Questions tagged [sound-proofing]

For questions generally relating to the prevention of transmission of sound from one enclosed area into another or between interior and exterior spaces.

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What are some cost-effective tips for reducing external sound from entering a room?

I have a small office room that shares a wall with our living room. When we have guests over, their voices travel fairly well; they sound somewhat muffled but are still audible. As I work from home ...
Mike B's user avatar
  • 8,083
13 votes
1 answer
6k views

How can I fix the noise level in my home?

When anyone walks above me in our two level home it sounds like a herd of elephants stomping through. Is there any way to fix this?
Liz's user avatar
  • 131
12 votes
7 answers
96k views

How can I sound proof bathroom walls?

I'm trying to figure out the best, least intrusive way of sound proofing the walls of a bathroom. The bathroom shares a wall with my bedroom, and my 3 yea old's bedroom. The main problem is the sound ...
Tim Meers's user avatar
  • 756
12 votes
2 answers
3k views

How do I sound-proof a bathroom?

I think most people would agree that sound proofing a bathroom is a swell idea. Since bathrooms are special rooms (high humidity), what are some tips and techniques you can use to sound proof one ...
Joe Phillips's user avatar
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10 votes
16 answers
43k views

Do any ultra quiet ceiling fans that have no motor hum exist?

I am in the market to buy two large ceiling fans to cycle air within and potentially cool my master bedroom. The room is about 16x27 feet, and it gets pretty hot during spring, summer, and early fall. ...
jrista's user avatar
  • 535
10 votes
2 answers
14k views

My neighbor keeps complaining about my music. How to soundproof my apartment?

I live in an old apartment building and the walls are thin. This is a problem because I love to listen to music -- sometimes at odd hours of the night. Yes, I can be an asshole in this way. But my ...
samthebrand's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
13k views

Why does my house carry sound so much?

My home is a 1100sqft, single story home and it carries sound very far and clearly. It make the house 'loud'. When I sneeze loud I hear a high pitch echo. Voices seem to be amplified and with a ...
phi's user avatar
  • 191
9 votes
4 answers
11k views

Is 3/4" OSB a better soundproofing material than 5/8" drywall?

Assuming the construction was done properly, would 3/4" OSB (oriented strand board, it's like a particle board but better) a better soundproofing material than 5/8" drywall? This OSB has an R-factor ...
diy user's user avatar
  • 473
8 votes
8 answers
6k views

Would covering walls with a sound absorbing foam reduce the transmission of medium-high frequency fan noise?

I have recently purchased a server-grade computer, which works great, however, it is now audible even through a closed door. It is in a separate room, so I am thinking what are the best ways of ...
petr's user avatar
  • 295
8 votes
2 answers
10k views

Can I put acoustical putty *inside* the electrical box rather than around the outside?

For soundproofing applications, they make acoustical putty that you put around the electrical box. However, what if you can't get behind the electrical box? In my case, I have a wall floating on hat ...
oscilatingcretin's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
349 views

What kind of professional to call for help with structure-borne noise issues from HVAC

We are in a multi-story, multi-unit building that uses packaged through-the-wall HVAC systems in each unit. These units often go under the name of "Magic-Pak" or "Comfort Pack" depending on the ...
rjacobs's user avatar
  • 271
7 votes
5 answers
3k views

How do I soundproof the gap under an interior door over a hardwood floor?

I have an interior door over a hardwood floor. The door lets in a lot of sound through the gap between the door and the floor. How do I soundproof the gap between the door and the floor? I tried ...
mkasberg's user avatar
  • 171
7 votes
10 answers
99k views

Is there a way I can make an interior door a better sound insulator?

I have an interior hollow bedroom door. The door seems to offer very little sound insulation, and I would like to add a bit more. I'm not expecting to get perfect silence or anything, but I would like ...
PearsonArtPhoto's user avatar
7 votes
5 answers
2k views

Could hedges help in reducing noise?

We live on a busy street with sound of tires and revving engines. We were wondering if hedges could help reduce the sound that comes into the house? if not, what other alternatives can we try? We ...
Lyza C's user avatar
  • 191
7 votes
3 answers
5k views

How do I soundproof my vaulted townhouse wall?

I want to soundproof my wall. In fact, it's this wall: I know, right? It would probably be an enormous task, but I really want to get it soundproofed because I have a neighbor on the other side and ...
oscilatingcretin's user avatar
7 votes
4 answers
3k views

What products should I use to add sound insulation to a party wall?

My bedroom shares a wall with my neighbours bathroom and I would like to add some sound proofing to my side of the wall. Can anyone recommend any particular products? The wall is brick and does not ...
Si Keep's user avatar
  • 221
7 votes
2 answers
8k views

How can I soundproof an interior door?

I'm looking to soundproof some interior doors. My plan was to drill a 1/2" hole at the top and fill it up with foam, but I'm not sure what type of foam to get. I've used tiny foam cans before, but I'...
Michael's user avatar
  • 3,776
7 votes
1 answer
17k views

What is a reasonable expectation of decibel reduction when sound proofing?

Background I'm currently renting an apartment in a very old building and have a lot of trouble sleeping because of the noise. My apartment is underneath the main entry way; and people come in and ...
Rob P.'s user avatar
  • 414
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

After I soundproof my bedroom wall with QuietRock, will I need to somehow soundproof the floor?

I am planning to put up a layer of QuietRock on top of existing drywall, potentially with Green Glue between the layers for good measure. I am doing this because the wall in question is against my ...
oscilatingcretin's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

Sound proofing a waste pipe

In our (badly designed) flat the upstairs waste pipes run straight through our bedrooms. It's a shame as the outer corridor is right next to our bedroom, so it would have been sensible to put it in ...
Alex KeySmith's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

How do I design a 100 mm thick barrier that maximizes thermal and acoustic insulation?

I need to design a thermal and sound barrier - walls of a cuboid-shaped space. Imagine it is a free-standing bike shed in the fields. The walls can not be thicker then about 100 mm (4 inches). The ...
ria's user avatar
  • 259
5 votes
5 answers
2k views

How to mute water drops on a glass canopy?

I live in a small building (3 stories), and the ceiling of my kitchen is a glass canopy with rain water pipes just above (about 8 meters above). One of the pipe is directly above a small aluminum ...
blue112's user avatar
  • 181
5 votes
4 answers
5k views

How can I temporarily soundproof my bedroom window?

I live on the second floor of a noisy NYC apartment building, and my bedroom window is unfortunately right above a busy street. I've been sleeping with earplugs for a while, but I still get woken up. ...
Lauren's user avatar
  • 153
5 votes
4 answers
9k views

Soundproofing a floor: How about cement backer board w/ Green Glue and mass-loaded vinyl?

I've been researching soundproof underlayments for floors, but the selection seems to be very paltry. It appears that you're pretty much stuck with mass-loaded vinyl (MLV), QuietWood, and a few other ...
oscilatingcretin's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Build a door frame

We have a back porch about 235 sq ft. the previous owner installed it directly on the 2x4s and purlins. It is extremely noisy. Will removing metal sheets then laying plywood/OSB and felt and ...
Cher M's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes
2 answers
13k views

how to achieve a reduction of noise of -60 dB in as little thickness as possible of insulation material?

I am looking into materials to acoustically insulate a room, and I need to do it in as little thickness of the material as possible. I found something called Balterio which is a 3 mm thick stuff sold ...
ria's user avatar
  • 259
5 votes
3 answers
10k views

How can I temporarily soundproof my apartment ceiling?

Currently I'm living in an apartment that has poor soundproofing. My upstairs neighbors get up at 4:30 am to go to work. They have two dogs. So there's a lot of noise between 4:30 am and 5 am. Like ...
jcollum's user avatar
  • 153
5 votes
3 answers
3k views

What windows should be used to soundproof from traffic noise?

I am having a house built by a builder. On my contract, it is specified that 'Sound Attenuating' windows would be installed. This is important as the house backs up to a busy road which provides a ...
esac's user avatar
  • 1,073
5 votes
1 answer
670 views

How can I reduce the amount of noise transferred through my exterior walls?

My apartment building is near a mosque and as you may already know when the Moslems pray they like to use loudspeakers. And I mean LOUD. As I live in an apartment I am not allowed to make any changes ...
rabbid's user avatar
  • 295
5 votes
1 answer
6k views

Is cement board a better soundproofing material than 5/8 drywall?

Cement board has a higher density than 5/8 drywall. It also probably, and this is just a guess, probably has a lower resonance as well (being cement), so less sound should get through. 5/8" drywall ...
diy user's user avatar
  • 473
5 votes
3 answers
7k views

How can I soundproof my bedroom walls as cost effectively as possible?

My bedroom is next to the kitchen on one wall, a hallway on one wall, the outdoors on one wall and the PC room on the other. The wall that bothers us the most is the kitchen wall. We would like to ...
Joyce's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes
3 answers
5k views

How can I determine the STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating for my condo walls and ceiling?

I work out of my condominium and generally like to have music playing throughout the day. A few nights every week I work late, sometimes until after midnight, so I'm thinking about soundproofing my ...
whelanska's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
3k views

Ideas or options for a door in an open stairway [closed]

I found a semi-related post about this, but it doesn't really answer my question. It basically claims a horizontal, wall-mounted barn door could work in a space like below (see images). However, all ...
Shane's user avatar
  • 41
4 votes
2 answers
28k views

How can I soundproof a bathroom door?

