Hello
I'm going to start drumming in the basement again, which also benefits my neighbors in the adjacent house as they get the joy of listening to my masterful performances completely free of charge.
But I don't want them to hear me too much since they're not even paying for the performance, so I'd like to ask you if there are any simple ways to soundproof so it doesn't get heard outside as well.
It's about a 4x3m basement room. The floor is a concrete slab with laminate flooring that I've placed a thick rug over. The walls are stone blocks/concrete blocks with simple drywall. A single 2-glass basement window from the 60s (I’d like to keep the light coming in).
Not much else fits in the room besides the drums, but I still have a bookshelf filled with old books that supposedly absorb sound quite well.
I have two ideas I'd like you to comment on, whether they're smart or completely useless. Priority here is simple and cheap. I don't want to overwork something complicated.
1. Insert an extra glass pane into the window opening. Like putting on a self-adhesive foam strip and just pushing it in front of the existing window. On Glasgiganten.se, a 70x50cm pane costs 500 SEK, which then dampens 31dB. Alternatively, you could get it even cheaper if you find a used 70x50cm window at a place like Återbruket. (Existing has module dimensions 80x60).
2. Soundproof the walls by hanging thick curtains on tracks and stacking fiberglass behind them, which I already have at home. This is roughly how it would look (simple sketch in Paint). The curtains hold the fiberglass in place so I don't have to frame.
Before we provide any, a couple of questions:
Is it a multi-family house?
If yes, what are you allowed to do in terms of modifications in the basement?
What does the ventilation look like?
Is it a room with a single door?
Before we give any, a couple of questions:
Is it a multi-family house?
If yes, what are you allowed to do in the basement?
What does the ventilation look like?
Is it a room with a single door?
No, it's a single-family house, but the neighbor's house is about 7-8 meters away, and they can hear into their kitchen when I played before. (It's not something that has bothered them, but I still prefer to make less noise)
The ventilation is just a closed wall vent (I have a dehumidifier in the basement)
One door to the room, considering hanging a curtain on a track over the door, and some other sound absorber on the door.
Buy a couple of bales of insulation and place them in the corners.
Lay down playground mats (those found in playgrounds) on the floor. Then place the drum set on a couple of plywood sheets on top.
Fill the vent with something dense.
Then see how far this gets you and your neighbor.
If it seems to work, you can tidy up later. You can either reuse or return the insulation.
Great ideas, thanks! I will check out the mats you mentioned. Otherwise, I was thinking about laying down three layers of leftover carpets on the floor, the more mass the better I think.
I already have insulation leftover, so as I said, I plan to stack it up on the walls. I will also remember to fill the corners then.
No, it's a private house, but the neighbor's house starts about 7-8 meters away, and they can hear into their kitchen when I've played before. (It's nothing that bothers them, but I still prefer to play quieter)
The ventilation is just a closed wall vent (I have a dehumidifier running in the basement)
A door to the room, considering hanging a curtain on a track over the door, anything else sound absorbent on the door
Well, ventilation must be present; otherwise, it becomes quickly problematic in a small room. So it's a bit of a trade-off.
Well, ventilation must be in place, otherwise it quickly becomes problematic in a small room. So it's a bit of a trade-off.
I would recommend you read through this post that I wrote recently:
[link]
Do you think it's a good idea to insert an extra glass cassette and seal around it, to maintain the light entry?
Or is the only sensible option to also fill the window hole with glass wool + plywood?
Without knowing much about soundproofing, I think it's considerate of you to add an extra glass cassette; 31dB attenuation should make a noticeable difference if a lot of sound was leaking out before. You seem to be a good neighbor 👍 It's a bit overkill to completely seal off your only window with insulation, in my opinion.
Offhand, I think your idea of insulation on the walls is quite good. It should at least give you better acoustics by dampening the worst sound reflections from the walls. You know how it sounds to play in a room with hard walls compared to insulation. And it should dampen some sound outward as well.
Do you think it's a good idea to install an extra glass cassette and seal around it to retain light entry?
Or is the only sensible option to also fill the window hole with glass wool+plywood?
Without knowing much about soundproofing, I think it's thoughtful of you to add an extra glass cassette, 31dB attenuation should still make a noticeable difference if a lot of sound was leaking out before. You seem like a good neighbor 👍 It's a bit overkill to completely seal off your only window with insulation, I think.
Spontaneously, I think your idea of insulation on the walls is quite good. It should at least give you slightly better acoustics by dampening the worst sound reflections from the walls. We know how it sounds to play in a room with hard walls compared to insulation. And it should dampen some outward sound as well.
Thank you, that's kind of you to say! Yes, I try to be as considerate as I can. Even if the neighbors think it's perfectly OK, someone might still have a bad day with a headache, and maybe they don't want to hear me drumming away like crazy. I'm quite sensitive to sound myself and can be bothered by all sorts of noises.
ricebridge said:
Yes. No.
Great, then I'll try to look for an extra pane to put in.
What do you think about the idea of curtains with fiberglass stacked behind along the walls? Will it help against sound leaking out, or will it only dampen sound inside the room?
Googling soundproofing seems to be quite a science, and most people seem to say that it's very expensive, and that there is absolutely no cheap solution that helps. Some write that hanging blankets/curtains/quilts doesn't help at all unless they are specifically soundproof. For instance, there are soundproof blankets, but they cost a fortune https://www.amazon.se/Audimute-ljudabsorberande-ark-ljuddämpande-ljudisolerande/dp/B07ZQN747S/
Then there's a whole array of products when you google "acoustic panel." Like this one https://www.bauhaus.se/akustikpanel-ek-18x600x2400mm
But if I had to guess, these are mostly designed for offices and maybe not specifically for drums.
"MLV," mass loaded vinyl, also seems to come up as a suggestion specifically for drums. Like this https://www.amazon.se/Advanced-Acoustics-ljudisolerande-matta-Tunn/dp/B00BSBMFBM
But the question is whether it needs to be built into the wall, or if it works to just hang it.
Yes, no, don't buy a bunch of miracle products that promise total noise suppression, and then when you try to return them because they don't work, the retailer blames "user error," if they haven't already disappeared.
Steel studs with regular municipal fiberglass and then thick and nice fabric over that sounds like a good place to start. Especially since it will also make the sound environment for you inside more bearable. And an extra windowpane as you mentioned is definitely worth investing in; it can make a big difference.
Yes, no, don't buy a bunch of miracle products that promise complete soundproofing, and then when you try to return them because they don't deliver, the retailer blames it on "user error" if they haven't already disappeared.
Steel studs with regular municipal fiberglass wool and then thick and fine fabric on top sounds like a good starting point. Especially as it will also make the sound environment in there more bearable for you. And an extra windowpane, as you mentioned, is definitely worth investing in, it can make a big difference.
After that, it's trial and horror...
Awesome, thanks for all the info! Now I have an idea of how to proceed. 👍
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ricebridge said: