Noise is simply just unwanted sound. It can happen by accident, like a clanging pot falling in the kitchen, the activities of others, and the sound of a quarreling neighbor. It is very annoying especially if we want to have a good sleep after long days of hardworking. Meanwhile, you may also need a privacy in your bedroom so you do not want somebody to hear the sounds that came out from your bedroom. Here, you can find cheapest and easiest way to build a soundproof bedroom.
Soundproof Bedroom
Know How the Sound Works
To build a soundproof bedroom, first, we have to learn how the sound works. As learned from basic sciences, the sound is transmitted by the sound wave via surrounding air around us. That is why you can’t hear the sound if you live in the void atmosphere of the moon. When this sound wave striking onto thin and flexible materials working as membranes, it will resonate the sound and forward the sound in the other side of the membrane.
The onboard available walls and ceilings are ineffective in deadening noise because it works like this membranes. Built like drums, they are consist of two membranes (typically drywall) attached to a structural framework filled with air. When the noise is produced, the sound waves will strike on one surface and transmitted to another surface by the air inside the structural framework. So if you want to dampen this noise you have to restrain the transmission of the sound from the outside by fixing the structures of the wall and ceiling.
In addition, firstly you have to consider 5 main principles to soundproofing that is very useful to build a soundproof bedroom:
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Absorption
Thickest drywall available will be just useless if there are no kind of insulation. Insulation is useful to absorb the sound wave. Use soft and thick material that can absorb the sound better, such as styrofoam, solid foam, fiberglass insulation, etc. In the market nowadays there is material named as MLV (mass loaded vinyl) that is designed especially to absorb the sound better. Expensive but very effective in dampening the noise.
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Conduction
Regularly, sounds transmitted through the air. But, solid objects transmit sound better and faster. This transmission is named as conduction. In the bedroom, sound can be transmitted via stud that is connecting one drywall to another, and the most efficient transmitter in the bedroom is the doorway. That’s why besides making your soundproof wall bedroom, you have to soundproof bedroom door too.
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Mechanical Decoupling/Isolation
One of the most important things to soundproof wall bedroom is decoupling the walls. Sandwich two drywalls with insulation materials in the middle so the sound will be absorbed and cannot be conducted directly to the other side.
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Resonance
Every object and materials in the world have a frequency that is special from one to another. Whenever the sound hits the right frequency of the material, that material will resonate. Even with the best efforts to build soundproof wall bedroom considering 4 principles above, the wall still can resonate to transmit the sound into your bedroom. So, you have to make sure that the density of your soundproof bedroom is tight to lower the frequency of the wall. Because a tighter density of the wall will make the wall harder to resonate.
Based on those 5 principles, here are 4 steps you need to consider for building a soundproof bedroom.
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Fix the Construction of The Drywall.
Side Cross Section of A Simple Soundproof Wall Double up your wall with a 1/2-inch gypsum wallboard to one side or both of the wall if you want a more deadening effect. This can give more mass and thickness to the wall that can make it harder to vibrate. Before installing the second layer drywall, apply 3/8-inch-thick acoustical caulk (you can get it from $9-$20 for 28-oz. tube). This will insulate the vibration from the second drywall to the existing drywall.
To prevent the resonation from the outside, stuff the void between two layers of drywall with some soft material. You can stuff it with styrofoam, solid foam, thick cardboard, fiber etc. For a better performance, you can choose mass loaded vinyl made especially for noise control. Although it is a more expensive way to reduce the noise, it works perfectly to dampen the vibration. You can apply this soundproof bedroom fixing in all of your bedroom walls or occasionally on the wall you need the most.
(See also: The Cheapest and Easiest DIY to Soundproof Wall Bedroom)
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Stop Sound Leaks
Credit: Home Tips Josh Kernan of Westside Drywall in Hubbard, Ore., said, “sound like water”. It means that the sound can be transmitted to every hole it can reach. Even a little tiny leaks around the door can make the sound get inside the room. To prevent this, you can use adhesive-backed high-density foam tape. Apply it around the door to seal all the leaks from the door. For tinier leaks such as ceiling fixtures, switch boxes, and receptacle boxes you can plug in the remaining acoustical caulk you have to the leaks.
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Choose Soft Materials to Absorb the Sound
Credit: West Bengal All Biz Firstly, you have to keep in mind that hard materials reflect the sound wave, while soft material will absorb them. In this case, you need to choose softer materials for your bedroom. You can opt a padded carpet for flooring, acoustic ceiling, and a sound blocking curtain. You can get this curtain for under $40 on Amazon or many other markets. For the ceilings, you can consider products from Armstrong World Industries. This provider has a variety of acoustic ceiling materials to dampen the noise.
(See also: The Cheapest and Easiest DIY: Soundproof Bedroom Door)
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Solid Core Door to Minimize Sound Vibration
Credit: 1BestDoor Change your hollow core door into a brand new solid core door to prevent the sound vibration that came across the doorway. As we know, the doorway is the largest opening on the walls. So, the effective way to prevent the vibration of the sound is to change the into a solid core one. The solid core door may be more expensive than a hollow core one. On the other side, it also gives a variety of elegant style that can lift up the overall look of your bedroom. For a better sound proofing, you can also cover the door with a padded carpet to absorb the vibration from the inside. An ornamented carpet can be a unique feature to lift up your overall look of your bedroom.
