Is there an inexpensive way to sound proof a small room (retro fit style)?

[Sulla]

I have a very small space, roughly 6’ x 3’ 6” x 8’ that I want to deaden the sound coming into it as much as possible. It has a regular el’cheap-o 6 panel swing door on it. Maybe 30” across.

I was thinking of just tacking up some heavy mover’s blankets – like the kind you can sometimes get at Warehouse Tool, or Harbor Freight. Any other bright ideas?

 

[EchoSix]

Keeping sound "in", seems easier than keeping sound "out", for some reason. But that might just be me. I can't make the kids quiet ENOUGH. :lol

But the most common way to do it, is to go somewhere like Home Depot or Lowes and get a roll of one of their pre-cut carpets, that usually come in 8' x 10' lengths and are usually around $19.99. The edges are hemmed too, so it's not like it's just scrap. And they're usually pretty simple, solid colors and not all crazy.

Who's pissing you off, with all their noise?

 

[jonny5]

Where are the offending sounds coming from?
What are the walls made of?
Do you need to do all the walls?

If the purpose is to keep down sounds elsewhere inside the house you'll need to do the interior walls and possibly the floor and ceiling as well.
You can peel one face off that cheapie door and fill it with foam too.

Carpet of course, is also good for use on floors.

If the walls are drywall (and the home owner is very understanding) you might be able to cut a few small holes in order to fill the voids behind them with a few dozen spray cans of expanding foam insulation. This will minimize the tendency of the sheetrock to ring with the sound vibrations.

 

[motivealloy]

Filling the walls with foam is a great idea. Except that's a lot of spray foam.

Also, to help deaden the incoming sound you could try putting up a layer of recycled paper pulp egg trays, then put moving blankets over that. Don't forget to cover the ceiling.

 

[Sulla]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the advice.

 

[sector 7G]

they used soud proof board for the walls of voyager's transporter room you could get some of that and use it.

 

[Jedi-72]

Installing a door sweep can help, as well as a gasket around the door itself, like you would have on an exterior door to keep out the elements.

 

[Funky]

Corkboard and carpet. Cheap, easy to get and easy to tack on.
Problem fixed.
What else ya got?

 

[wannab]

Can't read the white text.

Doug

 

[Sulla]

Keeping sound "in", seems easier than keeping sound "out", for some reason. But that might just be me. I can't make the kids quiet ENOUGH. :lol

Who's pissing you off, with all their noise?

Reality TV. Just kidding, sort of.

I meditate regularly (or try to) but our house is all one story with thin walls; so with about 1600 sq. feet, sound travels to every room from every room - always.

I can go outside somewhere in warmer times, but durring incliment weather, finding time in the afternoon when we are both off work to meditate without asking her to keep the TV or radio off is hard. I don't wanna' interrupt my wife's activities, so there is a large closet off my hobby room/office I just cleared out. I want to dampen the sound in there (without major structural changes) and use a little white noise to help me find some peace of mind to find some peace of mind, so to say.

It'll be worse when our first is born this September! I don't even wanna' think about the lost time for the next 18 or so years...

 

[Propnomicon]

I'm not a sound engineer, having barely muddled my way through acoustics, but I think what you need is pure mass. If memory serves, sealing up window and door gaps can significantly cut down on exterior sound, but wall treatments like foam and carpet are primarily designed to cut down on sound reflections inside the room. Absorbing exterior noise requires a big heavy layer of...well...anything.

In my experience the most cost effective sound deadening approach is to line the walls with bookshelves and then fill 'em up with books. I had one wall of my office converted to floor to ceiling bookshelves last year and it not only killed sound transmission into that room, but actually cut down on noise throughout the entire house.