I'd like to make one of my bathrooms that one special place where a guest can go about their business in peace. Essentially, I am going to be soundproofing/insulating my entire bathroom, but the ...
quadooky's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
2k views

How do I insulate space in loft to create music studio

I have 3 DIY created rooms in my large live/work studio/artist loft. They are made with 2x4 and 2x6, framing with drywall walls and plywood ceiling. The apt has 14' 7" ceilings so we just have ...
Justin Milo's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

Can Rockwool Insulation be compressed or squished to fit through a 4'' hole and then rexpanded?

I just put in recessed lighting and lost a lot of soundproofing in the room. There is some insulation in the ceiling, but since cutting the holes in the drywall, sound is leaking out like crazy (...
AJZ's user avatar
  • 65
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

Prevent Sound from Entering Mattress through Bed Legs

There is a construction site next to my bed room and especially low frequency sounds resulting from heavy machines and vehicles enter my bed through its four legs. As I am a side-sleeper the ...
Raffael's user avatar
  • 151
4 votes
3 answers
32k views

How to soundproof a wall between two apartments in a 1950s NYC structure?

I'm hoping someone might have a suggestion about the best way to soundproof my bedroom wall that is adjacent to my neighbor's living room. It is an apartment that I own in a coop building in NYC that ...
Kubert's user avatar
  • 41
4 votes
2 answers
3k views

How can I insulate the floor to prevent sound from travelling through it?

I live in a top floor flat (apartment), and have a real problem with sound travelling from the flat beneath me. The worst sound is either bass from a TV, or voices. I paid a company a few years ago ...
Rich S's user avatar
  • 181
4 votes
2 answers
3k views

what's the term for double window in one window frame and why is it considered outdated technology?

I live in Montreal and I just moved from a building that had double sliding windows in each window frame (I assume a single pane each) to a building with single double-pane windows that look a lot ...
Natalia's user avatar
  • 165
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

How do I reduce extreme wind noise in a standing seam roof?

I've noted lots of wind noise from our standing seam panels, a roaring in the metal 'pans' forming the long panels that is, at times, deafening. My question: is there a reasonably effective solution? ...
Kevin Cain's user avatar
4 votes
7 answers
454 views

How can I reduce the noise of a street in front of the house?

Situation: A rented flat with a busy street right in front of it. The bed room faces towards the street with a window front. As the flat is rented I can not build something permanently like new ...
notfixablebysoftware's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
3k views

Wrapping fibreglass/ rock wool to seal in fibres in acoustic panels (bass traps)

I'm Making acoustic panels to treat my home studio and plan to use mineral wool or fibreglass insulation to do so. Likely Owen's Corning 703 or something marketed as safe insulation like Bradford ...
Luke Allison's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

What's the shear strength of a 5.0 x 50mm wood screw?

I'm going to be installing a decoupled ceiling into wood joists. The system comprises of clips that each take 4 screws. Each 1.2m x 1.2m 36kg plasterboard will be attached to 12 of these clips total. ...
D Yuri's user avatar
  • 39
3 votes
3 answers
27k views

How do I build a sound dampening box for a pool filter?

I have a pool filter next to my house in the 1.5m between my house and the boundary. I'd like to build a box around it to dampen the sound a bit. I will still need periodic access to the filter for ...
dave's user avatar
  • 767
3 votes
2 answers
11k views

When hanging a double layer of drywall, do both layers need to be fully screwed to the resilient channel?

When adding a second layer of drywall to a ceiling, do I need to screw the first layer to the surface with the appropriate number of fasteners ( type S screws into resilient channel ) as code dictates ...
Jason Reed's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
13k views

How do i stop office chair sound when leaning back?

I have an office chair, which has a leaning mechanism that can be tightend and loosend as per requirement. But the problem is, whenever i lean backwards, and then come forward, the mechanism makes a ...
me.ydv.5's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is it feasible to cover low-pile carpet with a 1/4" subfloor and vinyl tile in a kitchen?

Scenario: I'm the owner of a multi-unit 2 story apartment. The people living up and down are cousins to each other and are in the process of switching apartments -- long story, don't ask. The upstairs ...
Sleek Cat's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
3k views

Replace drop ceiling with drywall and soundproofing

This is my basement ceiling this morning: After a couple of hours, I removed all drop ceiling for entire basement with 1 living room and 2 bedrooms: I would like to install drywall with access ...
HP.'s user avatar
  • 1,852
3 votes
3 answers
13k views

Difference between 36 and 42db of noise isolation?

I do want to install various soundproofing improvements in an apartment, but when equipment and materials indicate the level of isolation, I really cannot judge at all the difference between them. I ...
user978548's user avatar

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