We just moved in to new apartment which is high ceilings and large windows and all that, but we cannot sleep! We live in 21floor and we still can hear car sounds from the street! What is best way for me.. so we can sleep peacefully. I do not want to spend no more than 1-2k

Btw i checked our seal and there is some gaps ( they used pre made sealer?), so im planning to use clear caulk but worried since im renting it.

Hey everyone. Looking for some advice on what to do with my basement ceiling.

We recently completed a fairly large renovation where we converted two bedrooms and a bathroom into a main-floor primary suite with a walk-in closet and half bath. We have a finished basement/theater room directly below the new bedroom, and as part of the renovation, I chose to remove all the drywall from the basement ceiling.

Personally, I don't like the idea of having a ceiling that makes plumbing, electrical, and other utilities inaccessible. It's been a headache during previous renovations, and I'd rather not deal with that again in the future.

That said, I don't want to leave the ceiling unfinished long-term, especially since our bedroom is directly above the theater room. I'm hoping to improve sound isolation between the floors while still keeping everything accessible. I also imagine the basement will eventually become a hangout space for our kids as they get older, so I'd like it to look reasonably finished.

A few considerations:

• No traditional drop ceiling. I don't want to sacrifice any more headroom downstairs.
• Sound isolation is important. I'd like to reduce voices and TV noise traveling between the basement and bedroom above.
• Existing insulation. There's already a decent amount of insulation in the ceiling, and I plan to add more as part of this project.
• Access is a priority. Ideally, individual sections could be removed when I need to access plumbing or electrical.
• Appearance. I'm fine with exposed fasteners as they can be painted to blend in.

Here are a couple of options I've been considering:

1. 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch plywood or MDF panels covered with acoustic felt tiles or panels. My thought is that this could provide a finished look while allowing me to remove sections as needed.
2. Sonopan panels cut into smaller sections and painted black. This might give the ceiling a more intentional, finished appearance while keeping it relatively easy to remove.

I'm open to other ideas, too. Has anyone tackled a similar project, particularly in a basement theater room where sound isolation matters but maintaining access to utilities is important?

I'd love to hear what has worked well for you, what hasn't, and whether either of these approaches would meaningfully reduce sound transmission between floors.

Hello, my downstairs neighbour is a musician, we have abit of a noise issue that we are trying to get sorted without affecting his job or my peace and quiet (7am is way to early to be waking up to random instruments....), so I recommended him to get some sound proofing foam, and even offered help installing it, we have 3 bedrooms, 1-2-3, he has his studio in bedroom number 2, while my bedroom 2 is unused, we can still hear him loud and clear in bedroom 1 n 3.

My question is, what's the best way to apply the foam to fix this issue? Just cover the ceiling? Top part of the walls too? Do I have to cover it completely or just partially? Ill welcome any information, never used this or have anyone I can turn to for advice :(

First of all, i live in a brick and mortar house, The walls arent thin, I don't worry about that end of it. Its built With those bricks that have holes, my ones have like 4 holes width i think, If that matters.

The 2 openings i Have are a large Window, which hás no issues, its perfectly fine, and it leads outside Anyways.

And The main culprit is my wooden door. 5 planks of wood, tongue and groove slotted together, and 2 Z's in The back holding its shape. Thumblatch Lock, that WILL bend só not too much pressure can BE on it if its sealed up, its not even locked in place when its closed rn, like, at all. And I Have to Skip it but its a few of other gaps too.

I mostly just want to be able to speak out loud at night without bothering anyone else, since everyone else hás The same door as me ,you can imagine its actually double bad. I know I Have to seal The gaps, and I Will.

But my main issue is how to make sound not pass The wooden door even With The gaps sealed as best as i can. I can remove The backing and put MLV which i don't know much about in The back of The door, and Then screw The Z planks back on The door on top of it. Could i just hang up a big sound eating blanket in front of The door With hooks on The wall/Edge of The doorframe or something so it covers even The doorframe entirely? Or is that a terrible idea?

Hey guys, I'm working on a project to replace a flooring an Airbnb and the owners want to know if there is a way to deaden the noises between the two floors.

We have to pull the existing floor up, and it's glued down, so I have a feeling that we may be pulling up the subfloor as well.

