These days, a home theater can provide an experience that does a great job of replicating or even surpassing what it’s like to go out to a movie; you have your big screen of course, as well as an excellent home theater sound system and even your own custom-built cinema seating. Unfortunately, your home theater room may also have some things that a movie theater will not do: dogs barking, neighbors mowing their lawn, or maybe kids or a spouse trying to sleep in an upstairs bedroom.
These are just some of the reasons why you might want to find out how to soundproof your movie room, but what exactly does soundproofing do?
Soundproofing main purpose is to isolate sound for a given room. The goal is to not only keep your action movie viewing from disturbing the rest of the family members—or the neighbor—when they want a bit of silence but also to keep outside noise from intruding on your entertainment. You try to block sound going in or out of your home theater room.
Sound travels between rooms in two different ways: through the air (airborne noise) and the building's structure. Sound moving through the air is easy to understand. After all, an open window or open door very clearly lets sound pass through. Less obvious paths for sound energy to travel include such things as outlets, HVAC ducting, and gaps under doors.
While a closed door reduces sound compared to an open one, it doesn’t stop the sound entirely and that’s because sound causes structures to vibrate. That vibration recreates the sound in other rooms and other parts of the building. This is how a bedroom on the second floor of your home can still hear your movie viewing in the basement.
Objects and structures in the home will have a sound transmission class (STC) rating. Drywall, for example, is rated at around 40 decibels (dB). If your speakers reach 110 dB, you are left with 70 dB traveling through your walls. Even concrete provides a means for sound to travel, this is called structure-borne sound or structure-borne sound waves.
Soundproofing itself isn't necessarily difficult, but the amount of money and work invested in your efforts will determine how successful you are. When planning out your soundproofing project to dampen sound, there are four principles to keep in mind:
These are the essentials of soundproofing and once you have a good grasp of them, you will understand how to soundproof your movie room. You won’t need to hire an acoustic expert. How you put this into effect will depend on your budget and what you are willing or able to do. For example, if you are living in a rented property, there are likely limits to what changes you can make. Tearing down walls to install soundproof materials may not be an option.
Soundproofing can be either a quick fix that reduces sound minimally, or a more involved project that includes significant structural changes. Here are some approaches to soundproofing that you may wish to consider:
Absorbent Sound Panels are a readily available means of soundproofing but are not your most effective approach. Still, you may note some difference by placing them appropriately around your speakers, sub woofers, and speaker wire, making them worth considering if you can’t afford or don’t want to consider structural changes. A positive to this approach is that the acoustic panels are available in a range of styles that might look good on your wall that will improve the acoustic quality, a bit.
Window Plugs. If you have windows in your movie room, window plugs are soundproofing materials to look at. Build the front with something that has sound-absorbing mass, while filling the rest with insulation. This will definitely help you improve the sound quality of your home theater room.
Insulate the Home Theater Walls and Ceiling. Using the mass and damping approach involves filling the voids between walls and ceilings. Several damping materials can be found online, so be sure to review which is the most suitable for your needs and budget. Consider whether you wish to install the material onto or behind the drywall and be sure to measure the surface area to be covered.
Isolating Ceiling Joists. We often focus on the walls but don’t forget about your ceiling, as it should be a key area to work on. Ceilings will often have insulation already, but the construction and materials used will often allow sound to transfer easily. You may choose to open your ceiling and install some new joists, isolating them from the existing ones in a manner that is like decoupling your walls.
Remember Your Home Theater Floor. Like the ceiling, the floor can be easy to overlook, though they are a major part of sound transference. Consider laying a carpet with a thick soundproof underlay. If you have hardwood floors, you may want to lay a variety of thick rugs, though this will have little impact.
Soundproofing may not be the first thing you consider when creating your movie room, but it is something that should be addressed, when improving the sound quality of your home theater room. After all, while movies are often best enjoyed with company, some snacks and drinks, in some high quality theater chairs, but your neighbors may not wish to join you by having your sound disturb their peace.
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