The process of soundproofing a room may include installing soundproofing materials on windows, doors, walls, the floor, and even the ceiling; Some people soundproof areas like the fireplace and the air vents.
The cost of soundproofing depends on various factors like the room size, type of soundproofing material, and the area to soundproof.
After reading this article, you will have a clear idea of how much it will cost to soundproof your room without spending a lot of money. The following are ideas that you can use to soundproof your room.
Modern lifestyle is convenient in general, but it has its downsides. One of the downsides that people face is the invasive noise pollution from the surrounding.
You don’t need studio equipment to dampen the noise levels in your room. You can soundproof your room cheaply. You need creativity to make a difference in your room.
We all need a quiet and peaceful home. It not only old properties that need soundproofing for walls, but even some modern houses need soundproofing.
Contents
Soundproofing windows and doors
Estimated Cost for Windows :
| Material for Soundproofing Windows | Price |
| Soundproof Curtains | ~$25 |
| Curtain Rod | <$20 |
| Window Plug | <$50 for 2m x 1m |
| Weatherstripping Tape | < $15 |
The weather stripping tape may not deaden the outside noise. The windows and doors may have more cracks and gaps. Check the windows and doors for any cracks and gaps where air and noise may get in. Use a sealant and seal them well.
If you can still hear some noise through the windows and the door after sealing the gaps, then you can think of buying new windows and a door.
Get dense and thicker doors or get doors that are a heavy duty that is used in studios. Don’t expect them to be cheap, because they are made of high-quality materials and filled with soundproof foam or other insulation materials.
The windows may also allow noise to pass through even after sealing the gaps. You can use soundproof inserts to prevent noise. This is ideal if you have single pane windows.
You can also make window plugs to prevent light from entering your room. I’ve published a detailed blog post on soundproofing windows.
Buy PVC windows and install them. Ensure that there are no gaps left. The windows come with double-pane glass and weather stripping tape to prevent noise from outside. You can also use fabric blinds to prevent unnecessary noise from the outside.
Estimated Cost for doors :
| Material for Soundproofing Door | Price |
| Moving Blankets | $40 for 72″ X 80″ |
| Foam Panels | $22 for a pack of 12 |
| Fiberglass Panels | $68 for a pack of 12 |
| Weatherstripping Tape | < $15 |
| Door Sweep | $10 |
Soundproofing the walls
You can soundproof the walls through stripping them down into studs and add resilient panels, mass-loaded vinyl, thick soundproof insulation, copious amounts of caulk to seal gaps, and two layers of soundproof drywall.
The soundproofing elements will combine to give you effective soundproofing that you want, but they may be costly. The drywall and soundproofing insulation is relatively expensive as compared to other materials.
But, you don’t have to use all of these materials to soundproof your room. You can use a single solution. I can recommend the resilient channels. A lot of people also suggest using soundproof wallpapers and soundproof paint to dampen sound.
You can use the channels without stripping the walls. Put the studs on the walls and follow some of these steps on top.
The room will be smaller, and you need to check the air ducts and power lines. You can also seal the air ducts if they are too big. You can use soundproof maze inside or seal them completely.
Soundproofing the ceiling and floor
| Material for Soundproofing Ceiling | Price |
| Mass Loaded Vinyl | $100 – $200 for 50 sq feet |
| Foam Panels | $22 for a pack of 12 |
| Fiberglass Panels | $68 for a pack of 12 |
You can soundproof the ceiling and floor using soundproof foams or rugs to get rid of the noise in your room.
If the rugs and foaming materials do not reduce the noise, you can use the wall soundproofing strategies for the ceiling. The simplest ways to soundproof the floor are:
- Use of dense carpets
- Use of rubber floor mats, MLV, or both under your carpet
- Foam carpet under a thin carpet
If the floor is still allowing noise to pass after using the rubber mat, thick carpet, or MLV underneath, then you need to work on the floor.
You can lift the floor to reach the subfloor, use green Glue, underlayment, and plywood sandwich, and return the hardwood floor.
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Using soundproof foam
There are different types of soundproof foams in the market today. Some of the foams are relatively cheap. They perform different functions when it comes to reducing noise in your room. Some are used for sound insulation, blocking sound, and others for sound absorption.
