against/very close to the shared wall.

The types of sound I'm hoping to prevent escaping are sounds of my girlfriend and I being intimate, normal indoor volume levels of talking, and any laughing to be reduced so it hopefully isn't annoying.

Future plans are to find some sort of door pannel that is affordable or at least justifiable that doesn't look bad. And I'm confused on if acoustic panels are helpful for my situation as I read that they will help prevent noise from leaving the room and then shortly after will dead that they only help with sound quality. I also have a metal bed frame that was quiet and has occasionally started to make noise with "movement" so I am thinking of adding small bits of rubber or something similar between any movable parts.

I'm really not bothered by any of the sound that enters my room but ideally id prefer to spend under 300$ cad. But can spend more if it makes a big difference.

Sorry if any of that was rambly, just wanted to get everything relevant.

I'm taking on my first full soundproofing job as a handyman ( i had a guy who was working for me when i booked the job who had a lot of experience but he's since left the business and I've been left with what is quite a big technical build to take on).

This is to stop someone yelling at a computer being heard through a shared wall in an old property with lath/plaster, timber studs, floorboards, cornice and fireplace on the adjascent wall (which I'm planning on building a box to cover hung on magnets and catches..

Only one side of the wall is accesible cavity is 150mm wall is approx 3.2 by 4 meters

Current plan:

• Protect room fully: floor protection, taped walls/doors, extractor running.
• Lift floorboards first to inspect cable/pipe routes and reduce flanking through floor void.
• Cut away existing lath/plaster carefully with multitool, bay by bay.
• Inspect studs, masonry, cables, pipes, fireplace voids and cornice void.
• Insulate under floor with acoustic slab where possible.
• Wall build-up from neighbour side inward:
  • existing masonry/shared wall
  • Tecsound SY100 self-adhesive acoustic membrane
  • existing timber stud zone
  • 75mm Rockwool RW5 acoustic slab
  • approx. 25mm acoustic air gap
  • iKoustic MuteClips + channel / resilient bar system
  • Gyproc SoundBloc plasterboard
  • acoustic sealant to perimeter and joints
  • Tecsound layer / GTEC plank where specified
  • second plasterboard layer
  • all perimeter gaps sealed with acoustic sealant

Materials ordered:

• Tecsound SY100 x10
• Rockwool RW5 x10
• iKoustic MuteClip Standard x20
• iKoustic MuteClip Channel x6
• Standard resilient bar 3m x20
• Siniat GTEC resilient tape x2
• Gyproc SoundBloc x20
• Siniat GTEC Plank x3
• JetRock/Gyproc acoustic sealant 600ml x14
• Gyproc Promix Lite x2
• Thistle ProTape FT50 x1
• acoustic double socket boxes

Sockets:

• two double sockets in the wall
• use acoustic socket boxes
• seal penetrations carefully

Ceiling/cornice:

• not opening ceiling void
• stopping at cornice
• plan to pack behind cornice with mineral wool and seal gaps as best as possible

Fireplace:

• chimney/fireplace is likely a major flanking path
• plan is to build a removable soundproof box/panel around the fireplace
• considering magnetic location/attachment so it can locate cleanly and be removable

I could really use some advice here guys.

Goal:
Complete in around 10 working days with one labourer. Main concern is avoiding first-timer mistakes that destroy performance.

Questions:

1. Am I insane for trying this?
2. Anything obvious that I have missed?
3. Do i need to rethink anything before ordering?
4. Fitting the soundproof sockets anything I should bear in mind?
5. Anything you'd change before I start cutting?
6. Any sequencing advice for doing this cleanly with one labourer?
7. Anyone got a candle they can light for me and say a hastily whispered prayer?

Hello there! I own a drum studio in my neighborhood. We (me and 2 more mates) sound proofed the room with room-inside-a-room and the results are pretty good, in the building itself you can barely hear when someone is playing. Unfortunately the neighbors from the other side of the street are complaining about the noise. I was in their house and you can hear mostly snare and abit of bass drum. Very slightly but it still bothers them. Obviously the sound is coming out the window, so we tried putting some weather strips round it. It helped slightly. Window plug is not really an option (it will be heavy and no space to store it) We don’t need the window to be functional. Any idea how to improve it?

We bought a house last year that was built in 1977. We're in a beautiful neighborhood, end of a private cul-de-sac, lakefront view, etc. But we have rednecks for neighbors with kids that love to ride dirt bikes constantly. While they keep to their property and don't ride on the road (so they do ride legally), the noise is getting to me.

Our windows are pretty old and need replacing outright, so I'm hoping to get recommendations for vendors that can install effective soundproof windows. From searching this subreddit so far, I've found out about soundproofusa.com and soundproofwindows.com. Indow windows has also been mentioned a few times, but they seem to be most effective for window inserts (though I could be wrong) and may not necessarily be cost effective.

Any other suggestions I haven't thought of would be greatly appreciated!

I am dealing with concert noise from nearly 10 miles away on a regular basis — from that distance we get bass that’s super loud, almost as if it’s just down the street.

Reading some of threads on here, it seems blocking bass entirely just isn’t going to happen at a practical level — not planning on building any rooms within a room — but what can help reduce it to something more livable?

I have looked at upgrading my single-pane windows with some kind of soundproofing like Citiquiet or Soundproof Windows. Would adding heavy curtains on top of the upgraded windows help? Adding attic or crawl space or wall insulation? Or is this all just going to be a ton of money for a minimal reduction in bass?

I am willing to experiment with a room or two first, but wondering if anyone has had success with this kind of project.

TLDR is it worth soundproofing just a portion of an apartment wall; a “non-functioning” door and maybe some sq footage of the rest of the wall? Or it’s an all-or-nothing situation to dampen sound of neighbors?

Just moved into the 1st floor of a railroad apartment which means we get the sound of all neighbors coming and going.

Since it’s a railroad, we have an access door in our bedroom that we don’t use (we enter on the other end of apt), but it’s right where every other tenant enters into the building, so lots of shuffling and occasional conversation. It’s rarely any slamming or sudden noises, but it certainly affects that feeling of privacy you want in a bedroom. I suspect the door is the main culprit of sound leak, but also the fact that one entire wall is shared with the lobby. Was thinking of soundproofing the door, and maybe mounting some textile art to the wall in areas to dampen sound, but not sure if it would be useless if I’m not soundproofing the whole wall and door together. Trying to find balance of cost and effectiveness