December 18, 2019

Alternatives to Soundproofing Your Ceiling and Walls Without the Hassle of Getting Rid of Drywall



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 Surfaces
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.

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