Soundproofing a room v/s soundproofing a wall
Do you need to soundproof the full room for true peace and quiet or can you focus on single wall soundproofing? The answer really depends on the type of results you’re after, let’s dive in!
Do you need to soundproof a whole room?
You need to soundproof your whole room only if you’re trying to keep noise in rather than out. So if you’re building a home cinema or band practice room it is common to soundproof the whole room. This is known as building a ‘room within a room’ and it really is what it says on the tin. To build a room within a room you essentially construct a frame for new walls, floors and ceiling just slightly smaller than your existing room you can then use common soundproofing techniques to soundproof the whole room.
If you have an issue with noisy neighbours or traffic noise for example it’s likely you only need to treat the wall that connects with your neighbour’s house. Most of the time this will do the job but occasionally you will need to tackle flanking transmission where sound is leaking through untreated walls and ceilings.
How much to soundproof a room v/s the walls?
To soundproof a room v/s the walls is around five times the price (see our example). Lets make an imaginary room that is three meters in length, three meters in height and 2.4 meters tall. With some quick napkin maths we can see that the material cost for treating a single wall comes in below £400 whereas soundproofing the entire room would be over £3000. Fortunately, most cases only call for soundproofing one or two walls. If you are building a soundproof room you can read out cinema room soundproofing case study here.
Is it easier to soundproof a room or the walls?
It is easier to soundproof the walls over the whole room. Soundproofing a wall or two is often something that can be carried out by a competent DIY’er (you can read out installation guides to check the skills required). For soundproofing an entire room it’s likely you would want to involve a professional tradesperson or specialist installer due to the complexity of the undertaking. So yes it is easier to soundproof a wall than a room.
Does soundproofing work both ways?
Yes, soundproofing will work both ways, whether you are treating a whole room or just the walls. We have worked with neighbours who have been equally affected by thin walls, floors and ceilings and worked together to treat the partition. This also means if you have a home cinema, music room or office not only can you not affect others around you but they you can also enjoy some peace and quiet in your own room.
