How to soundproof a room (walls, floor and ceiling)
People up and down the UK want to know how to soundproof a room from noisy neighbours, dogs, outside noise and a multitude of other issues. The truth is that to soundproof a wall, you don’t need blankets, foam or heavy curtains, you need to be prepared to update the fabric of your building.
Soundproofing a room is a science and you can’t escape the three laws that govern soundproofing: high mass, decoupling and absorption. If you miss one of these elements in your room soundproofing, then the sound reduction is compromised. I quickly explain the three laws of soundproofing in the video below so you have a solid background.
How much is room soundproofing?
Room soundproofing costs around £36 per m2 (as of 2023) if you’re soundproofing the walls, floor and ceiling. For the best room soundproofing, look to spend in the region of £81 per m2.
Most rooms do not need the floor and the ceiling soundproofing, but one or the other. Wall soundproofing costs £34 per m2 for the cheapest and is usually a must for room soundproofing.
How to soundproof a room
To soundproof a full room, you’ll need to treat the walls and potentially the floor and ceiling. If you soundproof a room in a flat, then floors and ceilings will likely apply to you. If you are soundproofing from noisy neighbours in a house, you might only need to treat the wall.
If you are on the ground floor, you don’t need to soundproof the floor! If you can hear next door clomping around then you might have pipes running through your room that are transmitting their impact vibrations. Soundproofing the ceiling and pipes would be required for this.
How to soundproof a wall – independent wall system
To soundproof a room, use a decoupling system called the MuteClip. This will create an independent soundproofing wall which is the best room soundproofing available. For the space this soundproofing uses, you will get a massive sound reduction. The MuteClip is screwed directly into the brick or stud wall and will resist sound vibrations from your noisy neighbours.
The metal furring channel then supports your layers of soundproofing panels that create the wall surface. This holds the panels away from the wall that is currently transmitting sound to block the transference of sound vibrations. The cavities are filled with acoustic mineral wool the stop the drum effect, which I will explain later on.
How to soundproof a wall with a MuteClip step by step
Begin by measuring the placement for the MuteClip channel system. This is fully detailed in our installation guide for the independent wall system. You must remove the wall surface if you have dot and dab plasterboard because this will lead to the drum effect and ruin your wall soundproofing!
Between the channels, pack acoustic-grade mineral wool. This prevents the drum effect, which is a reverberation of sound leading to the amplification of the original noise. Acoustic insulation is not the same as thermal insulation because it has a much higher mass, which is crucial!
Step 3 for soundproofing a wall is to add layers of high mass. This can involve several layers, for the best wall soundproofing we will add a total of three layers. The first is acoustic plasterboard which is screwed directly into the MuteClip metal channels. The panels shouldn’t make contact with the other walls, the floor or the ceiling.
Our second layer of soundproofing is a visco-elastic membrane which has vibration dampening qualities. This is excellent for resisting vibrations that try to travel through solid materials.
Finally, add another layer of acoustic plasterboard to finish the soundproof wall. This can be skim plastered directly over the top of for an easy finish!
How to soundproof a ceiling
Some room soundproofing jobs require ceiling soundproofing. This is usually the case in flats and apartments where your neighbours can be above you. If you are experiencing impact noise from above, which is footsteps or furniture shifting, then you might need ceiling soundproofing!
It is best to soundproof at the source of any noise. This means I would suggest you soundproof the floor if you have access to it! This will be more effective as you’ll prevent vibrations entering the structure of your building at all. However, I know this isn’t an option for most people.
How to soundproof a ceiling against impact noise
To soundproof a ceiling against impact noise, which are vibrations traveling through the fabric of your building, you need to isolate the new ceiling. I explain this in full in the video above, if you want more detail.
Think about walking on a floor, the floor will vibrate slightly with the force, but the vibrations don’t stop there. Anywhere your floor is directly connected to another material, the vibrations can transmit. This means footsteps go from the floor, to the subfloor, into the adjoining walls and into your ceiling!
We put a stop to this by using a MuteClip system so the ceiling is connected at fewer points. In addition, the MuteClip is made of vibration-isolation technology.
How to isolate a soundproof ceiling step by step
- Start by removing your original ceiling so the beams and cavities are exposed.
- Follow the installation guide to screw the MuteClips into the beams.
- Pack the cavity spaces with acoustic grade mineral wool.
