"How to Expertly SoundProof Using DIY Tools and Materials"

Is it possible to do something about those neighbours, the barking dogs, planes, trucks, leaf blowers, boom cars, crying babies . . . and so the list goes on . .   And when that is all fixed can you also build the perfect home studio or home theatre for your movies and music?

Well yes!  It’s called domestic soundproofing and it’s a room by room exercise and there are subtle but important considerations depending on the sound source and type.

So where do you start?  You know you can’t afford an acoustical consultant.  You have no idea which soundproofing materials are the best or how they should be installed.  You are not even sure which materials deal with which issues, or which areas to deal with first.

Does the approach change if the noise is barking dogs instead of planes or loud music, or if you are building a soundproof studio or home theatre?

The answer is a definite YES!

How do you decide whether to begin with the walls, the doors, the floor, the ceiling or the windows and how much time and effort do you put into each? 

Do you use drywall, tiles, acoustic foam, mats, lead or someother type of panels or insulation? Which are the most common and the most inexpensive materials?  Which ones are easier to work with and easier to buy?

What’s the difference between window double glazing and double windows?  What’s the difference between float glass and laminated glass?

There seems to be lots of generic soundproofing information around but will it work for your problem?

The trouble is every time you search the Internet for soundproofing information you encounter all sorts of products and recommendations.  But basically it seems there is no simple, clear, unbiased and practical step-by-step DIY advice anywhere that will guarantee good soundproofing results on a sensible budget!

A few years ago I was in exactly the same situation as you.

It took me almost two years and many thousands of dollars to research and test a collection of sensible low cost do-it-your-self soundproofing options that actually work.

I applied these soundproofing techniques to my own home. It is now so quiet that I sometimes think I’m living in the country rather than in a busy city suburb.  I’ve even mastered the challenges of a great home recording studio and a home theatre.

“It’s not surprising that most people struggle with soundproofing.”

If you want to see first hand some soundproofing traps, try typing “egg carton soundproofing” into Google.  You’ll get literally dozens of articles. Tragically though, egg cartons just don’t stop noise.  Other examples of poor soundproofing advice are plastic membranes for windows and a number of spray on soundproofing products for walls and ceilings.

There are hundreds of soundproofing products and recommendations:

    * Many of them don’t work very well;
    * Lots provide only small benefits;
    * A few are just not suited to home soundproofing;
    * Certain techniques are too difficult to do yourself;
    * Lots of materials are very expensive or difficult to find;
  &

Tags:

home soundproofing, design home soundproofing