Hi guys

What kind of off the shelf sound proofing material I can easily buy from supermarket or local hardware store? I am looking mainly sound proofing human voice.

Will cotton works? or foam? I assume I need some sort of foam with the right gap size or something??

Thanks guys!!

 

Home depot, 8ftx3ftx1/2" insulation foam board $7.00.
or 1" for ~$18.00.
Smaller? 3/16 " project foam board from art/craft supplies.
Max.

 

Fiberglass insulation, if you have room for several inches. Cotton will work, but it's flammable and it's hard to get cubic yards of the stuff. Spray foam works, but again, it's flammable.

As usual, google is your friend.

http://www.soundproofing.org/

http://soundproofing101.com/

 

You might be able to find some EVA sheets, I've used the stuff to reduce low frequency sounds on several projects.
http://www.megasorber.com/soundproofing-products/noise-barriers/EVA-sound-barrier.html

 

Nice topic.

 

a real cheap sound deadning material, dirt. hollow walls filled with dirt.

 

How much attenuation do you require?
Where are you going to use this? in a stud wall? on top of a wall? floor?etc...

Seeing you are from NZ I'd suspect what they have in their "supermarket" or "local hardware store" is quite different from what might be available to me..
A "supermarket" in the US is where you buy food/milk/bread,etc...
Bread will work for a little while anyways..

foam eggcrates?
rubber mats?
acoustic foam?
regular fiberglass insulation works wonders too..

 

Agree with #12, fibreglass insulation or sheep wool

 

How about rockwool?

 

Rockwool is an older form of fiberglass. Works pretty much the same as fiberglass.

 

Hi guys

What kind of off the shelf sound proofing material I can easily buy from supermarket or local hardware store? I am looking mainly sound proofing human voice.

Will cotton works? or foam? I assume I need some sort of foam with the right gap size or something??

Thanks guys!!

Of course, lead sheeting is also great.

More seriously, if you are trying to sound proof a wall between adjoining rooms, consider whether it is just the air between the two wall faces or do the studs also transmit sound. In other words, a dense stud (supporting structure inside the hollow wall) will communicate sound. In American construction, we commonly use 2X4 studs with drywall or sheet rock on both sides. For better soundproofing, it is recommended to build a 6" wall with alternate 2X4 studs attached to either face. Add fiberglass etc. woven in and out of the studs like a basket to help. That way, the only direct connection between rooms is the floor and ceiling. You do have to consider the ceiling, especially if it is a suspended ceiling.

John

 

It all comes down to, "How much attenuation?"
Enough guessing. Please give us a number of decibels to get rid of.

 

Back in the "day", we used egg cartons stapled to the wall. Without the eggs of course. A layer of muslin fabric over the top completed it.

 

It all comes down to, "How much attenuation?"
Enough guessing. Please give us a number of decibels to get rid of.

I don't have a number, I am more like playing around and experiencing stuff here.

How much attenuation do you require?
Where are you going to use this? in a stud wall? on top of a wall? floor?etc...

Seeing you are from NZ I'd suspect what they have in their "supermarket" or "local hardware store" is quite different from what might be available to me..
A "supermarket" in the US is where you buy food/milk/bread,etc...
Bread will work for a little while anyways..

foam eggcrates?
rubber mats?
acoustic foam?
regular fiberglass insulation works wonders too..

I am more thinking the hardware section of a supermarket here

 

Some replies on here got me thinking, is there a difference between anechoic and soundproof? Seems to me that the egg box approach is generally used in anechoic (no echo) applications, e.g. recording studio, but may not be the best at sound proofing, i.e. stopping sound coming through a wall.

 

The sound proofing foam that looks like egg cartons is sold at a big premium over plain slab foam. The interesting part is that it is so easily made. Drill an array of holes into two sheets of plywood, add 2" dowels to each hole. Compress the foam between the two sheets of dowels, cut while compressed. Instant egg carton.

 

egg crate foam absorbs higher frequencies compared to flat sheet foam.

 

Understanding STC
http://www.stcratings.com/

 

Spray foam works, but again, it's flammable.

Realize they do make a Great Stuff in a fireblock version.

Walls are generally insulated for sound (as well as temperature) with fiberglass, but realize the wooden studs rigidly anchored between the drywall provide a medium for sound to propagate through.

 

I have a feeling that, "soundproof" is a misnomer. Maybe somebody, somewhere, has a really dead acoustic space, but for us normal humans it's a matter of attenuation. I made a room that is 51 decibels below the room that is 9 inches away, and I think that was a good accomplishment for the materials available.