- Clip the metal channel into the claws securely.
- Screw your first layer of acoustic plasterboard into the channel system.
- If you’re using additional layers for improved soundproofing, these can now be added.
How to soundproof your floor in a room
Floor soundproofing can be done with a simple acoustic underlay or a fully floating floor. I will explain how to create a fully floating floor but for a cheaper solution see below for acoustic underlay soundproofing.
The reason you will need to soundproof your floor, is to prevent impact vibrations traveling into the fabric of your building and creating noise downstairs. It is always best to soundproof at the source of a noise, so if you have access to the floor, soundproof this and not the ceiling below, ideally.
How to create a floating floor
A floating floor is a soundproofing technique that places a vibration-resistant material between the subfloor and your joists. Your floor is ‘floating’ because far fewer vibrations can get into the structure of the building.
In the video below, we explain exactly how to create a floating floor for different situations. You can use a variety of materials to build up the floor and these can be guided by your space and budget.
How to soundproof a wooden floor room
Wooden floors most commonly need soundproofing in flats and houses over concrete floors. Wooden floors have less mass and often creak and move over time. In the video below, we explain how to prevent your wooden floor from creaking and then how to effectively soundproof the floor as part of a room solution.
Floor soundproofing underlay comparisons
Closed-cell underlay v/s open-cell underlay v/s rubber crumb underlay
To get the best room soundproofing, you need to make sure you choose the correct soundproofing materials. There are different types of soundproof underlays to choose from and some will be better than others for your noise issue.
For impact vibrations, the best materials are those that do not bottom out. This means that the material does not completely compress under impact. If a material, like standard open foam underlay, compresses then the vibrations are easily transferred to the subfloor.
Instead, I would suggest using a closed cell foam to dissipate the vibrations through the material. Because the cells are closed, not open like standard underlay, the material has a long service life and will ‘bounce back’ from the impact energy.
An alternative to closed-cell foam, which is a more premium product and available in the MuteMat 2 or 3, would be a rubber crumb. While the MuteMat 2 (best for impact) also resists some airborne noise, a rubber crumb is just for impact.
The benefit of a rubber crumb is that it’s made from recycled tyres and is a cheaper option for room soundproofing. However, MuteMat 2 blocks more impact noise. Like MuteMat 2, it is easy to lay but unlike MuteMat 2, a rubber crumb comes in different thicknesses.
I like this feature, because it means that rooms with little head height to lose can still get an impact resistant underlay. The MuteMat OSF range comes in at 3mm thick, 5mm thick and 10mm thick. This also means the range is suitable for different budgets, making it an accessible soundproofing solution.
Direct to wall v/s independent wall soundproofing for a room
For room soundproofing, I would suggest using an independent wall system as it provides much better soundproofing. However, there are instances where a direct to wall system needs to be used. Let me show you when and where to use a direct to wall system in a room.
The benefit of a direct to wall soundproofing system is the slim-line width. A direct system, comes in at only 35mm and some people have a door or a window that restricts their room soundproofing options. However, it is more expensive than an independent system and blocks less noise.
| Direct to wall system | Independent wall system | |
|---|---|---|
| Slimmest system width | 35mm | 60mm |
| Compatible with | stud wall only | stud and brick walls |
| Top noise reduction | 9dB | 20dB |
| Cost per m2 | ~£60 | £34 |
| Used for | Small spaces | All wall soundproofing |
Comparing ceiling soundproofing solutions
Ceiling soundproofing should always use a MuteClip for impact noise. Many isolation clips do not offer specific clip designs that suit all ceiling types. However, the MuteClip has four different versions to suit every ceiling type.
Other isolation clips can only attached directly to the underside of the ceiling beam, which is fine in some cases. However, the MuteClip has a space saving design, a space extending design for pipes and wires, as well as, a metal frame ceiling option.
The MuteClip LP is for a low profile finish. This sits inside the joist cavity space so that your new ceiling is only extended down by around 5mm. This prevents direct contact with vibrating beams and saves you valuable head height.
In comparison, the Muteclip XP goes the other way and creates extra space inside the ceiling. This is a benefit if you have pipes or wiresto fit above the ceiling. The XP clip design gives you an adjustable height to suit your specific needs.
In addition, this clever clip can also be used to level uneven ceiling beams. This means you will get a perfectly level surface to attach your new soundproofing ceiling. It’s fair to say this clip is one of our favourites for it’s ingenuity.
