When it comes to planning how to soundproof a shed, you can feel a bit overwhelmed by how you are going to accomplish it. Sheds are not usually built like your house with solid walls that you can easily reduce noise inside.
Instead, the majority of sheds I know are made of wood. This can make it challenging. Because there are a lot of spaces between the woods sound can pass throughout the structure.
However, if soundproofing is done properly, you can easily use the shed as a drum room, an office, put the generator there, or even a recording studio. Supposing you don’t have enough space in your room.
So does that mean before you can build a soundproof shed, you need a professional to do it for you?. Well, if you have enough money to hire one, they will build your soundproof shed for you. But it will come at a higher cost.
The other route you can take is to soundproof the shed yourself. This will be relatively cheaper. So if you are like me who likes DIY projects, you might want to save yourself some money by doing it yourself.
To keep sound inside or outside of the shed, you will need to consider reducing noise through the door, windows, walls, and ceiling.
This way, the shed will be better at reducing the noise inside it.
Considerations Before Soundproofing A Shed
Sheds don’t necessarily have the biggest rooms in the home. Mostly they are made for storing gardening or other house items. So space isn’t always there.
So, it is important to consider how large the space is in your shed before you embark on any soundproofing project.
This is because the soundproofing materials will occupy additional space and you need need to know how much space will be remaining and whether it can still serve your purpose. For example, there is no need to soundproof your shed for drums only to realize that the drums won’t fit in or you won’t get a space to sit and practice.
So, take all factors into consideration before you embark on projects like how to soundproof a wooden shed or how to build a soundproof shed.
Here are techniques to use to soundproof your shed.
How to Soundproof a Shed Cheap
Whether you want to soundproof a shed for drums or an office, It is important to know that, need to consider all the weak spots and thin walls to make it happen. You might not be able to eliminate noise completely, but at the end of the day, you will be able to reduce the noise drastically.
Here are ways to soundproof the shed in your home to reduce noise from getting in or out,
1). Soundproof the Shed Door-Using Weatherstripping, Blanket, or Curtains
When it comes to how to soundproof a shed door, you need to seal off all the gaps between the door and the frame and also the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor.
A door can give you a lot of noise problems if not tackled properly. The reduce your noise soundproofing efforts.
To soundproof the door, you need weatherstripping tape to seal the door frame and possibly the under of the door if the gap there isn’t wide. However, if the gap between the door bottom and the floor is slightly wider such that the weatherstripping tape won’t work, you will need to use a door sweep to block it.
Door sweeps are effective at blocking noise and insects from entering a room through the under of the door. Door sweeps come in different types. Some are made of rubber, other plastic, and a combination of the two.
But I have found the rubber door sweeps to last longer and anytime you wish, you can always remove them.
The next step after sealing all gaps will be to add a sound-absorbing material to the door if it’s a hollow door and not thick enough to block noise.
To achieve this, you can hang a soundproof blanket or soundproof curtain to help block and absorb some of the sound energy before it lives or enters the shed. Check out these soundproof curtains for noise reduction in one of our articles.
Soundproof blankets are thick and denser and can greatly reduce loud sounds. Using them will help increase the door’s ability to block noise.
2). Soundproof the Shed Walls
This is one of the crucial steps you have to take if you want to reduce shed noise. Whether you are trying to soundproof a metal shed or wooden shed, the walls of most sheds are usually thin or there are gaps between the wood that sound can leak through.
If your shed walls are made of wood, then one of the best ways to soundproof a wooden shed will be to use soundproof drywall with sound dampening compound sandwich in between them.
Adding mass to the wooden shed will decrease the noise. Soundproof drywall and green glue soundproofing compound is a great way to reduce both airborne and impact sounds.
Soundproof drywall is a great way to add extra mass to the walls. Plus, they are inexpensive.
This sandwiching damping technique can be used to create soundproof walls as well as ceilings.
The other soundproofing product that is effective at airborne noise is the soundproof foam panel. These foam panels are made of foam that can block noise. They reduce echoes and reverberations in rooms.
If you intend to use the room for music, generator, or studio, you might want to consider using the acoustic foam panels. These panels are mostly found in studios.
The soundproof foam panels are also affordable and they come in different sizes, colors, shapes, and thicknesses. There are some that are even made of fiberglass material and are even more effective than the usual acoustic foam panels.
Installing these acoustic panels is easy. Most of them already come with a self-adhesive that you simply need to peel and stick to the walls. Some however do not. In such a case, you get foam tape separately and stick them to the walls.