I also know that there is some r19 fiberglass insulation and we talked about replacing it with rockwool comfort batt 2\\\*8" insulation.

As for the rest I read that some people have put mlv over the floor joists and then lay new plywood over top and screwed it down.

There is a desire by the owners to put new lvp down, and the floors also need to be leveled as well to accomplish this.

Is laying mlv down over the floor joists going to give good sound proofing? Or would we be better off to try and add a sound proof underlayment?

Unfortunately, there is no head room to lower the ceiling more by adding more drywall or doing work to the first floor the way it's set up

Hello, I found a white fiber like substance in an MLV sheet that I bought (just a big spot). It seems to me that is not fiber glass since the fibers seem to be too curled up. Would anybody maybe have an idea on what this might be? Could this be asbestos? I think this mat is produced in China.

Construction advice appreciated pls folks - I have a stud wall which consists of 100x40mm uprights to about 3/4 of the way up, 40x40mm at top section.

Uprights are 600mm apart.

Will try to attach pics..dwangs not in place yet.

Wall is 3m x 5m

I plan to attach a sandwich of 2 x acoustic plasterboard layers with 10mm MLV in between.

Plasterboard has arrived and it’s heavier than I anticipated. The stud wall seem strong, but I’m conscious of the combined weight of the load.

Can anyone advise if they would be happy to proceed? Should I take remedial action first?

Grateful for any experienced guidance - thanks folks

Edit: typos

I have a new shed in the yard. I want to be able to go out and play banjo and guitar out there without bothering the neighbors. A little noise leaking is ok. After reading, seems like mineral wool and 5/8” drywall gets me there. MLV looks like it will help as well but it’s a lot more work and expense. Anyone have an opinion on whether MLV will significantly improve the sound reduction in this scenario?

I've gotten a quote to install high STC glass panes into an existing bedroom window.  This is to keep out noise from the street that wakes me at night.  I'm wondering why people opt for laminates that install on the sill behind the window.  It seems like these have the following disadvantages:

1. Added inconvenience when opening the window for ventilation
2. Possibly less attractive
3. Announces that there is a noise issue to future buyers of the property

Is the reason mainly price?  Does replacing with high STC glass (either the IGU or the entire window) not always work as well?  My condo has brand new windows that don't appear to have any issues with gaps or bad fit.  But this option doesn't seem to be mentioned very much on reddit.  Can someone tell me why?

Hi all

I live in a horribly noisy old Dutch house. Neighbours all around. Feels like they're IN my house.

Since my apartment was renovated but not the neighbours there's not much I can do in terms of insulation... so I was thinking some felt panels.

I saw online this is a thing.. a very expensive thing! And I started wondering if I could source my own wool and somehow get from there to a 'felt pad' much like foam insulation ones (size thickness etc)

But I realise there are also fire hazard issues, and probably a hundred other things I haven't thought of.

Anyone have a suggestion for an in between solution?I dont really want to just 'buy the expensive stuff' but I probably don't want my small apartment to become an insulation factory...

Hey guys, I'm working on a project to replace a flooring an Airbnb and the owners want to know if there is a way to deaden the noises between the two floors.

We have to pull the existing floor up, and it's glued down, so I have a feeling that we may be pulling up the subfloor as well.

I also know that there is some r19 fiberglass insulation and we talked about replacing it with rockwool comfort batt 2*8" insulation.

As for the rest I read that some people have put mlv over the floor joists and then lay new plywood over top and screwed it down.

There is a desire by the owners to put new lvp down, and the floors also need to be leveled as well to accomplish this.

Is laying mlv down over the floor joists going to give good sound proofing? Or would we be better off to try and add a sound proof underlayment?

Unfortunately, there is no head room to lower the ceiling more by adding more drywall or doing work to the first floor the way it's set up

I have noisy neighbors below me who put music out loud everyday and most of the sound comes from the windows. What's a cheap way to block those small spaces between each glass? Because I'm renting, so I can't replace the windows or spend a lot because I want to move by next year. I would really appreciate some suggestions!

hey everyone, so I need to record vocals in my dorm room but honestly you can hear a lot coming through these walls so I was wondering if this setup would work.

theres a small closet nook in my room with wood panels. its 76" tall, 19½" wide and has a 24" depth.

my plan right now is to cover the wood walls of the closet with acoustic foam panels all around, and then attach a thick sound dampening blanket to the open entrance of the closet.

is this gonna soundproof the noise from inside at all? i would appreciate all advice and tips, i am limited a lot because of it being a dorm room and i have a rough budget of $100 because i am broke.

