8 Tips on How to Soundproof a Room
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could have your own personal home theatre or a recording
studio within the confines of your residence? Well, while most people dream of such
luxuries, not everyone has the budget to make these dreams come true. However, don’t let
your financial constraints prevent you from having that studio or theatre like experience in
your own home. There are many ways in which you can acoustically soundproof a room in your
home and give it that professional recording studio or movie theatre like sound and appeal.
We have put together a list of basic acoustic ideas for your living room or bedroom. Here’s
are 8 Tips on How to Soundproof a Room.
Use Carpet And Rugs On Hard Wooden Floors
Wooden floors act as sound reflectors and end up causing echoes in any room. If you have
hard wooden floorboards, you should cover the floor with carpets and rugs. The carpets and
rugs will absorb the sound that would otherwise reflect and bounce of the hard wooden floor.
Always choose thick rugs and carpets for the room that you wish to acoustically tune. You
can also opt for a wall to wall carpeting in the room that you’re tuning acoustically. When
selecting rugs and carpets choose colours that are darker in shade to avoid stains.
Cover The Walls With Large Bookcases to Soundproof a Room
Just like hardwood floors, even bare and empty walls can act as sound reflectors that create
echoes and sound reverberations in a particular room. One way to avoid this from happening
is by installing large bookcases against the empty walls. The bookcases will prevent the
sound from bouncing off the wall and creating an acoustic imbalance in the room.
Acoustic Wall Panels Are An Excellent Option Too
Using acoustic absorption panels in the room that you wish to convert is another effective and
excellent option. These gorgeously designed acoustic art panels absorb sound and prevent it
from infiltrating out through the walls and also prevent sounds from outside of the room from
coming in. These acoustic boards for walls and soundproof wall panels are available in a
variety of different shades, colors, designs and patterns. You can select a style that blends
well with the overall décor of the living room or bedroom that you’re looking to tune
acoustically. If you have high ceilings in your house, you can even consider investing in the
acoustic ceiling panels for the room.
Use Tapestries And Wall Hangings For Acoustic Tuning
Another useful way to prevent echoes and sound reverberations in the living room that you
wish to convert into a home theatre is by installing tapestries and wall hangings around the
space. The wall hangings should be placed against any bare and empty walls in the area. You
can also utilize curtains and sheers on your windows or walls to tune the room acoustically.
When selecting the curtains and sheers opt for soundproof ones for maximum effect. Select
beautiful wall hangings with lovely prints and patterns to add charm and character to the
overall décor of your home.
Acoustic Hanging Baffles For Homes With High Ceilings
As mentioned earlier, you need to take some sort of action to prevent sound reverberation and
echoes if your home has high ceilings. High ceilings act as sound reflectors and end up
causing an acoustic imbalance in any space. Acoustic hanging baffles are ideal for such cases.
These baffles are typically hung in a perpendicular manner down from the ceiling and they absorb the sound and prevent echoes. You can get these baffles in a variety of shades and colors that will blend well with the décor of the room.
Place The Speakers In A Strategic Manner
One common mistake that most homeowners make when setting up a home theatre in their
living rooms or bedrooms is that they end up placing the speakers in a way that distorts the
sound. You need to make sure that you place the speakers in a strategic manner so that the
sound that comes out from them doesn’t bounce off a wall or shelf in the room. If you’re
uncertain about the perfect location to set your speakers, you can always hire a professional
sound engineer to guide you on how and where to set up the speakers.
Cover Up The Windows With Curtains And Shades
Most people don’t realize that thick glass windows can also act as sound reflectors. If you
have oversized windows in the room that you’re planning on converting, you need to make
sure that you fix curtains or blinds to cover the windows. The curtains and blinds will end up
acting as sound absorbers and prevent sound echoes and reverberations in the room. You just
need to draw the curtains or blind before you start your movie or music for the perfect
acoustic balance and tuning.
Use Wall Art For Sound Absorbing
Whether you opt for canvas paintings, photo frames, decorative wall mounts and other such
forms of wall art, you can soundproof a room by covering the walls with art. When
the bare walls of the room are covered with canvases and photo frames, the sound will not
reflect off the wall and these art pieces will end up acting as sound absorption devices.
Further, the art pieces will also add charm and character to your home and room, making the
place look classy and elegant.
Well, now that you know how to acoustically soundproof a room in your home, you can
finally have that home theatre or recording studio that you have always wanted in the comfort
of your home. You won’t need to spend obscene sums of money to transform the living room
the way you have always wanted to. These ideas that we have put together for you are
scientifically proven and they are tried and tested. We guarantee that you will be amazed with
the results and outcome. Don’t waste another minute and get to redecorating your living room
now! Do you have tips on how to soundproof a room? We would love to hear them.
You can also check out our other DIY and Home Remedies posts.
