Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with soundproofing

Reusing and/or recycling drywall for soundproofing ceiling project

lccslug — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 09:58:03 -0800

I am planning to attempt to soundproof my ceiling of my condo. I plan to use a method that includes adding drywall/green glue between the floor joists and then adding additional drywall below. (example) I was wondering if there were any problems in carefully tearing down the drywall that is there and using it for the smaller areas between the floor joists (i.e., taking down larger pieces out, cutting them to size, and using them for the inner floor joist area). I'd have to get new drywall for the outside, but I am trying to minimize cost and waste. Is this reasonable?

Noise reduction for a concrete box

bfranklin — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 07:40:37 -0800

Hometheaterfilter: How much soundproofing do I need to do in a concrete box? I'm looking to convert a room in my basement to a home theater. The room is basically a concrete box. Poured cement floor, 4 hollow CMU walls, 2 windows in the CMU walls, and a poured (not hollow-slab) ceiling for the garage overhead. The floor is a single pour for the entire basement (whole house).

I like film, so there will be plenty of that, but I'm really worried about noise control when I have a bunch of rowdy folks over for prime time sports games while kids are sleeping upstairs. I want to eventually carpet the room. I want a livable, enjoyable space rather than an austere listening room. Also, I already have the message that a solid core door is key.

I'm thinking that, at minimum, a floating slab using something like Owens Corning quietzone underlayment will be necessary for managing bass. I'm just trying to get a feel for where the cost/value is sitting for things like studs that decouple the drywall, cotton fiber batting for the walls, and the variety of ceiling solutions.

I'm a numbers guy, so if there's an acoustics engineering 201 you can point me at, I'm more than happy to play with formulas. I just need some real-world testimonial reference points for what numbers constitute an acceptable range for my case. An X dB reduction is something I understand abstractly, but pretty much means jack to me from a "will this annoy my sleeping child" perspective.

soundproofing a wall with a door in it

Dr. Eigenvariable — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 20:29:58 -0800

I share a wall with my roommate, which isn't as acoustically opaque as I would like (I'm occasionally woken up by late-night activities). What's the best/cheapest way to soundproof it? Possible solutions include acoustic tiles (Too annoying to hang?), egg-carton foam (Does it work? Where can I buy it cheaply?), or other products that I'm not aware of. I'm not really concerned about aesthetics in my room too much, and have a preference for economical solutions that won't damage the wall. Also, I'm not very handy, so it's important that his be dead simple to implement (I'm willing to pay extra for this).

It's worth pointing out (for those who haven't clicked the link) that the wall has a door in it that we never, ever open. Will this need to be treated in any special way?

I'm looking for recommendations on specific products, preferably sold online, but I can do the brick and mortar thing if I absolutely have to. I live in San Francisco, in case that's relevant.

what material would best dampen the noise and vibrations of a treadmill

dyslexictraveler — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:47:21 -0800

DIY Engineering filter: Help me be a better upstairs neighbor by selecting the best possible material to dampen the noise and vibrations from walking on a treadmill under a desk. After playing around with a standing desk for awhile, I recently decided to take it one step further and purchased a specialty treadmill designed specifically for low-speed walking, and installed it under my desk. While the machine is not exactly whisper quiet, the sound it makes in my office is very tolerable. However, the vibrations are making quite a racket for my downstairs neighbors that I'd rather they didn't have to deal with.

We're on good terms with the folks that live below us, and we've already spoken about times when the noise would be and would not be a problem. But given that my intent is to (eventually) be walking on the treadmill for several hours each day, I'd like to do everything I can to reduce the noise and vibrations that travel downward. (I rent, so I can't make any changes to the floor itself)

The common wisdom on reducing treadmill noise seems to be that the best way to do this is to create a large dampener that spreads out the noise and vibrations over a wide area using two materials. On top, a strong and rigid material (like plywood) is used to spread out the weight. And on the bottom a springing absorbent layer is used to absorb the vibrations. This past weekend I purchased a very heavy piece of MDF board that's 3/4 of an inch thick and 78" by 28" (the treadmill is relatively small). But I need help figuring out which type of foam or product I should buy for the absorbent layer. As I see it, there are three basic requirements for this material:

It needs to absorb vibrations and sound as much as possible.

It needs to withstand some pretty significant downward physical pressure. There will be a constant weight of about 160 lbs (100 lbs from the treadmill plus 60 lbs for the MDF board) pushing down on it at all times. And then, once you add my weight when I'm walking on it, the downward pressure will be about 350 lbs.

It needs to retain its absorbing qualities over time as much as possible I would rather not have to replace the foam layer every six months because it flattened out.

Which gets me to my questions.

What type of material should I buy? Rubber, soft foam, rigid foam insulation, or something else? Specific product recommendations are welcome.

What is the relationship between the thickness of the foam and its effectiveness at dampening? If I were debating between buying foam that was half an inch thick, and 1 inch thick, how much would that extra thickness get me in terms of additional dampening effect? Is a 2 inch pad twice as good as a 1 inch pad, or some fractional proportion better?

Thanks in advance for your help!

How to make a collapsable sound isolation booth?

moonmilk — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:58:31 -0800

Help me build a sound isolation booth -- that's collapsable. I'd like to build a small soundproof room (about 4x4x8 feet) that can be disassembled for shipping and reassembled without huge amounts of effort or crowbars. No windows, and one door -- or one entire wall will swing on hinges to act as a big door, if that's not impractical. The sound isolation doesn't have to be as good as a professional recording studio, but more is better.

So I guess the two main questions are - what sound isolation technologies to use, and how to fasten the walls, floor, and ceiling together so that they can be detached and re-attached relatively easily without compromising the soundproofing too much. It's ok if it takes hours to disassemble / reassemble, as long as the process is not destructive.

I probably don't need ventilation because nobody will spend a long time in there with the door closed, but I welcome suggestions for ventilation methods that don't compromise the sound isolation too much.

I've just started researching isolation methods and materials like homasote, green glue, absorbent foam and batting, "floating" walls with vibration-absorbing brackets, and so forth. I don't understand them well enough to choose! Please advise.

We Can't Afford Therapy for All 3 Kids.

VioletU — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:03:06 -0800

We need to finish the ceiling in our basement bedroom as cheaply as possible, and with as much soundproofing as possible, and have no idea how to do it. Our master bedroom is in the basement of our house, directly underneath the carpeted living room and hardwood floored dining room. When we moved into the house, the ceiling in the bedroom was drywalled (which made things adequately soundproof) but the previous owners hadn't grounded the electrical work when they finished the room - requiring us to remove 95% of the drywall to fix the problem.

Now that we're no longer in danger of burning the house down, or frying all of our electronics during the first thunderstorm, we really need to fix the ceiling. Currently, it's all exposed beams (the support for the living room floor) and wiring/duct work - and whoah, there is NO sound proofing!

No one goes into the bedroom other than us, so aesthetics aren't really important - but since our bedroom is right underneath where our kids spend a lot of time (doing homework, playing xbox, reading books..) we'd like to finish the ceiling in a way that would allow us to have conversations (and, uh, marital relations) without being overheard. To give you an idea of the current sound transmission: my husband was wrapping gifts a few days ago and I, upstairs in the living room, could hear the sound of him cutting the paper very clearly. Eeek!

A few notes - there is no longer any lighting in the ceiling (we have a floor lamp that's operated by a wireless switch), so we don't need to worry about that when considering how to finish things. The remaining drywall is surrounding some support beams - the unfinished ceiling space is about 15' x 20'. A drop-ceiling, while cheaper than most options, would suck for my tall husband who already has to be careful walking around in the room lest he bump his head. The ability to access the wiring in the future, if needed, would be nice - taking down all that drywall was awful and messy. And, finally, we're both reasonably skilled in the DIY sense, but would prefer easy and quick over fiddly and time consuming.

Any ideas? Are we being unreasonable to hope we can avoid the drop-ceiling or drywall options?

What are good ear plugs that are effective and that I can sleep in?

