Here’s a fun fact: I haven’t always been a design buff. When I moved to Los Angeles in 2012, it was for a job in the recording industry. I started my career as a runner (read: coveted gofer) for renowned alternative producer John Feldman (if the name doesn’t ring a bell, this song could be!); At night, I shared a crappy 2-bedroom crash pad in the valley with 6 (!!!) now-prolific producers, songwriters, and musicians. I was making $500 a month, I was irritable, and I was surrounded by noise 24/7. At 20, it was a dream. At 34, I look back with amazement: Who was he??
because now, knock My downstairs neighbor’s interruptions drive me up the wall. Muffled conversations, the creaking of floorboards, high-pitched sneezes, or guttural coughs at night – they’re too much. The 20-year-old rat who used to hang out in a noisy house after a 16-hour work day has now transformed into a 34-year-old old man who really values a little peace and quiet, you know?
But this is where I need to say “thank you” to all those former roommates of mine because they taught me every DIY soundproofing trick in the book. There were some ugly solutions – like sticking egg baskets to the ceiling or attaching mattresses to the walls with bungee cords – but there were also some smart, disgusting sound-deadening techniques. Today we will talk about this. Let’s jump right in with a twist on an old favorite…
Soundproofing Hack: An Extra Thick Rug Pad
1/2″ felt pad | 7/16″ Memory Foam Pad
Your best soundproofing will come from felt or acoustic foam floor underlayment – so future renovators, keep this in mind! – But a thick rug pad can also help reduce sound. I prefer felt because its dense fibers are better suited to absorbing sounds from speech or music, but this thick memory foam can help too (and walking on it is totally a dream, BTW).
But wait, there’s more! Bonus To reduce sound, cut up an old carpet pad and place it under your couch, bed, or any other large furniture piece in your home. This is an inconspicuous extra layer of protection that can help trap any other rogue sound waves.
Soundproofing Hack: A Strong Rug
Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug | Stark Broken Stripe Wool Rug | antique turkish rug
For ultimate sound reduction, choose the tightest weave you can afford. Keep an eye out for carpets with high KPSI, or knots per square inch. A good rug will have at least 100 kpsi, while a good rug will have more than 300 kpsi per square inch.
Etsy And EBAY Have your friends here – Focus your search on vintage hand-knotted Turkish, Persian, Moroccan, or Tibetan rugs to find soundproof floor coverings that won’t break the bank. (Surprisingly, stack height is less of a factor here – a higher stack reduces sound by only 2% on average.)
Soundproofing Hack: Thick, Correctly Installed Window Treatments
The advice here isn’t to just “get heavy curtains.” On the contrary, please. we are talking nuances. If you’re really trying to block sound, you need to be instructive with the weight of the fabric – you’re typically looking for material ranging from 12 oz to 18 oz/yard. This information is not always readily provided, but it’s worth asking about – not all velvet was created equal!
Now, let’s move on to install: You want 100% perfection here (e.g. a 50-inch window requires 100 inches of curtains), and, for the most effective sound deadening, the rod should extend 3″ to 4″ away from the wall. I would recommend it French-return style rod Specifically – it extends 4.4″ away from the wall, and it was also specifically designed to eliminate light leakage. (This is really a double whammy for anyone trying to get the darkest, quietest room possible!)
Soundproofing Hack: Add Tall Bookshelves
BILLY/OXBERG BOOKCASE | Keen Black Wood Storage Bookcase | ardikon bookcase
The denser, the better! If you can, choose wooden bookshelves. Soft woods (pine, balsa, MDF) are good for absorbing sound, while hardwoods (oak, birch, walnut) will block sound completely. If you’re trying to silence a noisy neighbor, try some hardwood cabinets on your shared wall! But if you want to avoid much ambient or street noise, soft wood may be the best choice for you. (Or, as the old El Paso ad says, Pork no los dos?)
Soundproofing Hack: Decorate the Walls
acoustic wood wall paneling | natural bamboo wall panels
The walls are your canvas – literally. Hang all your art. Hang a tapestry or rug. And if that’s not enough, try hanging some aesthetically pleasing acoustic wood panels (yes, they exist!). They don’t have to be over the top, but if you’re less DIY-friendly, these are really great options that will look upscale too.
