Do it Yourself Home Soundproofing


With continued urban sprawl, homes are being built closer together and space is becoming more of a commodity. Neighborhoods are now being built close to noise polluting airports, under popular flight paths, near railroad tracks and other places that are not as peaceful and quiet as we wish them to be.

Dampening or eliminating the noise is now easier with sound barriers and noise absorbers offered by American Micro Industries.

You should take the following important considerations to mind:
  • Foam does not block sound, it used to absorb the echo or reverberation in an area. Our acoustic vinyl barrier materials block sound.
  • Windows are the path of least resistance for noise entering or leaving your home. In terms of windows, the most sound porous are single glass pains and wooden window frames. Using double pane glass alone can quickly reduce noise.
  • If your home is older, your attic may lack insulation. Not only will adding insulation help reduce your energy bills; it can also help in your endeavor to soundproof your home. The insulation itself will not block noise, only our QuietBarrier™ material will provide the best results. The insulation will help reduce the resonance in the wall or ceiling.
  • To prevent sound traveling within your home, your hallways should be built so that doorways are never across from one another. Since air is what enables sound to travel, drafts between rooms carries noise through open doors.
  • Each room in your home should have at least of some type of absorbent material such as soundproofing foams, faced acoustical foams and impact reducing padding underneath carpet. Meeting this minimum will reduce the echo and impact noise generated by footsteps, televisions, instruments, stereos, pets and other noise producers.
  • To block noise in your home, you can add a second layer of drywall in conjunction with a sound barrier material such as our QuietBarrier™. For rooms facing heavy traffic or noisy streets, double drywall with QuietBarrier™ between the layers will greatly reduce the noise entering most homes.
  • Rooms over living areas should have our ImpactBarrier™ installed under the carpet or hard wood to eliminate impact and airborne noise.