How To Soundproof On A Budget
Oct 03, 2022So you don't have a lot of money, you want a quick fix and you like short cuts. I get it, I do too! Soundproofing is a lot of work and a lot of money so can't there be an easier way to do it? In this article I will look at a way you can sound isolate your room more for less money. Let's dive in!
Start With Your Door(s) and Window(s)
The place where most sound will get into and out of a room is usually at the windows and doors. This is why I recommend starting there if you can't afford to rip out your walls and do a proper soundproofing job. So let's look at how to soundproof your door to start with.
How To Soundproof A Door...On A Budget
First, you need to replace your current door with a solid core door. If your door is hollow core it will not have enough mass to stop sound. For this reason I always recommend getting a heavy solid core door.
Next, you will need to seal all the air gaps around the door. To do this you can get some Frost King weather stripping and seal any gaps between the door and the door jambs.
After that, get some magnetic weather stripping and place that around the entire perimeter of the door. You will need to also attach some metal corner flashing so the magnets attach to the wood door. This will ensure your door is indeed airtight!
Lastly, you will need a bottom door seal. I recommend getting a Zero Industries door seal that is specifically designed for acoustics. You can check one out here.
If all that sounds like way too much work then you can spend a little bit more money and buy a full soundproofing door kit through Acoustical Solutions.
The Total Cost Of Your DIY Door will be: $239.50 + $118 (Solid Core Door) = $357.50
The Door Kit is: $324.74 + $118 (Solid Core Door) = $442.74
How To Soundproof Your Window...On A Budget
To easily and affordably soundproof a window I recommend builiding a window insert. A window insert is a piece of plexiglass that can be pushed into your exisitng window cavity thus creating an airtight air gap between the existing window and your room.
To build a window insert I recommend buying at least 1" thick plexiglass sized to your window cavity. Then I recommend buying baby bumpers to glue to the edges of the plexiglass. Next, you simply insert the plexiglass into your window cavity creating a nice airtight seal that can be removed at anytime.
Now if that is too much work or too DIY for you then you can order window inserts from a company called Indow. This will probably look nicer and may work better depending on the thickness of their plexiglass. Remember mass is key to soundproofing.
The Total Cost of A Soundproof Window is: $508.43
The Total Cost of an Indow Insert is roughly: $600
A Little Disclaimer
Although I do stand behind these methods as a way to reduce sound, I would not say it is great advice to properly soundproof a studio. This is a way to reduce the sound coming through your doors and windows, but does not reduce sound coming through walls, ceilings, floors and vents.
To properly soundproof your room and get the results of a professional recording studio you should use our tried and true soundproofing methods.
Are You Curious How Much A Soundproof Studio Costs? Check out our FREE Soundproofing Budget Calculator.
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