Last Updated: March 5, 2022
Contrasting perfectly with all the commotion in the world, our home serves to be a calm and composed bliss for us. But as the world is getting more hectic and louder, the peaceful paradise called “home” seems to be vanishing.
What to do?
To silence all the disturbances, you can efficiently soundproof your rooms.
It will help you get rid of annoying sounds around you. Soundproofing walls can make your whole room racket-free.
This article includes some of the most amazing methods that will effectively dampen the disturbing noises all-around your house including DIY soundproofing walls.
How To Soundproof Walls - The Options
Soundproofing a wall is a clear-cut plan.
It doesn't necessitate any particular tools or special skills. There are several methods to soundproof a wall.
You can construct a soundproof wall or just modify an existing one. Soundproofing materials and methods can be categorized according to their respective rates. You can also go or many DIY projects that can be used against a sound resonating wall.
Now on to the main question: “how do you soundproof a wall?”
How To Soundproof A Wall Cheaply
It is also plausible to get rid of all the additional annoying noises without spending a huge sum of money. Of course, it won't be as effective as the professional methods for damping sounds. Here are some explanations on how to make walls soundproof.
The following are majorly adopted for short-term repairs. The steps can be used freely, you can decide on using one or more.
Fill Up Open Spaces
Sometimes the problem with space isn’t that it picks up noises, but it can reverberate sound within itself. A large or lightly furnished room can lead to sounds echoing around.
Simply filling up the empty spaces will reduce the reverberating sounds. The material added will absorb all the loud noise, providing a peaceful atmosphere. This will only stop sounds from echoing around the room.
But it won’t block any outer noises to enter your room.
Locate The Origin Of Noise
Before soundproofing walls, it is better to learn the design of your room. Look for weak points from where the sound is leaking. These weak points can be a source of bothersome noises resonating in your room.
Be sure to initially discover all such points and seal them off.
Using Acoustic Caulk
Sound can leak into a room even from the smallest possible clefts and spaces.
Paying as little as $20-30, you can acquire a whole tube of caulk. It is perfect for filling not only the cracks in the wall but also covering the wooden edges, door frames, and window rifts. Using this cheap sealant, you can make a noise reduction wall.
Using Special Paint
You may not be aware there is an extraordinary paint capable of reducing the entire racket. Acoustic-Coat is an exclusively created wall paint that can lessen noise up to 30%. It is formulated of hollow microspheres adept at absorbing sounds and making sound insulation walls.
The ceramic paint is easy to apply. You can use a paint roller for larger spaces and a brush for smaller ones. The paint dries pretty quickly and does an amazing job at muffling the voice. Two coats of this outstanding paint will do the job well.
How To DIY Soundproof Walls?
It is best to start with the materials easily available at your home. This is by far the cheapest and most convenient way of sound deadening for walls. Here are some simple DIY methods that might come in handy:
Adding Extra Drywall
You can soundproof your walls easily and without spending much by using drywall. It can create extra air-tight space and act as a compact obstruction for sound. The drywall is positioned and settled over the best insulation for soundproofing walls.
The sound will recoil from the drywall before approaching the original wall.
You will have to renovate the new drywall and extend the power outlets as well.
Adding Acoustic Panels
Acoustic panels can capture all the sound before it jumps back from the walls. The actual purpose of these panels is to enhance the reflection of sound inside a room. But they can also be useful in damping disturbing noises progressing through the walls.
Most are designed with different fabrics with loads of colors. Some companies deal with custom-printed designs for the panels.
You can easily buy and use these panels; this is the best way of sound deadening for walls if you want to take a DIY approach.
Building Bookcases
It may seem strange, but building a bookshelf in your room will quiet it down. The shelves filled with a lot of books will create a sound buffer. The increased mass will absorb more sound. For the best results, you’ll have to make the bookcase extend to the ceiling.
Building bookcases is a creative and effective DIY method to soundproof a wall.
Slightly Expensive Ways To Soundproof Walls
Some methods are more effective as compared to the above-mentioned ones but are also pricier. Check out some of these tricks below.
Changing Doors
These days, many household doors are dull and simple. They are composed of two thin wooden panels with nothing in between them. Such hollow doors amplify sounds and spread them all around the house.
Many companies are creating solid doors now. For a small investment, you can get a solid soundproof door installed in your home.
It will allow little or no sound to pass through or resonate in between. You can also buy a special door with double insulation as most of the noises escape from the doors.
Insulating Walls With Soundproof Materials
You can insulate walls from the inside so that there is no space for sound to resonate. If you are building a new room or converting an existing one, it is easily possible. Spray some soundproofing material onto the interior of a wall while it is being built.
Remove Air Gaps From The Wall
Most walls have a lot of gaps in them which causes noises to penetrate them. Try your best to fill these breaks; this can greatly helps on how to reduce unwanted noises through walls. The leaky gaps can be loosened light switches, windows with gaps in them, or free floorboards, all of which can be fixed.
Use any kind of sealant or duct tape to insulate these gaps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers in regard.
1. How do you soundproof an existing wall?
You can soundproof an existing wall to some extent.
There are a lot of different methods to do so. Locating and sealing all the cracks and gaps in the walls, windows, and soundproof apartment doors can help.
Duct tape or a specialized sealant or caulk can be used for this purpose. If you know how to hang acoustic foam without damaging walls, it can be added to a wall to reduce the sound flow. Special soundproofing paint can also be used on your existing walls to dampen most of the irritating noises.
2. What is the cheapest way to soundproof a wall?
As mentioned above, there are a lot of ways that are not hard on your budget.
The best and cheapest method for soundproofing a wall is to add more mass to the walls, doors, and windows. Adding more furniture, hanging pictures, and adding rugs down the doors can muffle the sound.
3. How do you soundproof an interior wall?
Adding a double layer of drywall inside the frame of your walls can effectively soundproof them. The drywall acts as an insulating material that recoils the sound. It doesn't let any of the resonating sounds reach the actual walls of your room.
4. Why you should do soundproof walls?
Soundproofing can be great for people living in noisy neighborhoods.
Moreover, soundproofing will not only keep the irritating noises outside but also won’t let any sound escape from the inside.
You can live freely in your house without worrying about disturbing your neighbors or being heard.
5. Are there any downsides to soundproofing a wall?
As there are a lot of benefits to soundproof a room, there can be a lot of disadvantages as well.
- Soundproofing a room from outside noise will make it warmer.
- Various materials and tools used for soundproofing are expensive.
- Constructing soundproof apartment walls isn't that easy.
- Soundproofing can be messy and tedious sometimes, you’ll have to do one wall at a time.
Conclusion
It can be very difficult to live in a noisy environment. The infuriating noises echoing inside your room can be bothersome. Luckily, you can get rid of the entire racket by soundproofing your home using one of the methods mentioned above.
But it is best to properly understand how to make a wall soundproof before you actually do it.
This article must’ve surely assist you in learning the best way to soundproof a wall but only as a general guide.
Follow precautionary measures as well to ensure your protection, and if you feel that something is beyond you, call the professionals!