Stynxno — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:06:49 -0800

What are some good ear plugs available that are capable of muffling subwoofers? I have a neighbor who likes to party on the weekends and I work early mornings on the weekends. I'm looking for an ear plug solution that will be able to muffle reggaeton blasting from a subwoofer next to my bedroom wall at 3 am. I have yet to attempt to soundproof the wall with fabric but I'm finding out that the three white noise machines I'm using and the flimsy ear plugs from Duane Reade aren't cutting it. Are there earplugs that might be able to cancel out some of that noise? How about the ones that roadies use? Would they be comfortable enough to sleep in?

Buy curtains, get sleep?

carolinaherrera — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 05:31:42 -0800

What is the best way to lower the ambient noise in my bedroom given the following constraints? (Snowflakes inside) First off, assume that I cannot use ear plugs or white noise. I'm experimenting with those based on other Askme questions, so for this question, I'm looking for home improvement-type answers ONLY. :)

I live in a room in a city apartment that faces the street and shares walls with the living room, kitchen, and hallway, like this:

street
xxxxxxx
k x x l
i x x i
t x x v
c x x i
h x x n
e x x g
n x x room
xxxxxxx
hallway

(Sorry, I am a terrible artist!) The point is, all of the walls generate some kind of noise, either from people or vehicles.

Other constraints:
- I am extremely UN-handy. I can barely use scissors. Solutions that require me to hang plasterboard or do something with egg crates probably won't work for me.
- I am renting, so no major modifications
- Cost is not a huge concern. I'm willing to buy the 3 sets of curtains or the super fancy ones if that will work best. On the other hand, I don't want to hire an acoustic contractor to remodel the room.
- The noises I'm dealing with are not particularly loud, but I have anxiety and startle awake easily. Trucks driving by. People having breakfast or walking in the hallway.

Questions:

- Noise-blocking curtains: Which ones have you used? Which ones do you like? The street noise (traffic and voices) comes through a window which is the only source of light. Are there noise-blocking curtains that are not also light-blocking curtains?

- Sound dampening plastic film on windows: Have you used it? Was it relatively easy to install? Did it work?

- Wall curtains: Would it look weird if I put curtains on all of my walls? It's a very small room. Is there a way to make this look better? I'm kind of decorating impaired as well so any suggestions would be helpful.

- Foam pads/blankets: Is there a place where I can buy already made sound panels covered in pretty fabrics to hang on my walls, rather than having to buy sound foam and cover it myself (requiring skill and time I don't have)?

- What else has worked for you?

Thank you, Mefites! I love this community!

What can I do as a condo owner now that noisy tenants live above me?

Strang — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:01:46 -0800

What can I do as a condo owner now that noisy tenants live above me? I own a ground-level condo – my fiancée and I have lived here for two years now and have never really had any noise problems until recently. There are new renters in the condo above mine; now I hear stomping at all hours (and I do mean all hours; someone came home stomping as loud as possible at 2am Saturday night to the point that dishes were clanking together in my kitchen -- up until that point, I'd been giving them the benefit of the doubt that it was something about their unit rather than them). They’ve got hardwood floors and their entry way is directly above our bedroom…

I’ve gone up a couple times to complain about noise during the daytime – both times I spoke to the renter’s daughter (who is 12, approximately). She seemed chagrined and the noise died down for a short period both times (the second time, she said her dog had “hot spots” and that she was trying to calm it down).

I’m feeling extremely frustrated by this – we’ve been looking into soundproofing now that it’s clear that it’s not an issue that will resolve itself. I am feeling very upset about this as I’m an owner who is being inconvenienced to the tune of several thousand dollars (especially now that we have a wedding to plan and pay for). We’ve contacted the homeowners association about this and they stated that a letter would be sent asking them to not wear shoes during certain hours and to place area rugs down – is there anything more we can do? Ear plugs and white noise machines have been vetoed by the fiancee...

