It’s common knowledge that drywalls are
extremely thin barriers. Even though you can’t see someone sitting on the other
side of it, you can definitely hear them. When you have a home where drywall is
the only sound barrier between you and the person in the other room, then we
feel your pain.
If you are living in an apartment building and
you have a drywall ceiling, chances are it sounds like you are living
underneath an elephant. Sound travel through your upstairs’ neighbor’s floor
and before you know it, you are running upstairs screaming at them to keep
quiet.
In order for the whole household to get some
much-needed privacy and silence, you have to consider soundproofing the walls
and ceiling. The first solution would be to get rid of drywall and replacing it
with thicker, soundproof bricks. This, lucky for you, isn’t your only option.
There are many DIY alternatives to soundproofing your home without demolishing
your home.
Soundproof Pros have come up with a guideline
on How to Soundproof Walls and Ceilings withoutRemoving Drywall.
Here are a few extra DIY alternatives how you
can soundproof your ceiling and walls without removing drywalls.
Install Acoustic Panels
Acoustic panels are the perfect material to
absorb sound that wants to travel through walls. Even if you install only a few
thick panels it will drastically change the noise absorption in your house. A
little really goes a long way.
Acoustic panels, also known as sound insulation
panels, are made from a variety of materials. You can choose panels that are
made from perforated wood, panels wrapped in fabric, or panels that consist
completely out of foam. Having a variety of panels to choose from, gives you
the freedom to choose a style and color that best suits the interior of your
home.
Some panels are even made from recycled
materials that pass building codes and that isn’t extremely flammable. There
are many benefits to soundproof panels. Its most important function is that
they absorb sound within the construction of the panels. It drastically reduces
noise leaving the room as well as entering the room.
When you are standing inside a room that is
insulated with acoustic panels, the sound inside will be much clearer. It
reduces any echoing sounds, sound vibration, and muffled sounds. Making it a
great area for singing while nobody is watching.
Hang Thick Curtains
Sound can be absorbed by thick fabric. In the
exact same way in which acoustic panels are covered in foam and thick fabric,
curtains also provide a buffer to sound. Instead of covering your drywall with
paintings and frames, consider hanging thick curtains to serve as a decorative
wall piece.
Not only will it look good but it will double
as a quick DIY soundproofing material. Other soundproofing products available
include specifically designed acoustic blinds, which you can hang in front of
your windows to block out sound made by traffic and passersby.
Wondering
if soundproof curtains really work? Read here: https://soundproofexpert.com/sound-deadening-curtains/
Incorporate Plants Into Your Interior
When you think of sound as a series of
vibrations that ripples through the air, it’s easy to imagine that sound stops
whenever it hits a barrier. Sound vibrations then bounce off of the barrier
they hit and go forth onto the next barrier.
Incorporating a variety of plants (or
decorative sculptures) into your home’s interior will give sound waves a lot of
different surfaces to reflect off of. This method is called sound scattering.
The more you scatter sound about, the less noise it will set free into the air.
Seal Any Gaps and Make Some Gaps
This alternative may sound a little
contradictory, but it works. Gaps in between floors and doors, doors and walls,
or walls and windows all create spaces that sound can travel through. Seal them
with fabric, soundproof tape, or other decorative materials.
You can also use gaps and crevices in surfaces
to trap sound in. As we’ve established earlier, sound travels through air and
goes into open spaces. Don’t poke a bunch of holes into your drywall, rather
make a few incisions into the wall or door to give sound some room to move up
and down, instead of through.
Whenever there are any nails present on a wall,
sound will hit it and vibrate right through the nail to the other side. In this
case we can say that nails doubles as sound amplifiers and therefore, should be
avoided in any space that you want to soundproof.
Soft furniture like rugs, pillows, curtains,
table cloths, and poofs are all excellent sound absorption devices. Put some extra effort into designing your
interior and create a bunch of soft surfaces for sound to be absorbed in.
Click here
to learn more about soft furniture and interiors.
It could be as simple as adding more throw
pillows onto your bed and adding a fluffier rug onto the floor. You can also
add soft pin boards onto the wall, on which you can hang special notes, cards,
and family photos.
Creating a soundproof living space will give
everyone inside (and next door) a little bit of peace and quiet. You don’t have
to invest thousands in demolishing your drywall or installing soundproof
materials. There are many DIY alternatives that you can follow to create a
quieter area for you and your family.