Soundproof and Have a Drummer Friendly Home

Drums and other percussion instruments are not the friendliest instruments as they generate lots of noise and vibrations. It is almost impossible to completely soundproof a room post-construction without great expense, but you can take measures to reduce the noise. For complete soundproofing or to create a professional acoustic environment, you should consult a builder or architect with experience in soundproofing and acoustics. Keep reading on tips to reduce the noise in your home so that you, your family and your neighbors can all get along.

Steps

  1. Move into a larger Transform a Child's Room Into a Teenager's Room, if possible, or the room farthest from other used rooms and bedrooms. This can be a bonus room, guest room, etc.
  2. Talk to your parents if you're still at home. Discuss what options are available. Be sensitive to their needs.
    • Offer to move into the garage if they will let you use a fan or small heater
    • Offer to trade bedrooms with a sibling.
    • Keep your room clean and organized so they won't feel as if your mess will be traveling
    • Be courteous with your drumming and ask your parents for approved practice times where your siblings must leave you alone and not complain.
    • Ask permission to move your drums into a farther room to keep noise down in the house but your parents enforce keeping siblings away from your kit.
  3. Schedule your practice time when others will not be disturbed. Avoid wee hours of the morning or when family is engaging in other activities like watching their favorite movie, eating dinner, etc.
  4. Talk to your family about soundproofing the room. Although you can't soundproof it completely without great expense you can take measures to avoid some of the noise and vibration.
    • Soundproofing isn't pretty.
    • It's almost impossible to soundproof a ceiling without adding extra insulation so if you're on the first floor you won't be helping the people above you. Consider moving to an upstairs room.
    • You'll need to remove art from the walls and relocate clutter and non-essential items. Know where you can store items.
    • If you're sound reducing in your bedroom you can keep your bed, dressers, desks, etc. but you'll need to move all of your clutter, trinkets, and art work. The fewer flat surfaces the better.
  5. Look at the room you'd like to soundproof.
  6. Imagine the room without the furnishings and art.
  7. Measure the wall areas of the room from floor to ceiling, the area of the doors, windows and the floor areas.
  8. Reducing sound requires adding surfaces that will absorb the sound instead of allowing it to bounce off.
    • You will have to add product to the wall surfaces (if you are in a house you can get away with surfacing the walls sharing other interior walls and not worry about the walls between you and the yard).
    • Floors will also need to be covered. If you already have carpet, you're fine, but hardwood floors will need to be covered with a large rug.
  9. Evaluate what budget is available and the products you can afford to use with that budget.
  10. Here is a list of products commonly used for noise reducing qualities.
    • Acoustical foam is available for purchase online and from sound design suppliers. This is an expensive product that is usually nailed or glued to the walls.
      • Used foam can be brittle and have absorbed odors so examine it carefully before purchasing used.
    • Extra insulation is also beneficial but can be expensive. Do check to make sure insulation in the attic over the room isn't missing or damaged even if you don't opt for having extra added.
    • Carpeting is popular for soundproofing.
      • If you are concerned about appearances you can buy a large amount of the same color and pile. If not, just buy a large collection of whatever is cheap.
      • It is debated whether the rubber backed business type carpet or shag carpet work best. Usually the rougher the surface the more sound waves it will absorb.
      • Carpet is heavy so consider buying 24" squares and applying them individually instead of a very heavy piece of carpet.
      • Try buying several remnants and have them cut into 24" square pieces. Pick complimenting colors and attach to the wall with tiny nails or large pins.
      • Applying carpet with glue will be expensive to repair. Don't do it unless you own the home and can afford major wall repairs.
    • Egg crate mattress pads offer a wavy sine wave looking surface
      • Egg crate mattress pads can be purchased at any discount store or store that sells bedding.
      • Like carpet it can be heavy and difficult to keep from falling down. It may be best to cut it into manageable pieces before you apply in sections to the wall.
    • Fabric furniture pads are also a common soundproofing product
      • Don't use the flimsy furniture pads commonly rented by moving companies but the dual sided and sewn mattress pads that appear quilted.
      • Contact local furniture stores and moving companies and ask about buying new or used directly from them
      • Most furniture stores may offer you torn used ones but they may also agree to sell them to you at cost.
    • Heavy fabric, drapes and blanket can also be used but will not provide as much sound dampening as the above items.
      • Consider adding a drape on a curtain rod over doors to add extra soundproofing to doors and closet areas.
      • Heavy drapes can also be added to windows to minimize noise going out and coming it.
  11. Decide on a product that works well for the room and your budget and purchase the materials.
  12. To install the material you will need to empty the room of the furniture and contents. You will also need a friend to assist for a better look.
  13. Dust the walls since you won't be doing so regularly and remove all artwork.
  14. Attach the soundproofing with small picture nails, carefully nailed straight pins or small nails with heads to prevent the soundproofing from tearing over the nail. Only use liquid nails if this is a permanent studio and you are aware of the cost associated with repairing the wall damage once removed.
  15. To prevent material from tearing over the nails:
    • Use washer at the nail heads to prevent the material from tearing over the nail.
    • Apply duct tape to the back of the material to reinforce it
  16. As with rough surfaces it will collect more dust so use caution if you have allergies or breathing problems. Dust it regularly with a hand held vacuum cleaner.
  17. If you still require additional soundproofing you can add a layer of furniture pads under carpet or egg crate.
  18. Add a thick rug to hard wood floors' or use several small rugs to cover as much area as possible.
  19. Sound travels by air, so sealing any small gaps or openings by the door will help greatly. Get heavy duty weather strip seal and carefully apply around the door frame perimeter, where the door meets the frame.

Tips

  • Add a smoke detector to your room since you may have trouble hearing one outside and you're adding extra material that burns and releases toxic fumes if burned.
  • Carpet is good at absorbing high mids to high frequencies, but will do nothing to lower mid range and bass frequencies. You would need thin plywood panels that can vibrate freely in order absorb the lower mids and bass energy.
  • Look for movie theaters going through renovations and try to buy used draping. You will likely need to have it cleaned.
  • Cork underlayment is excellent for in between hardwood floor and carpet. You can also hang them on walls.
  • To remove some of the odor before you install any of the above solutions you can open it or hang it out side for several hours. This will work of new carpet or fabrics with dye fumes or used materials.
  • Thick rubber workout/gym mats can be put under the rugs to prevent vibrations. You don't need to cover every surface but especially focus on the area under your kit and the immediate area.

Warnings

  • Don't put soundproofing over electrical outlets
  • Don't put soundproofing too close to lights as they can catch on fire.
  • Use caution and don't use open flames (candles).

Things You'll Need

  • Budget
  • Room for soundproofing
  • Soundproofing materials
  • Tacks, nails or other supplies for installation
  • fire alarm
  • rugs
  • rubber gym mats
  • drapes
  • Approval of homeowner
  • Friends for help

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Sources and Citations

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