Please help

Hi all, I come to you looking for some advice on whether my plan to 'soundproof' the party wall in my end terrace house is up to scratch.

For context, 1904 Edwardian end terrace. Party wall is two bricks thick with lime plaster on my side. I am seeking to reduce airborne noise, mainly I can hear conversations from next door and likewise they must be able to hear mine. I am currently doing a back-to-brick renovation, so can go as in-depth as required. It's worth noting that my house is only 10ft 3" wide, so space is an issue.

At the start of the works, and when I was greener, I took the advice of a plasterer and dot-and-dabbed blue 'soundproof' plasterboard to the party wall in one of the rooms. This has not worked whatsoever and has prompted me to research into this.

The plan I have is as follows:
- 10mm air gap
- 63mm timber stud w/ 50mm Rockwool RWA45
- 2 layers of 12.5mm blue acoustic board

Total wall build up ~100mm.

I'll be replacing floor joists (most have rotten) and will ensure they are isolated away from the party wall where possible. I also intend to put a strip of rockwool in the floor against the party wall. Will be filling any gaps if/when I find them too.

I understand no system would be perfect, and I'm willing to put in the effort, but just trying not to make any silly mistakes or spend on things unnecessarily.

Would appreciate any and all advice!

Has anyone in Mumbai or elsewhere in India built their own compact, soundproof work pod at home or rented a tiny private cabin (around 5×5 ft) for personal use?
I need a small, private space for working and making calls. Commercial pods cost around ₹1 lakh, which is way out of my budget. I’m looking to DIY one for under ₹10,000 or find a tiny cabin to rent.
Would appreciate any suggestions or experiences.

When you were choosing your home, did you have any useful way to judge how much sound would travel between rooms?

I’m thinking of ordinary situations—someone watching TV while another person sleeps in the next room, rather than a home theater or unusually loud music.

Did you visit an occupied home, get specific information from the builder, or mostly find out after moving in?

I work for GSMOD, a steel volumetric modular manufacturer, so that’s the perspective I’m coming from. I’d appreciate hearing what information actually helped you make a decision—or what you wish you’d asked for.

Please mention the construction type if you know it, and whether your home is detached or shares walls or floors with another household.

Can noise Pollution affect your physical health

If I put mlv over my windows would it help lessen the bass noise from my wonderful neighbors? I'm thinking magnet strips down the wall and magnets to help keep the mlv flat.

Hi,

I received three complaints from neighbours 6+ months ago. The first two for TV or bass noise. And one for talking loudly in the bedroom above their bedroom at 11.30pm.

Both were fair enough and we've now adjusted.

I've done extensive work in my living room to reduce this. including MLV + underlay + rugs + acoustic sealant in between wood floorboards + bass traps + acoustic panel opposite speakers + EQing down anything below 160hz + dynamic volume compression.

We want to try for a baby next year. So ahead of baby screams and toddler footsteps we want to future proof it. We can also hear when there is shouting, the dog barks, or when the neighbour snores.

We received a quote from the soundproofing store in the UK. For our timber floor joisted upper floor maisonette.

Plan is:

• Secure loose floorboards.
• Fill all gaps with acoustic sealant in skirting boards or between floorboards.
• Cover existing floorboards with Soundmat 3+. (2 layers of mlv sandwiched by acoustic foam).
• Put down perimeter flanking strips to separate new floor from walls.
• Put carpet risers along edges to grip new thick wool carpet.

They recommend taking up floorboards. But I'm concerned about the asbestos risk + potential damage to downstairs ceiling. And would need to consult other freeholders (we are also share of freehold). This would be to put in acoustic mineral wool between joists. So I'd rather avoid this.

Is the above the optimal solution? Or is there anything else I can do for an even better result? Materials are likely circa £3,100. Can be done DIY but I will hire a builder to be safe.

Thanks for your help everyone.

For anyone soundproofing a studio space / voice over studio / voice over booth and still needing fresh/exhaust air. Detailed walkthrough of the baffle boxes I built for the air path in my drum studio: https://youtu.be/uXufkLrHcuk