(I’d also like to apologize for any sort of pissiness to my tone – the lack of sleep is catching up to us)

soundoff

threeants — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 23:53:54 -0800

When apartment-hunting, how can you tell if a place has good inter-unit sound insulation? I'm going to be looking for a studio or 1-bedroom to live alone in soon (in Atlanta, if it matters). One of the more important qualities to me is that there be strong sound insulation between different units, whether in a complex or a converted house or whatever. Street noise honestly doesn't bother me that much; it's the feeling of lack of privacy that comes from being able to hear your neighbors (and vice versa) that I hate. So far I've lived with roommates in old apartments that had great sound insulation between units, and varying degrees of insulation between rooms in the same unit.

I know the answer is sort of "listen when you're in there", but I'm not sure this really suffices. There's no real way to know when you're viewing a place if the neighbors are even home, what they're doing, etc. Basically what I could use help with is, are there any, uh, "comorbid" characteristics I can look for as tells of either good or bad sound insulation? I know that cheap super-recent housing stock usually has terribly thin walls, but beyond that I don't really have a clue.

Thanks!

loud, like a neighbor

Sara Anne — Thu, 05 May 2011 07:02:19 -0800

I am moving in to a new apartment, and have discovered that my across the hall neighbor is kind of loud. The noise seems to be carrying through the air conditioner vent. Is there anything I can do to muffle this? I need solutions that range from free to very, very cheap.

SHHHHHH!!!!!!

Space Kitty — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 22:08:21 -0800

I have moved to the loudest place on earth. Help me not lose my mind. We have double-paned windows, white noise machines and no problem asking politely for people to take it down a notch during quiet hours. But in the three weeks since moving here, we've also had -

- Loud conversations outside our bedroom windows at 2:30 am
- Phone calls with both parties audible from inside an adjacent apartment... with all the doors shut
- Neighbors using their cell on speakerphone in the courtyard
- Other neighbors constantly yelling at each other/their kids

We've signed a year lease, and the only thing I hate more than the noise is the thought of moving again. Since I think it's more realistic for me to adjust my attitude than to try change other people's behavior, what are your best suggestions for coping? What noise reduction techniques have worked for you?

I've tried telling myself if everyone else is being noisy, then I can too - but cranking Pandora to 11 has been surprisingly unsatisfying.

Help?

Next week - DOES EVERYONE HERE SMOKE BUT ME?!

I need to mask the noise that comes from my office

whatideserve — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:33:01 -0800

I need to mask the noise that comes from my office. What's a simple way to do this? I'm the director of a small program, which means that I am sometimes making calls about personnel information that needs to remain confidential. I don't have a loud voice but one of my staff came to me today and said they could hear every word of my conversation, even with the door closed. How do I best mask the sound coming from my office? I would prefer to have something I can place in my office rather than out in the common areas due to the nature of the program and the people we serve.

This is really ticking me off

Mizu — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 02:58:19 -0800

How can I keep my clock from tick-tocking? I'd like to have a clock on the wall close to my bed, so I can read the time without putting on my glasses (I am very, VERY nearsighted, not that this is overly relevant to the question.) I don't want it to emit light, I don't want it to be digital, I don't want it to cost an arm and a leg, it needs to be able to be wall-mounted (no bedside table space, that's for books and specs!) and I don't want to have to fish around for my phone every morning. I have trouble sleeping, getting to sleep, and waking up, and as such need to have a very quiet environment in my bedroom. The ticking of a clock stresses me out!

Today, I purchased a very simple $10 wall clock at Target, thinking that perhaps it wouldn't be too ticky because it's quite light, made of seemingly entirely plastic and cardboard parts. Failure! I just had to move it to the other room because the noisy ticking was stressing me out while writing this question.

Would there be any way for me to augment this clock to muffle the ticking? The noise is made, as far as I can tell, by the mechanical movement of the clock hands. Maybe the hollow nature of the clock is acting like a drum? But I don't really know the first thing about clocks so perhaps I'm wrong.

Barring tape, gum, & cotton batting style solutions, are there any clocks out there that are wall-mountable, analog, under $30, with large, clearly readable numbers on a solid background and thick hands, preferably in a simple, transitional style, that are SILENT? And, if that doesn't exist, are there any cheap digital clocks that only emit light during sunlight hours?

Thanks, skillful denizens of AskMe!