Soundproofing Hack: Fill the Gaps
custom draft stopper | acoustic caulk
Bad news for my fellow old house dwellers: The gaps in our doors and windows are making us dirty. As little as 1% difference in any type of obstruction will leak up to 30% of sound from one side to the other; A difference of 5% will leak 90% of the sound. Opt for a draft stopper in each door facing the source of the noise, and consider filling any gaps in your windows and doors with a specially designed stopper. acoustic tail.
Soundproofing Hack: Pop in Some Plants
woolen pockets | preserved moss
It’s even better if you choose pieces with rough bark or thick leaves (like ficus or rubber trees), which are particularly well suited to absorb even the slightest sound. If you really have a green thumb, consider installing an indoor green wall (I love it). woolen pockets for this purpose – they also make a great Christmas gift) or try hanging some Preserved Moss Panel (If your style is a little more minimalist, the latter is a great way to bring some life into your space without wasting any floor space!).
Soundproofing Hacks: Invest in Sustainable Solutions
If DIY fixes aren’t really cutting it, you may want to consider investing in some more permanent upgrades. indo insert Your windows are custom-made to your exact specifications, and they are engineered to block out sound, heat, drafts, and more. If replacing your windows isn’t in the budget (or if you love old glass windows like I do!), an insert will make your home more comfortable in many ways.
And while you’re at it, consider replacing your doors! Replace hollow, builder-grade doors with stronger, solid-core alternatives. I love the quality of Simpson’s doors (both interior and exterior – dreaming of owning one of these). their dutch doors One day!), but you can also find great replacements at your local architectural salvage store. Every little thing helps!
Soundproofing Hack: Increase White (or Brown) Noise
white noise machine | Mini Portable White Noise Sound Machine | 3 Restore smart lights, sound machine and sunrise alarm clock
Let’s break it! White noise covers all audio frequencies equally. If you’re having trouble thinking about your neighbor’s conversations or general street noise, a white noise machine will help eliminate those sounds completely.
Brown noise, on the other hand, is best for suppressing those low, rumbling, irregular frequencies. I like the sound (it’s like the rumble of thunder or a wave to my ears), and I’ve found it to be more effective at masking snoring and idling cars. However, there are actually a lot of different colored noises, and our ears interpret these sounds differently – perhaps pink or green noise Is your speed higher?
Soundproofing Hack: Reevaluate Your Style
I’m sorry, minimalists – maximalists are sound deadening champions. I have also seen it firsthand! When I moved into my apartment in 2019, I wouldn’t even be able to tell you that I had neighbors downstairs. He lived in my building for 19 years, and his apartment was, in every sense of the word, a home – he had bookshelves, tightly packed furniture with worn traffic patterns in the rugs, and china cabinets filled with souvenirs from his travels. I never heard a peep!
But in 2022, those neighbors bought a house. And my new neighbor – an elusive woman who loved Japanese style and bare floors – actually became my new roommate. I heard him cooking. I heard her getting ready in the morning. I heard him talking on the phone. I heard him crying. I heard him working from home. I heard him all the time. (I’m finally able to admit all this publicly since she moved last month!)
To that end: If you’re in an older building, or in a space that’s poorly insulated, or if you have a top-floor roommate, you might consider increasing the max a bit. Take a page out of Arlin’s book—the restrained color palette of her gallery wall makes this dining room feel serene and lets the wall color sing, while it also helps drown out the noise of its neighbors.
Hang a gallery wall! A great piece of art! Or, if nothing else, throw down a rug (with a pad!) in your frequently used spots. Together, we can all create quieter, more noise-free homes! (To be fair, there are still more technical solutions – you can make DIY acoustic panels with fiberglass; you can install a suspended floor and fill the void with rockwool; you can drill holes in the walls and sprinkle in some spray foam insulation – but for the most part, you should be able to make enough of a difference without breaking power tools.)
Please let me know if you’ve discovered any soundproofing solutions of your own – I’d love to hear about them! (And in case you’re wondering – three of those old roommates of mine were nominated for a Grammy before their 30th birthday. All that DIY soundproofing work in our crappy 2-bedroom apartment really paid off, huh?!)
Opening Image Credit: Photo by Caitlin Green | From: My Best Friend Robin’s Living Room Reveal
