The goal of soundproofing a room in your home is a worthwhile improvement to make, and can be done at any time.
Some methods will require minor home renovations, like installing soundproof windows, or adding soundproofing insulation into the walls or ceiling.
This site is a collection of the very best tips and DIY guides to help improve the acoustic properties of your home using soundproofing insulation.
What Is Soundproofing?
Soundproofing is the process of using specially designed materials intended for one of two things; either reduce the amount of unwanted sound passing back and forth between spaces, or to improve the quality of sound within a room.
To reduce amounts of sound passing from one room to another in homes, people will typically use soundproofing insulation or soundproof foam inside their walls and cielings to soundproof a room. In addition to insulation, homeoners may install specially designed soundproof windows and doors. People may want to soundproof a room or level of the home for a variety of reasons, the most popular being finishing a basement, home theaters, or to improve the privacy of a rental suite in the home.
To improve sound within a room people commonly use acoustic panels on their walls, install soundproof curtains and drapes, use special acoustic floor covering, and even soundproof paint on the walls.
Soundproofing Insulation being installed into a wall.
photo credit: Usonian via photopin cc
How Does Soundproofing Work?
To reduce noise, soundproofing acts as a barrier to sound by absorbing the energy of sound waves, or it reflects sound waves in another direction. A real world example of this type of barrier are the barriers alongside highways that block and deflect the unwanted car noise away from the neighborhoods on the other side.
Sound is absorbed by material and is transfered into the form of heat, albeit a very small amount of it. A porous material with an open cell construction is productive at absorbing a wide range of medium to high frequencies. The thickness, density, porosity, and cell size define the precise sound absorbing performance of the insulating material.
Sound can also be dampened with acoustic panels, using the phenomenon of reducing resononance and echo within a room. A real world examplle is a movie theater. Look closey on your next visit and you will see soundproofing in many places, like acoustic panels, soundproof curtains, and acoustic carpets.
Next Steps for Your Project
Now that you are more familiar with the types of problems and materials associated with soundproofing, your next step should be to read our two guides for your project: Choosing the Best Soundproofing Insulation for detailed reviews of the various brands of insulation, and our Guide to Soundproofing a Room. This guide will walk you through the steps need to plan and finish your project, no matter the size of project or your budget.
