What Is the Cheapest Way to Soundproof a Room?
Updated
The cheapest way to soundproof a room is to seal the door: in NRC Canada tests, weatherstripping a solid-core door took it from STC 22 to as much as 30, close to the STC 34 of a typical insulated wall (Quirt, Canadian Acoustics (opens in a new tab)). A roll of weatherstrip and a door sweep cost way less than anything you'd add to the walls.
Seal the stops on the sides and top, not just the bottom. Sound leaks out all the way around a door, the same way a draft does. Then move on to the next leaks:
- Walls: caulk the base and pad the outlet boxes. The cheapest way to soundproof a wall walks you through it.
- Windows: weatherstrip the sashes and re-glaze any loose panes. Those are two of the first fixes airport noise programs (opens in a new tab) make.
Watch out: rugs and acoustic panels are cheap, but they only cut echo inside the room. They won't block the neighbor. The soundproof panels guide explains the difference.
Even fully sealed, the best door here sits well under the STC 50 that code asks for between apartments (opens in a new tab). So sealing stops leaks. It won't make a room silent. You'll find more low-cost answers in the soundproof panels FAQ.