Room soundproofing and the drum effect
The best room soundproofing should always treat the drum effect. In room soundproofing, you are dealing with a lot of potential cavity spaces; floors, ceilings and stud walls. The drum effect is a huge problem and potentially even the reason you are soundproofing your room at all!
When sound gets into a cavity space, it can bounce around and this repetition will amplify the original noise. Making the source of your noise even louder is not good for room soundproofing. To prevent this happening you must expose the cavities and fill them with acoustic grade mineral wool.
In the video below, I explain how the drum effect works and how to prevent it.
What is the best acoustic mineral wool for room soundproofing?
A question I get asked a lot is ‘which mineral wool should I use?’. Luckily, this is quite simple! The best mineral wool has the highest mass. We sell the minimum mass version of 45kg/m3 all the way up to 100kg/m3. Which weight you should use depends mostly on your budget.
I would suggest getting a 60kg/m3 option if you are able to. This will control a good amount of reverberation as a general rule. The bales come in different thicknesses to easily fit between joist and stud work. Simply measure your cavity space to check which size you require.
How to soundproof a room – the science
The science of room soundproofing is something well worth knowing. This will help you to choose the right system for your wall, your floor and your ceiling. Decide where you need to splash out on the best soundproofing and where you can save.
If you are soundproofing a room in a flat from upstairs, then spend the cash on your ceiling! Your walls might not even need treating if flanking sound is sorted. Standard room soundproofing for a house usually means the walls will require the most money spending on them.
How soundproofing works in a room
The first rule in room soundproofing is to add mass to block noise. High mass materials, like MuteBoard, can reflect airborne noises. Airborne noises are things like talking or music ad commonly a noisy neighbour issue.
The second rule in room soundproofing is to isolate, or decouple, the new partition. This is when we would use a MuteClip system. The decoupling creates a physical separation between two materials. Sound vibrations travel between materials in direct contact with ease, but as soon as there’s a gap it is much harder for sound to transmit!
The third rule in room soundproofing is to use absorption wherever you have a cavity space. When looking at how to soundproof a room, this usually mean you’ll need mineral wool in the floor, walls and ceilings! This will stop the drum effect in its tracks.
Is cheap wall soundproofing any good?
Yes! Cheap wall soundproofing can reduce around 14dB of noise, which is a lot of sound. Cheap wall soundproofing is actually better than some more expensive options. This is because we use the best soundproofing system, the MuteClip, on our cheap system. It allows us to make you a big saving on the layers of soundproof boarding.
Instead of needing a triple layered board to block sound, we only need one board. This actually costs you significantly less and blocks around 5dB more! So why is this soundproofing so cheap?
The answer is space. The cheap soundproofing system takes up around 74mm of space, which some people can’t afford to lose because of a door or window. Super slimline wall soundproofing costs a lot more because the technology is expensive…it also blocks less noise.
So, in short, cheap room soundproofing is a great option!
Cheap room soundproofing v/s expensive room soundproofing
Cheap room soundproofing has pros and cons. I’ve made some simple comparison charts below so you can see how good cheap room soundproofing is compared to more expensive options. The cheap solutions are our bronze systems and the expensive systems are our gold options.
| Cheap wall soundproofing | Expensive wall soundproofing | |
|---|---|---|
| System width | 74mm | 74mm |
| System cost | £34 per m2 | £58 per m2 |
| dB reduction | 14dB | 19dB |
| Cheap floor soundproofing | Expensive floor soundproofing | |
|---|---|---|
| System depth | 10mm | 21mm |
| System cost | £23.58 per m2 | £115 per m2 |
| dB reduction | 10dB | 22dB |
| Cheap ceiling soundproofing | Expensive ceiling soundproofing | |
|---|---|---|
| System width | 34mm | 74mm |
| System cost | £52 per m2 | £71 per m2 |
| dB reduction | 11dB | 20dB |
How to soundproof a garden music room
To soundproof a garden music room, you’ll need to treat the walls and the ceiling. Often garden rooms don’t have as much mass as a house because they are not a brick build, or, have temporary roofing. Less mass means less sound is blocked!
It is best to use a MuteClip system for the walls. If you plan to record music in the space, then use the Gold system as this will provide up to 19dB of sound reduction.
