If you want a quiet room away from the noise in the house or neighborhood, you may be thinking about soundproofing ideas. But most soundproofing materials and installers can be expensive.
Does this mean that you can’t soundproof your home on a budget? No, you can use several inexpensive soundproof materials to eliminate the noise.
But before I show you these cheap soundproofing materials, let’s clarify some misconceptions.
You might also enjoy reading: How to Soundproof a Room in an Apartment?
Soundproofing Vs. Sound Absorption
Since this article focuses on cheap soundproof materials, do not confuse soundproofing with sound absorption.
Soundproofing materials help block the sound from passing through, while sound absorption material helps to absorb the soundwaves. Sound waves behave like water; some materials will block water from passing, while some, like foam, absorb it.
So, in this article, we are discussing materials that block sound.
Cheap Soundproof Materials
This is your article if you have a limited budget but want a quiet home.
1- Sound Clips
Sound clips are essential soundproofing materials often embedded in the wall or ceiling joists before fixing resilient channels and drywalls. They can help you achieve similar soundproofing results as decoupling.
They are effective because they have a rubber foot that helps stop vibrations from impacting sound from passing through the joist.
So, instead of spending a lot of money on decoupling your wall or ceiling, you can use sound clips to separate drywall from the supporting joists, thus breaking sound wave transmissions.
Sound clips are a better option if you want a cheap way to soundproof an already-built space without completely rebuilding the structure.
While you will need to remove one side of the wall to fit them, doing so allows you to create a cavity that you can fill with insulation for further soundproofing.
2- Green Glue
Green glue is another inexpensive soundproofing material you can purchase from most eCommerce stores.
How does green glue help with soundproofing? You can use it together with green glue acoustic sealant to seal cracks and gaps in the walls, ceiling, doors, and windows that sound could easily pass through. This way, you block airborne sound from entering the room.
Green glue noise-proof compounds are also used to enhance the soundproofing effectiveness of drywalls. You can use them when making double-layered drywalls.
When applied uniformly between the two drywall layers, they create tiny air packets that help cancel sound waves outside or inside the room.
Fortunately, they are easy to apply, which means you can do it yourself, thus helping to reduce costs. If you have a spray gun, you can easily apply green glue compound on the drywalls’ surfaces, cracks, and gaps.
3- Mass-Loaded Vinyl (MLV)
This rubber-like black material is ideal for your soundproofing job, especially if you have a low budget. It is readily available, inexpensive, and designed to block sound.
If you check them on Amazon, you will realize that they have different roll sizes and densities.
You can choose a denser MLV for better performance on your wall, floor, or ceiling. Mass-loaded vinyl is impregnated with metallic particles to increase its mass; therefore, they help to increase the mass of the surface you have installed them on.
Mass-loaded vinyl has no elasticity, making it harder for sound waves to pass. While they can work alone, they are more effective when coupled with drywalls or floor carpets.
Furthermore, it is easy to work with. Although you buy it as a big roll, you can cut it into reasonable sizes and fix it on the ceiling or walls without any problems.
Remember that it is often heavy, and you may need some help to install it on the wall or ceiling.
4- Resilient Channels
Resilient channels are an effective and cheap way of soundproofing your walls and ceiling. These metals are often screwed on joists or studs before installing dry walls.
What makes resilient channels an effective soundproofing material? They have many holes that help to cancel out sound waves before reaching the room. Resilient channels also create an air cavity between the drywalls and the insulation materials, which help to reduce or stop sound waves.
The resilient channels create a cavity that stops or slows the transmission speed of the impact sound through the wall or ceiling. They are a brilliant choice for someone who wants to decouple their walls or ceiling fully.
5- Floor Underlay
We know that impact sound waves travel fast on hard floors. It is challenging to soundproof such floors because they perfectly reflect sound waves around the room.
You can easily hear footsteps or children playing in the upper rooms, thus affecting your concentration. However, installing the right floor underlay can reduce impact noise on the floor.
The underlay covers potential gaps and spaces under the floor, which could create echoes in and below the room. While any underlay materials can significantly reduce noise, you will achieve a better result using at least 3mm thick material.
Like MLV, underlay can be used under the carpet and help with your room’s thermal insulation. You can install this acoustic underlay on your floor’s plasterboard or studs. It acts as a dampening material that interferes with generated sound energy.
6- Sound-Deadening Paint
Soundproof or acoustic paints are relatively cheap and can help you increase the mass surface of a wall or ceiling.
The paint is thick and can seal any gaps or cracks in the wall. They also have sound-blocking molecules that reduce echoes in the room.
Since it is recommended that you apply three coats of soundproof paints, the result is added mass that can dampen noise in the room. Three layers of acoustic paint can prevent up to 7 decibels of sound.
They are easy to spray, so you don’t need to hire a professional. The hi-tech acoustic sound-deadening paint is made of sound-absorbing fillers, which prevent sound waves from bouncing from surface to surface. Therefore, you can reduce noise by approximately 30%.
Moreover, you can apply paint on the ceiling, drywall, or plaster wall to keep your house quieter.
7- Soundproof Door Sweep
Door sweeps cover the gap between the ground and the door. Noise from outside can enter the room through these openings even if you close the door, and the door sweeps help seal that space.
Some door sweeps are removable, while others are permanent. If you find it challenging to open the door with sweeps, you can install removable ones.
You can buy door sweeps online or in your nearby store. Doors sweeps are also easy to install since they have several holes at the bottom of the door.
Besides blocking sound waves, door sweeps protect your house against moisture, drafts, dust, and insects. You can use them in your residential or commercial building.
8- Anti-Vibration Pads
The soundproofing industry has different types of anti-vibration pads and mounts. You can use these pads to isolate sound vibrations so that they are not transferred to a different room.
For instance, if you have a recording studio in your basement while the adjacent room hosts the laundry area with washing machines or dryers, you can use these pads at the base of the appliances.
Vibration pads block machine sound waves from reaching the floor or the wall. This method can significantly reduce sound vibrations from interfering with your music or audio recordings.
9- Soundproof Curtains
While soundproof curtains fall under sound absorption materials, they can help prevent echoes and noise in the room. You can hand thick and heavy materials such as blankets, moving pads, and carpeting.
Acoustic curtains blocks sound waves from permeating one part of the room to the other. For instance, many people use them to soundproof theatres, preventing the audience from hearing what is said backstage.
Soundproof curtains are easy to mount on hooks installed on movable wall panels or fixed in the wall. You can install them yourself, take them down when you want, and move them around to dampen sound.
What to read next:
- 7 Best Soundproof Curtains For Windows For a Peaceful Home!
- Does Acoustic Foam Reduce Noise? (Yes, and here’s why!)
- 12 Cheap And Effective Ways To Soundproof Your Office.
Conclusions
The soundproofing industry is diverse and rich in affordable soundproof materials. Some of these materials are readily available, and you can install them yourself.
Once you have identified areas in your house you want to soundproof, you can purchase them in the nearby store or online. I hope this article helps you with the best inexpensive soundproofing materials.
Feel free to share cheap soundproofing materials you have used and how they work for you.