Soundproofing a wall should be approached as a management process where you can use different methods and materials to achieve the desired result. Using a combination of methods may be more practical than just focusing on one. Creating an air-tight seal, adding mass, and isolating your walls can be done to deal with the sound coming through.

Sound travels in waves. It can be deflected, absorbed, or blocked. By adding mass and density, you are blocking the noise from traveling through a medium.

Soundproofing a Wall: The Essential First Step

You will immediately notice an open car window no matter how slight because sound bleeds through the tiniest space. The same principle applies to a wall that is not sealed off around all its edges or has other gaps. Thankfully there is an easy fix for this.

You’re likely already aware of where on the wall the sound is leaking through. Just by listening carefully around the wall, you will be able to pinpoint the problem areas.

An acoustic sealant is the best product to solve this problem. Using a caulking gun, you will need to seal off all the edges by applying a sealant to these areas. You may have to remove the wooden skirting boards first and then replace them after sealing off the gaps.

Seal cracks and gaps around the frame

Air and sound may also leak through gaps around the frame, so sealing off this area is another “Must-do” step in the sound management process.

Caulking in a layer of Green-glue around the frame will effectively address this issue. A large caulking gun is needed, and applying to bead around the entire frame is recommended.

Once you have established an air-tight seal around the frame and there are no gaps around the frame itself, you can look at other areas to address.

Sound sealing or weatherproofing for an air-tight seal

Airgaps need to be treated to ensure complete coverage and manage sound seeping in through the frame. It would be best if you did this on both sides and at the top of the frame. Weatherstripping requires little effort but, done properly; it’s an effective sound management method.

Most products use a peel-and-stick function. Surface preparation is required as the glue needs a clean area to ensure adhesion. An alcohol wash is not always required but is recommended. Installation should be done on the inner part of the frame.

You can use two methods for this:

Acoustic gasket

This is a foam rubber composite material that is a hollow “D” shape. When compressed, the gasket seals off and prevents airflow. If the gap is wide enough, you may end up with an air pocket which is just as effective as a soundproofing method.

Peel off the protective strip to expose the sticky side of the tape and then stick the gasket to the frame on all the edges as required.

Closed-cell foam

Acoustic-treated foam is the most commonly used material for this. It is compressed between the inner door frame and the door itself, preventing sound from traveling through.

Again peel-and-stick methods are commonly utilized for the application, which makes it easy to install.

Electrical Socket Soundproofing

It would be best if you also addressed the wall area around your electrical sockets. If your sockets are already in place, then a generous amount of green glue fills the gaps. However, if you’re in the process of still building your wall, you could cover the socket using a soundproofing electrical socket putty.

This will maximize your walls’ existing sound-blocking capability; unfortunately, if you have a thin wall or a wall that does not provide the level of sound blocking you are looking for, you will need to add mass or use an isolation or decoupling method.

Add mass

You can improve sound blocking by adding mass to your existing wall. This can be done by adding Mass Loaded Vinyl or MLV layer(s) to the wall itself.

What is MLV?

MLV is the preferred solution for soundproofing interiors easily and effectively. It packs a large amount of mass in a minimal amount of thickness. MLV can be used in many places such as walls and ceilings, under the carpet to soundproof the room’s ceiling below, or wrapped around noisy pipes. These products are primarily designed for controlling airborne sound; however, they do possess anti-vibration properties. This will better manage mid to high-range frequencies but the poor performance of low or bass-like sound.

The easiest method is to attach the MLV to your existing drywall and secure it with nails. Alternatively, you could remove the drywall and add the MLV to the wall studs covering the insulation and then replace the drywall over it. The first option leaves the MLV exposed and can be unsightly; however, you could cover it with wallpaper (even better, soundproofing wallpaper). You would still need to ensure an air-tight seal around all the edges.

You could also add another layer of drywall to your existing wall. This will add mass and improve the walls’ ability to block out sound. You can use standard drywall, but better results use acoustic treated drywall which generally has more mass and density.

You would need to use a generous amount of green glue between the two sheets of drywall to eliminate vibration and noise transfer. To get even better results, you should first add a layer of MLV that will sit between the two sheets of drywall.

Feature	Standard MLV	High-Density MLV
Thickness	1/8 inch	1/4 inch
Weight	1 lb per square foot	2 lbs per square foot
Application	Walls, ceilings, floors	Walls, ceilings, high traffic floors
Soundproofing Efficiency	Good	Excellent
Installation Ease	Easy	Moderate (due to weight)
Cost	Economical	Higher investment

Using the Decoupling Method

The process of separating the drywall from the stud frame is called decoupling. A resilient channel is used to mount the drywall to the stud frame. An anti-vibration pad is used on the stud clip, and then the channel is attached to the clip. When you fix the drywall to the channel, it does not vibrate against the stud frame due to the pad. This method eliminates vibrations from traveling through the stud frame, which results in less noise coming through the drywall.

A similar anti-vibration material covers all the edges of the stud frame, which further reduces vibrations traveling along the edges.

This method lends to a soundproofing strategy referred to as the room-in-room. It is highly effective as it virtually isolates one room from another.

First, you should isolate the stud frame from the surrounding walls with an anti-vibration material like MLV. You should already have some insulation between the walls; if not, adding rock wool or fiberglass foam will improve the sound performance. It’s relatively inexpensive and well worth it considering your wall is already opened.

After that, attach the sound clips to the studs. Use the manufacturer’s guide for the spacing and placement. These clips have a foam backing to prevent any sound transfer through vibration.

