DIY; Poor man soundproofing tips.

TECHNOKID

Hi all Polkies;
I tought maybe starting a thread where one could find all the various DIY tips for soundproofing on a budget. So, don't hesitate to post your personal experiences, hints and findings. Studio, music room and HT room all share similar problems and obviously would share pretty much the same solutions.

Yet I was hoping to use sand in walls which is a really good and cheap material however, I was afraid to bring unwanted live forms in the home (thermites etc...)

Here is an intersting video I found; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2ReTr9Syqg&NR=1&feature=fvwp

How about a product like this built-in to decorative drapes; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86qb5FS6U-g&feature=related

I am convinced many have seen this one from Mike Holmes but let's keep it for future reference; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlAZsYp2M-U&feature=fvw

Just brain storming here, please add your own findings and comments.

Cheers!
TK

thsmith

I bought OC 705s local for about $12 for 2'x4'x2" panels. Had my wife cover them with materal that matches the room.

thejck

has anyone heard of a product called warm windows that you can use to build drapes and blinds that is supposed to help with insulation. i wonder if that can also help with sound absorption.

cokewithvanilla

soundproofing?? Funny, I've never felt a need for it.

EndersShadow

cokewithvanilla wrote: »

soundproofing?? Funny, I've never felt a need for it.

Hey my office cubicle and my room at home look just like that

TECHNOKID

thejck wrote: »

has anyone heard of a product called warm windows that you can use to build drapes and blinds that is supposed to help with insulation. i wonder if that can also help with sound absorption.

Soundproofing you mean?

cokewithvanilla wrote: »

soundproofing?? Funny, I've never felt a need for it.

EndersShadow wrote: »

Hey my office cubicle and my room at home look just like that

I didn't know you 2 were room mates :biggrin: How long have you been locked up for and how much time have you got left, not life I hope

EndersShadow

TECHNOKID wrote: »

How long have you been locked up for and how much time have you got left, not life I hope

My wife has thought I was crazy from Day 1, so you would have to ask her if/when I get to leave the "white padded room" :biggrin:

polrbehr

That QuietRock looks to be effective, but from what I can recall it's also very expensive? I mean like $25 a sheet?


My input on this is - when I finished my basement last year, instead of removing the insulation from the floor joists once I installed the drop ceiling, I actually added more to what was there. Made for excellent sound reduction in the living room above it.

zingo

I've heard of good success putting dynamat on furniture that was rattling.

TECHNOKID

polrbehr wrote: »

That QuietRock looks to be effective, but from what I can recall it's also very expensive? I mean like $25 a sheet?


My input on this is - when I finished my basement last year, instead of removing the insulation from the floor joists once I installed the drop ceiling, I actually added more to what was there. Made for excellent sound reduction in the living room above it.

How efficient would you rate this? The bass is the worse to quiet down. I live in a semi detached and slightly over 20 years ago I got in trouble with the neighboor as he could ear the bass through the concrete wall and that was with a so, so system. I didn't take any chances and moved the living room away from that wall when I did my renovations. Now, with the HT being downstair going from one end to the other end of the basement, I am worried about similar to happen and not being able to enjoy the HT to its fullest so I was thinking about building a wall away from this concrete wall (which was cheaply finished originally) some like like a 3' corridor but that would shrink the HT square footage a little too much to my taste (I was thinking of a 1 footh thick foam form wall filled with sands to kill the bass from going pass the wall).

zingo wrote: »

I've heard of good success putting dynamat on furniture that was rattling.

Got to be a little expensive, right :biggrin:

K-daugh

TECHNOKID wrote: »

Soundproofing you mean?



I didn't know you 2 were room mates :biggrin: How long have you been locked up for and how much time have you got left, not life I hope

looks like my old classroom

fatpiggy

Back in the days of garage bands, I recall we sound proofed the garage with 1/2 inch thick felt and old carpet worked really well.I did hear of a new invention that is a sound proof sheet made with layers of silicon and fiber only 5 mm/1/4 inch thick it was called something like sound dead.Australian invention.Suppose to be rated to 150db.

Fatpiggy

ysss

Do any of the above mentioned materials work as semi-permanent solution?

Thing is, I have a 20' x 20' room that I plan to make use for movie+gaming for a couple of months before I settle into something more permanent; and I'm looking for soundproofing solution that's easily applied/removed.

fatpiggy

If you wanted to make a temporary solution you can buy commerical sound proofing and mount it to several large frames.When it comes time to renovate you just remove your frames out of the room.

After you have renovated you bring the frames/panels back in.Using frames is good if you live in a rental or have a sound room set up in different part of the house whist doing up your full time sound space.

Most sound proofing materials come in panels.Another option which works very well is home made quilts mounted on frames.Most quits have a thick lining of polyester and wool sandwiched between the materials.

You can also use wall rugs with a tapestry design makes the room look very classy there are lots of cheap Chinese fake tapestry's about these days, however wool wall rugs carpets do a much better sound proofing job.

If you do a search on the net you can find lots of resources to help you find the best option.

Fatpiggy

TECHNOKID

You can also use wall rugs with a tapestry design makes the room look very classy there are lots of cheap Chinese fake tapestry's about these days, however wool wall rugs carpets do a much better sound proofing job.

fatpiggy, you have lots of good knowledge and pointers in your post(s) however, carpets/rugs are efficient for sound management but not so much for suondproofing (too bad as it would be a fairly cheap option).

ysss

@fatpiggy: thanks man, those are some awesome tips! I'll look into making some modular panels for the room.

fatpiggy

Hi Technokid,
Yes you are correct.Carpet and quits wont give you 100% sound proofing.To correctly soundproof a room would cost thousands of dollars and would require someone with sound proofing expertise to get it right.

Windows and doors would need to be replaced with special double glazing and expensive air tight sound proof doors.But for the average joe who only needs to reduce sound reflections and reduce sound levels a bit frames and quits or wall carpets will improve sound quality at a reasonable cost.


Fatpiggy

doctorcilantro

I have a few of these guys' panels and I'm using (4) of these to hang and remove (unlike the panels I mounted): http://www.acoustimac.com/index.php/acoustic-panels/acoustic-baffles.html

That way I still have a wife; they are nice for non-permanent or "movable" treatments. They have a min. order # but since local they let me get (4).

dc

ysss

doctorcilantro wrote: »

I have a few of these guys' panels and I'm using (4) of these to hang and remove (unlike the panels I mounted): http://www.acoustimac.com/index.php/acoustic-panels/acoustic-baffles.html

That way I still have a wife; they are nice for non-permanent or "movable" treatments. They have a min. order # but since local they let me get (4).

dc

Dude, that's a great tip. I was thinking of the panels I need to build... and these baffles will surely save some time and effort for such reasonable prices. Not to mention the risks... (though I'll miss out on the learning\DIY portion:D )

Btw, why do you only use 4? What other acoustic components do you have in your HT?

doctorcilantro

I can only do so much in my "wife's living room".

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34643273@N02/sets/72157624565393595/

The new room is the one with poeple sitting and the carpet leaning up.

I have some small panels up high on the back wall and I can open all the windows removng 1/2 the glass from the room and venting it.

There is a bass trap, and other stuff which may help and act as traps. I have one large panel (art panel) which will replace the picture hanging over the fireplace.

The 4 baffles will be hung on the back wall to cover the glass behind the couch.

ysss

doctorcilantro wrote: »

I can only do so much in my "wife's living room".

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34643273@N02/sets/72157624565393595/

The new room is the one with poeple sitting and the carpet leaning up.

I have some small panels up high on the back wall and I can open all the windows removng 1/2 the glass from the room and venting it.

There is a bass trap, and other stuff which may help and act as traps. I have one large panel (art panel) which will replace the picture hanging over the fireplace.

The 4 baffles will be hung on the back wall to cover the glass behind the couch.

That seems like a cosy room with plenty of audio easter eggs
What do you use for bass traps?

doctorcilantro

I use the large Acoustimac bass trap, well maybe the 4" one behind the sub which is now on that same platform but with spikes added.

I also have that small tiny absorber hiding behind the plant.

This winter, the the cool weather, I hope to get all the rest of the treatments in and try opening the windows. Heck, the blinds may even act as diffusers, who knows.

dc

TECHNOKID

doctorcilantro wrote: »

I can only do so much in my "wife's living room".

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34643273@N02/sets/72157624565393595/

The new room is the one with poeple sitting and the carpet leaning up.

I have some small panels up high on the back wall and I can open all the windows removng 1/2 the glass from the room and venting it.

There is a bass trap, and other stuff which may help and act as traps. I have one large panel (art panel) which will replace the picture hanging over the fireplace.

The 4 baffles will be hung on the back wall to cover the glass behind the couch.

Nice link however, those seem to be more for sound threathment than actual soundproofing, right?

doctorcilantro

TECHNOKID wrote: »

Nice link however, those seem to be more for sound threathment than actual soundproofing, right?

Yeah, sorry to get ot. I now remember that stuff was most definitely strict soundproofing in that video upthread.

TECHNOKID

doctorcilantro wrote: »

Yeah, sorry to get ot. I now remember that stuff was most definitely strict soundproofing in that video upthread.

Good sound threathment idea is also welcomed for all of us, I just wanted to confirm this one was threathment rather than soundproofing. Many of my search points out many people confuses threathment and soundproofing so just to clarify.

BTW; I kind of like their full package offer I guess it can make for good savings. I will have to search if they have any offering in canada (potentially Toronto if they do????0 as with the weight and duties cost it might not be a good deal for us poor Canucks

Cheers!
TK