How do you soundproof a room?

Question

I am in a band, we are all currently depolyed to Iraq right now. When we get back to the states we all have good equipment waiting on us. Our plan is to build a room down in my basement and try to build it so I don't drive the neighbors batty with the noise. I like in a townhouse type apartment complex....I'm not sure how expensive this is going to be....but any advice would be appreciated

Answer 1

Some of the answers above will be useful to absorb high frequencies but things like egg crates and foam will not do anything to absorb low frequencies, and booming low frequencies will drive your neighbors batty. There are really only two things that will reduce the transmission of low frequencies: mass and space.

To make the room as soundproof as possible, you need to add mass to the walls and ceiling by nailing up an additional layer of sheetrock. Two additional layers of sheetrock will be better still. That will add considerable mass to your walls and reduce sound transmission. However, to really kill sound transmission, consider building a room within a room, making sure that no part of your inner room touches any part of the outer room. If you have the space for it, Build a new wall an inch or so from the other walls. You will need to supply electricity and HVAC, and the inner room must have a ceiling. It should also have a heavy door that closes tightly and seals well. Use rubber gaskets to seal sound leakage around the door. For the best performance, your inner room should have two layers of sheetrock. Consider putting some carpet on the walls to deaden high-frequency reflections.

Only mass and an air gap will do much to reduce sound transmission of low frequencies through walls. Anything else will lead to annoyed neighbors.

There is one other technique: Give your neighbors movie tickets on the afternoons you are going to practice!

Answer 2

Dear Sir:

I am happy to be able to work on a serious question for a change...

Sound proofing requires the installation of materials which will dampen (or reduce) the transmission of sound waves through walls, ceilings, windows, doors, etc.

Start with the windows. You will need to cover them with a plywood panel made of plywood/foam/plywood/foam/plywood. Paint the panel some pleasing color so it looks okay and not like some hodge podge contraption. The sandwich idea is to prevent the sound waves hitting one side of the plywood from having a similar effect on the other side of the plywood. The foam isolates the plywood sides from each other. Look at this blue color foam used in standard home construction. It is fairly cheap and comes in 8 , 10, and 12 foot sheets. (Note: this is the cheap way to go, not the best and most expensive).

Now treat the walls, and ceilings the same way. Cover ceilings with sandwiches of thin plywood, foam, thin plywood, foam, thin plywood. Take a look at cheap paneling or luan mahogany plywood for example.

Make your sandwiches using Liquid Nails adhesive glue to join everything together. Use as few nails going through "all layers" as possible because those defeat the purpose of the multiple layers.

To go one step farther, you could install Cork Tile onto the inside of the room surface of the plywood so that it looks nice. Cork is a fair sound absorber material.

Have you seen these packing blankets used by moving and storage companies? Try drapeing some of them on the walls, over the doors - two layers thick.

Fabricate a similar new skin covering for the inside of the door where your band will practice. Note that a lot of interior doors are hollow core - Not Good for sound reduction.

Now place a foam pad and heavy rug on the floor.

Sound will continue to migrate up the air conditioning ducts and return air passages. You could place temporary covers over those also if needed.

The thicker and heavier your sound proofing materials are, the better.

This is going to cost a good deal of money. So be prepared to spend it wisely. Do tests with scale models (easy to project total cost from models) before purchasing piles of materials that don't get the job done.

Suitable test model: Build a box around a Hi Fi Speaker Cabinet. The box should bge made of your soundproofing plywood sandwich materials. Learn how to deal the edges and joints so air leaks do not let the sound penetrate through the structure. Make notes of the volume level on your Hi Fi Amp where sound from the box was just barely audible. Lift the box off of the speaker cabinet and see how loud that setting really was.

If you are a US Military/Canadian Military/Brit Military on active duty, contact me at zahbudar at yahoo dot com for further exchange of ideas on this subject.

Answer 3

the answers you are receiving are good for quieting high frequency sounds, however, the neighbors are going to complain about the bass. you cannot effectively get rid of the boom boom with a small room.

you will have to practice in a larger area (away from close neighbors) to fix your dilemma. if you are trying to suppress it a little bit, you have to add substantial width and weight to the walls and ceiling (carpet, more sheetrock, plaster, insulation, etc.).

i am not in a band, and i don't claim to know everything about frequency waves, however, i did stay at a holiday inn express last night!

Answer 4

So, you are trying to find a way to lose your own hearing? Play quietly, until you are on the stage. Find a garage, or rent a place. Basement, no! Lousy idea, ask your wife or Mother.

BTW, I'm Al's daughter.

Answer 5

Expensive way - foam insulation or similar in wall cavities
Cheap way - many, many empty egg cartons attached all over internal walls, looks crap, but works, although not as well as expensive way.

Answer 6

Very simple....take something irregular in shape and stick it all over the walls..cover the walls and then voila your room is soundproof

Answer 7

there are insulated walls made just for sound proofing