Calling all acoustical engineers! How to soundproof a window?

jbenben — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:47:14 -0800

To make a DIY Soundproof Window Plug, what material (or combination of materials) should we use? The window is quite large (9' x 5') and the plug should ideally be relatively lightweight and removable. Looking for personal reviews of the different materials under consideration or suggestions for materials our research has missed. The window is on a walkway in a rental building, so the main problem is voices and privacy. The goal is to greatly reduce sound from going in or out via the windows. There are already heavy duty decorative custom drapes on the window.

The window is 9' wide x 5' high, and the window framing is 6" deep all the way around. The window is single paned glass in 3 sections, the middle is a solid pane of glass and the two outer sections are louvered.

Rental Building = No Chance of Window Replacement.

The window size is awkward because most materials come in linear feet (rolls of 2' x 25') or sheets of 4' x 8' (sound deadening board, acoustic sheetrock, etc..)

The current idea is to cut down three 4'x 8' sheets of polystyrene insulation board to 4'x 5' to at least fit the height of the window (the polystyrene board is a lot like "foam core" you'd use for art projects, but insulation grade) and stagger that over the entire 9' x 5' space. Attached to the insulation board will be sound dampening materials, and then the individual sheets will be upholstered so it looks pretty from the walkway. The upholstery will add stability to the overall construction.

Here are some materials and fabrication ideas:

- The cheapest/easiest/lightest way to go seems to be 1" insulation board covered in a layer of pink fiberglass insulation then upholstered with a tight weave fabric. We're certain the sound dampening qualities on this are minimal. Opinions?

- 4' x 5' insulation board is green glued to 4' x 5' sound deadening fiberboard + layer of fiberglass insulation + upholstery fabric. Is the weight of the sound deadening fiber board worth the sound proofing effect?

- 4' x 5' insulation board green glued to a layer(s?) of mass-loaded vinyl + a layer of insulation or America Mat (acoustical foam padding) or dense felt + covered by upholstery fabric. Can anybody comment on the effectiveness of mass-loaded vinyl (MLV)? Thanks!

- would hanging sound blankets (like they use at rock concerts) in between the custom drape layers be just as (in)effective as the first idea above of using of 4' x 5' insulation board + fiberglass insulation + upholstery fabric?

- Any kind of acoustic sheet rock seems too brittle and heavy to be worth using... are we correct? Or are the soundproofing qualities of acoustic sheet rock so superior to MLV or even regular fiberglass insulation that it is worth the weight and expense?

Other ideas ranged from using egg crate foam mattress padding attached to insulation board or plywood, to stuffing the window with old futon mattresses (gross!).

We do know that leaving air space between the window and the soundproof layer is helpful in blocking the transmission of sound waves, as is avoiding the use of screws, nails, or any framing that might convey sound waves.

How would you tackle soundproofing this flimsy 9' x 5' window?

Thanks!

How to soundproof when living above a bar

maxreax — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 07:43:33 -0800

I moved in above a bar. The soundproofing is great, except for the vibrations from the lower bass frequencies. They're using wall-mounted speakers placed pretty close to the ceiling. Is it possible to soundproof against those? And what are some of the things the bar could do to help me? There are three mid-sized speakers mounted on a brick wall that runs through both the bar and our apartment. They're placed pretty high up on the wall--maybe eight inches down from the ceiling. We can't hear conversation or movement and rarely hear high frequencies from the music (sometimes when it's turned up loud we can hear vocals, but it's mostly just bass drum, bass lines, tom-toms, etc.) The bartenders are really nice about turning down the music when asked, but I'd like to reach a solution where I don't have to be constantly asking them to turn it down.

First, I'm wondering how much of a difference it would make if I could get the bar to a) move the speakers and b) install an equalizer or mixer that allowed them to turn down the bass. Those seem like easy (too easy?) compromise solutions, but I'm worried that moving the speakers further down won't do much since they'd still be attached to the wall.

My second question is, essentially, is it possible to soundproof against the kind of low frequencies that are vibrating our floor and wall? My research seems to indicate that these frequencies are really difficult to protect against, but I want to hear the hive mind's thoughts.

Summary: Apartment vibrates because of bass from wall-mounted speakers below. Will moving speakers lower down, or off wall, help? Will turning down bass help? Is it possible to soundproof this kind of problem?

(I love the apartment I'm in, and I've got a year-long lease, so I'd much rather look for ways to make it work (even if there are still small vibrations) than try to get out of the lease.)

How to best soundproof a floor under a piano?

jpziller — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:43:44 -0800

Asking for my sister: How to soundproof a floor under a piano? I just received an email from my sister. Here are its contents:

"I thought you might have some ideas on soundproofing the floor under the piano we're getting. The room that we want to put it in has neighbours below. If necessary, it can go on an external wall over the lobby but this location is our second choice (if we get a noise complaint). So, to avoid getting a noise complaint I've been googling how to soundproof a floor...but I think you're better at this sort of thing. What I'm hoping is that we could make (or buy) some sort of pad that the piano could sit on. Any suggestions?

The wall noise isn't a big deal since the piano won't be against another unit."

I'm hoping that someone on AskMe will have some insights into this problem, as I'm pretty uneducated on this front.

How to get good sound without annoying neighbors?

TimeTravelSpeed — Thu, 27 May 2010 11:53:05 -0800

Do you have any recommendations for a sound system / speaker layout that will get good sound to my ears, but not to my downstairs neighbor? I just moved above a middle-aged tenant. I want to be respectful, but would also like good surround sound for movies and music. I have shag carpet, if that makes a difference.

How do you minimize sound in this situation? Are there specific brands of sound systems specifically designed for this? Would mounting speakers make things better or worse? Does elevating the sub-woofer help? Are there any products or methods for sound-proofing the floor?

Just FYI, I plan on introducing myself to him and opening a dialog about the noise, too. I view this as a crucial step.

What can we do to improve this bad home rental situation?

kitcat — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:44:34 -0800

The proud new renters of the main floor of a very nice house settle in to discover that there is absolutely no sound barrier between the main and basement suite. They signed a long lease and feel duped. Now what? I'm looking for advice and solutions regarding our new, less-than-ideal living situation.

With a baby due in September, my husband and I were looking to rent the main floor of a house - affordable, large, nice neighborhood, backyard. We found one that we both loved and, in an effort to win it over other potential renters, signed a two-year lease. We were told that the renter of the basement suite was a quiet, single woman with a full-time job. And, this is true.

However, it turns out that there is no soundproofing between the two suites to muffle our comings and goings and those of our downstairs neighbor. She could be the quietest person on earth and we would still be able to hear everything she does. I can hear her phone ring, her conversations, her music, her microwave. I can hear her clear her throat - while in the bathroom, no less, which means that she can hear me peeing. I worry about the tv and radio being too loud. Forget about sex being private anymore. I was utterly freaked out about the bed creaking during an attempt to be amorous last night. I've been walking throughout the house on my tip toes. I don't know what to do.

We've talked with the downstairs tenant and we've laughed together about this whole situation, but it's really not all that funny and I don't know what to do. She's incredibly nice and she's really the one with the short end of the stick, because she gets to hear our footsteps.

She has been living here for nearly a year now and was aware of the lack of a noise barrier, but it hasn't been a huge problem in the past because the last upstairs tenant worked out of town for 3 months at a time. Our landlords didn't warn her that a couple expecting a baby would be moving in above her. She told us that her lease is up in August that that she'll probably be leaving. This means we could end up with a much louder tenant below come the end of the summer.

Suggestions? Advice? What should we do? We are not considering breaking our lease and moving again. I also don't think we can expect a rent discount; the landlords have already reduced it by $50/mo for signing such a long lease. Is there a way to convince the landords to properly soundproof, or would that be too difficult and too expensive? There is no carpet in the suite, which can't help, and I also think the noise is travelling up through the heating vents (they are the small, rectangular type built into the floor). But my husband is a carpenter, and maybe he could do it in exchange for rent discounts? Do we have extra leverage given that we could try to interfere with the renting of the downstairs suite (Oh, you're showing the place tomorrow? [invites prenatal class over to practice uninhibited grunting, wailing and other pain noises...])