Another good thing about these foam panels is that they are easy to maintain. If they are dirty, all you need to do is dust them off and they are good-looking again. Because of their spongy nature.
These panels improve the acoustic quality of the room and are a good investment for soundproofing sheds.
3). Soundproof the Shed Floor
If your shed floor is made of wood or other materials that sound can escape through, then you have to soundproof it to avoid angry neighbors. Sound can pass through a wooden floor and escape out.
Since our efforts are to reduce the noise from leaking out to disturb our neighbors and other people, it will be good to cover the floor with a sound absorb or blocking material.
There are many ways to soundproof a shed floor. Some of which include;
Carpeting the floor. This involves placing a thick carpet on the floor. Thick carpets are made of dense materials that can absorb sounds such as footsteps and other bouncing sound waves in the shed.
The only downside to carpets is that, if it is the woolen carpet type, they are not easy to clean when they get dirty.
If you are concerned about cleaning a carpet, then you can use a rubber floor mat like an exercise puzzle mat; the ones they use in the gym, or even wooden floor tiles.
The rubber floor mat or floor tiles are alternatives to the carpet if you think a carpet will easily get dirty.
These rubber floor mats are easy to install and maintain. To install, you simply join them together like a puzzle. If they are dirty, all you have to do is wipe them. Cleaning them doesn’t require much compared to carpets. For more on soundproofing floor materials, you can get my recent article on ways to soundproof a floor in apartments.
4). Soundproof the Shed Windows
Some sheds have windows on them. If yours is one of those, it might be best to look into soundproofing it. I am by no means saying block out your entire window and prevent air from entering.
In a room is very vital for survival and you shouldn’t sit in a room that is completely lockout with no air at all. But you should also underestimate your windows too.
You can reduce noise through the window by sealing all the gaps and cracks on the window frame. You can do this by using the green glue and the weatherstripping tape I mentioned above.
The green glue will fill any hole that is on the window while you use the weatherstripping tape to seal the window peripheral that might have gaps between the window itself and the window frame.
Now, it is time to cover thin windows with a thick soundproof material that will be able to block sounds from entering or leaving the shed through the windows.
There are many ways to soundproof a window, you can use a soundproof blanket or soundproof curtain to cover the window.
They are thick enough to block inside and outside noise. You can even hang both if you want. Curtains are more appealing, so do hang the blanket at the back and put the curtain in front of it to cover it up.
5). Soundproof the Ceiling
A weak ceiling will let the sound out or in. So soundproofing the ceiling is important.
Soundproofing the roof is something that is often overlooked when thinking about soundproofing a shed.
If you want good effects, though, you will have to pay some attention to soundproofing the roof as well.
You can soundproof the ceiling in many ways.
One of the best ways to soundproof your shed ceiling is by using acoustic panels. Just like how I discussed above on how to soundproof a shed wall, those same methods can be applied to the ceiling.
The best way is to place some acoustic panels on the roof as well.
And, again, keep in mind that you need to take good care of it and vacuum it regularly to prevent dust from getting deep into the panels.
The other soundproofing technique you can use is to add an additional layer of drywall to the roof if it’s made of wood. You can use two soundproof drywall with green glue sandwiched between them.
This method will increase the ceiling mass and reduce noise from getting out or getting inside of your shed.
Also, check out other ways to soundproof a ceiling.
6). Plan for Electrical Outlets
Electrical outlets are important for electrical connections that you might have. If you arent even dealing with stuff that will require electricity, you might still want to plan for your fan or air conditioner.
Considering the fact that soundproofing the shed with less air coming inside, you need to consider a fan or air conditioner.
Or maybe your shed already has outlets, you simply need to fill the gaps around the outlets with a soundproof compound like the green glue mentioned above. This will tightly seal those gaps to prevent sound from passing through them.
Whether you are looking to soundproof a shed for drums or for a podcast, These above soundproofing shed tips will help you to reduce noise levels.
Soundproofing a shed doesn’t have to cost you too much. You can use your shed for various activities such as studio, music practice room, your home office, and just about any activity that works for you.
The only problem is always noise. Sheds are most poorly built compared to normal home buildings. Soundproofing your shed will definitely need a plan and budget. But I believe if you plan it properly, you will cut down costs and reduce noise in your shed.
I hope these tips here were helpful in your search for ways to soundproof your shed.
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