Why your soundproofing didn't solve your noise problem

Solving a noise problem takes a lot of research and planning. That means watching videos, reading articles, and reviewing your budget. You’ll eventually choose an affordable solution that you can actually implement.

And you might be completely satisfied with the results. But maybe a few months later, you realize it’s not as good as you’d hoped. You start hearing a new sound that you never noticed before, or you want to reduce the decibel level even further. Let’s take a look at some reasons why you might feel disappointed with your soundproofing work.

You did the work correctly, but then it highlighted a secondary noise issue that you still need to solve.
You chose the right materials, but you might not have installed them in the most-optimal way.
You did the work correctly and it was successful, but a new owner moves in, remodels, and creates new noise pathways in the soundproofed structure.

The right process, but it wasn’t enough

If you study soundproofing for awhile, you already know that there’s more than one type of noise. And there’s often no one-size-fits-all solution for all noise types and frequencies. So you might focus on solving the noise problem that bothers you the most: it might be airborne noise, but more often it’s impact noise. But even with impact noise, it might depend on the noise path.

In this example, a decoupled ceiling might dampen the impact noise that comes from an upstairs neighbor. And a properly installed new ceiling should also solve airborne noise between the two floors. But it probably won’t address another issue: impact noise coming from the floor of the downstairs unit that’s annoyingly loud in the upstairs unit.

Was it a mistake to do the decoupled ceiling? No! It’s usually a different noise path that requires a different solution, which could be as simple as putting carpets with padding on the downstairs floor. Or more complex, like remodeling the downstairs floors with soundproofing methods.

The right materials, but the wrong application

Installation is really important in soundproofing. That includes how you attach your materials to other surfaces, how you seal them, and if you introduce any gaps or noise leaks like electrical outlets or recessed lighting.

In this example, we used soundproof drywall. And it was certainly better than the original drywall. But we were newbies at the time, and we attached the drywall directly to the wall studs, believing it would dampen all noise automatically. And we didn’t realize that the neighboring building touched our apartment building on the other side of the new drywall. Although this might not matter as much if you live in a home with no adjacent neighbors, it’s an issue if you share walls and noise paths.

This video covers some noise solutions that weren’t comprehensive enough, or didn’t use the most-effective materials or installation processes. The end result is still an improvement over the original materials, but when you’ve got the opportunity to open up a wall or ceiling — do everything you can to make it spectacular!

A new owner remodels a soundproofed home and creates new noise

And finally, there’s another cause of some soundproofing failures. It’s when an overzealous new owner buys a home that’s already been soundproofed, and proceeds to undo it with remodeling.

When a soundproofed home changes hands, the new occupant often gets to work on customizing it. For example, they might cut holes into a soundproofed ceiling and install new lighting. Whether it’s recessed lighting (the worst-case scenario) or simply new lighting fixtures, they create open noise portals in what was once an airtight environment.

In one unfortunate case, a new owner bought a soundproofed apartment that had been carefully upgraded with double drywall and decoupled ceilings throughout. He proceeded to install audio speakers inside the walls, destroying the soundproofing and sending noise into neighboring apartments through the building frame.

In another example, a condo owner bought a downstairs apartment with a decoupled ceiling that blocked airborne noise. He proceeded to install shelving onto the wall below the soundproofed ceiling. The holes (and screws) in his wall created leaks that sent airborne noise into the upstairs apartment through a path in the wall studs, bypassing the decoupled ceiling completely.

In a perfect world, basic acoustics would be part of the required curriculum in middle school or high school. But since it’s not, our mission is to help people understand what makes sound intrusive, what to do about it, and what mistakes to avoid.