Horizontal channels are then attached to the clips for the drywall to be mounted. The mechanism isolates the drywall from the stud frame. The combination of anti-vibration and insulation foam is highly effective at dealing with sound waves.

The drywall is mounted to the channels and should not be placed directly against the surrounding walls, roof, or floor. There should be a 1/8″ gap that will need to be sealed off with an acoustic sealant. Your first layer of drywall is now isolated and will prevent sound transfer.

Professional Home Improvement Services

Contact the Professional Home Improvement Services to detail your plan for them and let them do the heavy lifting. The nice thing is they’ll come in at a convenient time for you with all the tools needed, and you’ll need to get the materials. You can sit back and relax, let them finish the job. They even do the clean-up when they’re done, leaving you to enjoy the benefits virtually effortlessly.

If you want to have the work done, but you’re not prepared to take this project on by yourself, then you can use Professional Home Improvement Services. There isn’t a need for a building contractor or even a big team that will come in and start breaking down walls and turning your home into a construction site.

For maximum sound blocking, you can apply a sheet of MLV before you add another drywall layer. Sandwiching the MLV gives your wall a significant mass, which is a great way to eliminate sound travel.

The second layer of drywall is then isolated from the wall by applying a product commonly known as Green-Glue. This Green-Glue further reduces vibration and sound transfer. Sealing off this layer around all the edges will prevent any sound from bleeding through.

You’ll need to plaster and paint to finish off the job, and you will have a virtually soundproofed wall.

Use furniture to add mass

Using furniture placement can also help you manage unwanted sound. For example, a bookcase can give your wall mass while also remaining useful, so too a TV cabinet. Always keep in mind, though, that complete coverage is required when blocking out sound.

You could combine furniture with other more direct sound blocking methods like MLV or soundproof curtains to cover up gaps or vacant spaces.

If you don’t have anything that will fit your dimensions, you can always build something yourself. There are tons of detailed guides on building furniture, and you can do these to your spec. Not only do you deal with the sound problem, but you’ve also added a useful item to your home.

National Consumer Center offers you a chance to get a $500 gift card to Amazon. The payouts are quick, and you can use the Gift Card to pay for some of your Amazon products.

Soundproofing curtains

These curtains can boast up to 20 STC ratings, about as much as a hollow-core door can produce by itself. However, this is only in the presence of an MLV or similar lining. Most curtains advertised as “Soundproof” curtains are merely light blocking, but they have limited effectiveness in blocking sound. Done right with the proper soundproof curtains will result in a noticeable difference in the amount of sound coming into an area. Even at a 10 STC rating, it will sound like half the noise as before.

Using soundproof curtains specifically designed to block out sound vibrations can be a useful option when you have mild sound issues. They can also use it in combination with your other efforts employed to enhance effectiveness.

You will need to install a curtain rail and aim for a 4″ overlapping width and height. You’ll also want to have the curtain hanging as flush to the wall as possible. This will avoid sound leaking out from behind the curtain.

Soundproof blanket

You can use a soundproof blanket to add mass to an area and improve its sound-blocking abilities.

You can use many different blankets as long as you get as close to 100% coverage over the whole area. This may require cutting and fixing the blanket from the top and edges. You can use a staple gun or an adhesive to affix the blankets in place.

You can also use a grommet method. It would be best if you aimed at having the blanket overlap. It will be more effective this way, but you will still need to ensure an air-tight seal.

The grommets at the top will hold it in place. Adhesive strips along the edge and middle will give it a good finish.

Acoustic foam panels

Acoustic foam panels are more effective at keeping the noise from going out through a wall than preventing noise from coming in through a wall.

These panels are primarily designed to absorb sound. If you want to use them effectively to block out sound, you will need to install them in the room that the noise is coming from.

If your neighbor is making noise, then these panels offer very little to you. If you plan to use these to block noise from coming in, then remember the wall can only be as effective at blocking out sound as its weakest point, meaning you will need to cover the wall entirely for any real benefits.

Imagine you’re using this method in your nursery. When your baby cries, the sound reflects off the flat hard surfaces in the room. This echo intensifies the sound, so it gets louder. Attaching foam panels to the walls (flat hard surfaces) prevents sound waves’ reflection, so the sound is reduced.

Acoustic foam panels

The best acoustic foam panels are effective at basically stopping echo resonating from hard, flat surfaces. This does lend to managing some of the sound coming through into an area.

Installation requires the use of adhesion and covering the entire area with the foam panels. The typical result is a 20%-30% reduction which is only slightly noticeable.

You should use this method in conjunction with other methods to improve effectiveness, but as a stand-alone soundproofing method, this may be a bit disappointing.

Conclusion

Soundproofing can be a gratifying and rewarding project. It may require some creativity on your side, or you could choose a more standard approach. The good thing is you have these options, and hopefully, after reading this, you also have a better understanding of how you can soundproof your wall.

Soundproofing your home

Ready to transform your living space into a sanctuary of peace and quiet? Dive into our essential guide to soundproofing your home! From selecting the right materials to easy DIY installation tips, we’ve got everything you need to block out unwanted noise and create the tranquil environment you’ve always dreamed of.

Find out more about soundproofing your home’s windows, doors, ceilings, and floors. Don’t let the buzz of the outside world disrupt your peace. Start your soundproofing journey today and enjoy the serene, noise-free home you deserve. Click here to unlock the secrets to a quieter home!

Good luck and happy soundproofing!