The soundproof foam cannot prevent the passage of sound waves into your room. They are like soft materials; they trap the sound waves in the fibers. The sound wave is converted into heat energy which leads to reduced reverberation and echoes.
The sound absorption by the soundproof foams is important in the soundproofing process. The foam may not get rid of the noise completely from the room, but it makes a big difference by reducing the echo and reverberation.
The soundproof foams are easy and cheap to get. The following are some of the best soundproofing methods that you can try.
Soundproof materials that you can use
Room soundproofing can be achieved with various materials. The quality materials are relatively expensive, and some materials are more effective than others.
Before you start the process of soundproofing your room, ensure that you assess your budget and needs to help you decide on the right materials to use.
The following are some of the materials commonly used to soundproof ceilings, walls, and floors.
Drywall panels
The panels are also called gypsum board, wallboard, or plasterboard. Drywall is an excellent solution and inexpensive source of mass; a key element in soundproofing materials. Sheetrock is an example of drywall.
Damped drywall
The drywall adds a sound damping layer such as No products found., silentFX, And SUPRESS. The panels have excellent soundproofing features.
You can also make your damped drywall cheaply by using a damping compound between two layers of drywall and get the same results.
Sound-deadening fiberboard
A good example of sound-deadening fiberboard is No products found. or No products found.. It is also known as acoustic board or soundboard. The boards are not ideal for soundproofing walls, because they have low mass.
You can use them as a spacing layer if you don’t need additional mass. These boards do not offer damping, absorption, and decoupling.
Mass-loaded vinyl roll
Mass-loaded vinyl roll is dense and flexible. It is sold under different brand names like No products found. and acoustiblok. It is an ideal source of mass, but relatively expensive. You can use it to fill gaps and wrap ducts, metal columns, and pipes if you need a flexible barrier.
It can be used to soundproof floors, walls, and ceilings. There are cheaper and effective materials that can be used instead of MLV.
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Owens Corning Fiberglass insulation
The fiber is loosely packed to offer excellent sound absorption, making it ideal for soundproofing. Standard fiberglass insulation is less costly and effective as mineral wool. Foams provide better thermal insulation but are poor for soundproofing.
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Sound curtains
The ordinary blankets and curtains cannot help to soundproof your room; there are curtains in the market that can help to control noise in your room. They are industrial products incorporated with heavy mass-loaded vinyl.
Green Glue soundproofing damping compound
It is also known as the viscoelastic adhesive. QuietGlue Pro or green glue noise proofing compound is a good example. It is used between layers of plywood, drywall or subflooring as a damping layer.
The compound is effective and economical in soundproofing. You can use it as a solution to low-frequency noise from music, construction machinery, or home theatres.
Not all compounds offer the same damping results. Always check their test data before you buy any viscoelastic adhesive.
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Acoustic sealant
It is also called acoustic caulk. You can use it to prevent noise leakage and seal seams. The effectiveness of the soundproofing materials reduces dramatically when sealing is not done properly, because the noise will pass through the open gaps.
Hardware for decoupling
The hardware for decoupling includes drywall furring channel and resilient sound clips. Decoupling hardware should be installed correctly.
The process is an effective element of soundproofing, although it can increase the transmission of low-frequency sound by creating a resonance chamber.
Pre-built units
Pre-built units like doors and windows with the aim of soundproofing. They can work well and save you money and time.
The installation is of some materials may be inconvenient if the house is already built. Soundproofing will also prevent you from hearing some considerable noise like crying baby in the next room or emergency siren in the neighborhood.
Soundproofed rooms are quiet and peaceful. It is nice to retreat to a quiet and peaceful room when you want to relax.
With a soundproofed room, you can be able to do or listen to your music without worrying about disturbing the neighbors or other family members who are relaxing or sleeping in their rooms.
The biggest downside of soundproofed rooms is the cost; the cost will vary depending on various factors like the materials used, the quality of the materials, the experience of the company you choose, the size of the room, and others. Ensure that you get a professional to help you calculate the cost depending on your budget.