Are the noises and vibrations coming through your walls causing you not to have a peaceful quiet time? Don’t worry you are in the right place.
In this article, I will show you exactly how to soundproof a wall between apartments without any hassle or overspending. Most apartment walls are thin and I will cover that too.
One thing I experienced a lot during my senior college years was not being at peace in my room due to the loud noises that were coming through the walls caused by an apartment mate that was into home recording and mixing.
I had to find a solution to the problem, as a result, I tried a lot of methods some worked, and some didn’t and I want to share with you the ones I found effective.
1. Check for visible holes on the wall and seal them
Now, let me explain, most apartments in the past(even today) were connected next to each other and because of that the walls were/are shared, they are used to transfer cables from one place and another and that could leave some tiny holes that are capable of bringing in the loudest noise.
Although this may not be the case, it is important you check because even though the holes may be small, they can be a huge difference between a quiet room or a noisy one.
There are many ways and substances that you can use to get the job done, however, the one that helped me was green glue noise-proofing compound which works like magic and will drastically reduce the noise and vibrations coming through the walls.
2. Soundproofing thin apartment walls
I am sure you know that most apartment walls are built with aesthetics in mind and as a result, they are not as thick as the walls you find in a house.
Thinner apartment walls make it easy for noise to come through them. There are two main ways to go about solving this problem which are:
1. Using Acoustic foam panels
Acoustic foam panels are a great way to sound dampen walls, they are often used in studios to help with the balancing of sound and the overall sound dampening.
what I like about Acoustic panels is that they are easy to install and remove and since you are in an apartment it would be a viable option.
With that said it is important to know that this will not sound dampen your apartment walls completely but will drastically reduce the amount of noise by over 45% which is quite good.
There are many Acoustic panels on the market but the ones I trust are Foamily.
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If you also hear bass noise and vibrations then you could also try bass traps which you simply put on the corners of your walls.
2. Try Sound Absorbing Blankets
This is another effective soundproofing solution I have found to be effective. however, this may not be the best aesthetic approach.
If you are looking for a solution that will not only help lower noise but that will also look good, then it may not be the best solution for your walls.
I would suggest that you use the blankets every time you hear the unwanted noise but not as a stable permanent sound dampening solution. With that said, soundproof blankets are really effective and when used right can reduce the noise levels by up to 50%.
these are blankets that are created from thick sound-absorbing materials. They are not hard to install and are pretty affordable too. You can really use any blanket that is Thick but what I found to be effective was Moving blankets.
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- Superior cushioning: Constructed with thick, padded virgin cotton batting with...
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3. Try Mass-Loaded Vinyl
Mass-loaded vinyl mats are sound absorbing mats that can be installed in any kind of walls (thick or thin). The main purpose of these mats is to absorb and quieten low-frequency sounds(Bass) and other noises.
Now, this may not be the best sound dampening solution for your apartment’s walls but it works and besides mass-loaded vinyl acts as a thermal which means also as an insulation solution.
These do a decent job of reducing noise levels in general but also airborne noise levels as well.
Because they also act as an insulation solution. In the cold winter days, you will experience a slightly warm condition.
I have tried using mass-loaded vinyl in the guest room and, to be honest, I was impressed with the results, Really it’s like killing two birds with one stone.
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4. Reposition and add more furniture to fill out empty space
This is a classic solution people used to prevent sounds from bouncing around the room and creating something called the echo effect.
By positioning some of the furniture next to the wall, you will see some significant results. Another thing you can try is purchasing some more furniture to fill up some space, for example, you can add an addition elegant looking art pictures on the walls.
After doing some research, I found that bookshelves are great because they not only will help reduce noise but will also blend in with the style and color of the room and walls.
5. Try Repainting the walls with sound dampening paint
This is a great solution for most people because it works, but I think it is important for you to know that if the noise coming through your apartment walls is really loud and unbearable this solution will have minimal effect.
Sound dampening paint is great for solving minimal noise levels and lower frequencies. with that said I can confidently say that by applying this paint on the walls, you will reduce noise levels by over 30% which is great and in most cases, it cuts it into the half.
What I like about it is the fact that it is also cheaper and easier to use( Just like you would normally paint a wall ) and also can be great if you are looking to change the color of your walls.
6. Looking for A Quick Solution?
Sometimes the rules of a rented apartment don’t allow you to do any changes to the apartment itself and to be honest that really sucks but One thing that I think is worth looking at is a white noise machine.
In a few words, white noise machines are great because instead of hopelessly allowing the unwanted noises to disrupt your life, you can simply play white noise sounds that are relaxing and beautiful to hear.
Final Thoughts on Soundproofing a Wall Between Apartments
There are many ways to sound dampen a shared wall between apartments and these are my best effective ways to do it.
I hope you learned something from this article and feel free to ask me if you have any questions related to soundproofing walls.