If we have to just put up with this, how do we do it? How to overcome the psychological ickiness of knowing everything you do is being heard?

I truly appreciate your help; I'm trying to laugh about this, but it's definitely distressing.

Freshly fried feet, 3 months a year!

lundman — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:59:14 -0800

Roof-top balcony, concrete, with kids. Looking for DIY sound-proofing ways, that can handle Tokyo Japan climate... We have a roof-top balcony (715cm X 384cm / 27m^2 or 23' X 12' 269 sqfeet) which is, like this, direct concrete slabs. The kids have various toys like Little Tikes car (hard plastic wheels), or golf balls etc. This translate to direct noise to the down stairs neighbour. I have been down there to check and it sure can get rowdy. Socially, it is not a problem, we set a curfew of 20:00 etc, and so on. But at the same time, it is pretty ugly concrete, which turn into a frying pan from June-September on the feet. Why not put down something that would also soundproof.

So, primary a noise reduction event. But it needs to handle Japans rainy season. Not sure it can be too permanent without involving the Housing Estate/Corporation Owner. Also presumably materials easy to find in Japan... I quite regularly have to clean the balcony (scrub off the green moss/algae, that grey clay/powder from the train line)

I've looked at kid's style/cork tiles - but we've had those before, a little rain, green stuff and it becomes like an ice-rink.
There is Pia-mats made for soundproofing, and the cow sure looks happy, but I suspect that is supposed to be under-something-else. Black/rubber probably don't work in Summer or rain, right? (Anyone know why its ぴあ? Seems to be a whole category and verb...)
Maybe wood panels, like wooddeckers which appear to have something rubbery under it. I suspect tiles with bigger gaps like that of nissin might make the sound from the wheels worse (and I don't know if it has rubber under, they all seem focused on showing the top).
Don't want to break the bank either, and probably something I can lift to clean to ensure we don't get gockis. (Although cockroaches can fly in this country)

(Previous soundproofing ask.me seemed primarily for indoors - this needs to handle some 'weather' - our wooden picnic table/bench lasted 3 years until the wood had rotted through).

Help me turn a door into a sound barrier as well as a physical one.

StimulatingPixels — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:48:32 -0800

What is the best way to make an interior door a better sound barrier? The door between my laundry room and the rest of the house is of the cheap hollow core variety. When the dryer is running, even with the door closed, I still have to turn the volume up on the music to be able to hear it clearly. So, I'm looking for recommendations and/or stories of experience regarding ways to help keep the noise from seeping through.

I'm not looking to completely eliminate the noise. Just get to the point where I can keep the stereo at a relatively low volume 20 feet away and have it drown out the rest of the noise.

My initial ideas are:

· replace the hollow core door with a solid one.

· putting carpet on the back of the door.

· putting foam egg crate up on the back of the door.

· putting foam insulation panels on the back of the door.

· put weather stripping on the door to seal it up.

While researching I learned about Mass Loaded Vinyl, but it's at a fairly high price point. I expect something else less expensive would get me there. Also, while getting a quieter drying is an option, it's one I'm going avoid. The one I have now works perfectly well. Just being louder than I would like is not grounds for replacing it in my world.

Any other suggestions? and more to the point, any idea which one (or combination of) the above would provide the most bang for the buck?

Soundproofing against neighbours noise

lilyflower — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:45:26 -0800

How do I soundproof my home to reduce noise coming from our neighbours? I live in flat with neighbours on both sides who produce noise which bothers me. I would like to soundproof the walls in the rooms where I am most affected by the noise, I would like advice on a cost effective solution.

I am based in England and have found a company which supplies rubber panels which are glued onto the walls and then covered with two layers of plasterboard. This system seems quite expensive at £30 per square meter and I was hoping for advice on what alternatives there are.

I am concerned with blocking noise from neighbours, products like this foam seem mostly about reducing noise transmission out of a room, so am I right in thinking that these sort of products do not apply?

Further information:

The noise that disturbs me is high pitched children's screams.

The flat was built in 2001 and the walls seem to be standard cheap new build; plaster on both sides of a hollow stud partition - is there a way I can fill the partition to soundproof, or in conjunction with some sort of panelling on the wall?

All the rooms that I want to soundproof have enough space which may allow for layers to be applied to the walls.

I would prefer a DIY solution to help save money, but I am open to the option of a contractor carrying out the work if necessary.

Both of the properties are rented so them soundproofing their side of our adjoining wall is not an option. I have also spoken to both neighbours about their noise and although they are slightly quieter they are still disturbing me.

I am sensitive to noise, I would prefer a detached house but unfortunately it is not an affordable option at this time.

Either She's The Neighbour From Hell, Or I Am

turgid dahlia — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:34:16 -0800

Quick, Easy, Cheap (or Free!) DIY Soundproofing? So my housemate has moved out and I’ve taken his room upstairs in our two-storey townhouse. It’s a good room, very spacious, and with plenty of power outlets (a rarity on the Brisbane rental market), so I said to myself “Huh, might as well put my home theatre setup in here” (TV, 5.1 sound, Xbox, etc.). So I did and I was listening to some Beatles whilst I pottered about, and it was at what I thought was a very reasonable level (as in, I could hear it from the lounge room adjoining the bedroom but not really from anywhere else in the house), but within a few minutes my next door neighbour was banging on the door demanding I turn it down. I complied, even though it was only about 5 o’clock in the afternoon, but I was pretty pissed off about it because she has a crap car and doesn’t know how to drive so her brakes are squealing for about 45 minutes every morning and evening as she figures out how to use the driveway.

Anyway, I understand how annoying noise can be and I appreciate that it probably upset her (she’s entitled to quiet enjoyment of her home, after all). This is a block of five townhouses, only a few years old, but it appears no consideration was given by the builders to the fact that noise travels and that two plaster walls and wooden floorboards are basically only conduits for sound. I don’t want to be kicking back and have her bashing on the door again, since we’ve all got to get along. And my guess is it’s the subwoofer (which sits directly on the floor) that is the chief point of concern.

So, what are some cheap and easy ways to stop people from complaining about noise? Should I put the subwoofer on a stand of some kind? A big bookshelf is going against the wall most directly attached to her, which should suck up some of the sound, but it probably won’t be enough. I can't drill holes in the wall or pump foam anywhere - I basically have to use what I've got, or what can be gotten cheaply, and I have to do it myself without doing anything to the house.

I'm also going to go around tonight with a bottle of wine to apologise, and give her my mobile number so she can just text me if it gets too much for her again (I'm think she's in the middle of some kind of nervous breakdown - I can sometimes hear her sobbing and sort of scratching at something, and she also drops a lot of plates - which is relevant because when you're already mad, even tiny things are going to make you madder).

Please note that I don’t play my music above what I would call a very reasonable level. Honestly, I hate having it up loud, and one could very easily have a normal conversation if one was sitting directly in front of my setup. What do?

How do I soundproof a ceiling without ripping it up?

zembla3 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:00:19 -0800

I live in a rental apartment and would like to block out noise from the apartment above me. I have a ceiling fan, ear plugs, etc., but would prefer not to have to use those things. Is there some kind of insulation or paneling that I can glue or tack on without having to rip up the ceiling? (Please don't respond with suggestions about talking to my neighbors. I'm specifically looking for information about soundproofing the ceiling.)

Soundproof windows?

pipti — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 10:38:10 -0800

I'll soon be moving to the SO's apartment, which is perfect in every way except for the street noise. It's fine with earplugs when sleeping, but we hope to procreate, and so the question arises: have you ever installed noise-reducing windows? and have they worked? And who did you use?

The apartment is rent-stabilized and on a very noisy street in NY. I highly highly doubt the landlord would install soundproof windows on his dime, so we will have to pay. Two of the bedrooms have one window; one bedroom has four windows. I thought we should start with putting one soundproof window in one bedroom, when and if we expect a child.

Oh: it's a 4th-floor walk-up. Is it ridiculous to expect that it will be doable for a pregnant person (that will, god willing, be me) and after, a person with a baby?