If you’re a musician, you know that practice is essential. Plus, you love to play – that’s why we do it!
But the reality is that not everyone is as enthusiastic as you are, and your neighbors don’t want or need to hear you repeat that super tough passage dozens of times in a row.
So, you’ve decided that it’s time to soundproof that wall, and you want to know how much you can expect to spend for actual results. (Hint: egg crates, while cheap and readily available, are never the solution.)
Read on to learn about the price range of different, effective methods of reducing the sound that travels through your wall. But first, a little useful background knowledge of the behavior of sound and what soundproofing actually means.
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Sound Moves Like Water
A simplistic comparison, to be sure. But it’s important to know that sound, like water, will find a way.
If your wall has vents or electrical boxes, you can treat the entire wall dutifully, but sound waves will simply seep through those weak points anyway, negating your entire effort.
Soundproofing vs. Acoustic Treatment
You’ve likely landed here because of a very common misconception about the word “soundproof”. In fact, you cannot effectively soundproof a wall.
Actual soundproofing can really only be done to an entire room and is done at the construction level. It involves everything from floating floors to decoupled walls and layers upon layers of different acoustic absorption materials and methods.
What we’re discussing when we talk about “soundproofing” a wall is acoustic treatment. Within a soundproof room, acoustic treatment makes the room sound better.
But for our purposes here, certain acoustic treatments work to absorb sound and can reduce transmission from one side of a wall to your neighbor’s or a loved one’s work/study space next door.
Knowing the difference may help you when researching materials to purchase or working with a professional.
Pricing: Low to High
The price for soundproofing a wall, for an average 80 square foot wall, ranges from about $150 for basic DIY approaches to $2,000 for professional help.
These are some of the most common methods for acoustically treating a wall, beginning with direct-to-wall treatments.
Textured Wall Panels
Applying textured panels to your wall can be a stylish, simple method of acoustic treatment.
They come in a variety of designs and are easily installed directly on your wall using special glue. You will pay around $150 to $300 for materials.
Textured wall panels work by diffusing sound across three-dimensional mounts and bumps. It is important to note that they do not absorb sound. As such, this solution works best for lower-impact noise.
Soundproof Paint
Another choice that is relatively easy and allows you some artistic license is soundproof paint.
It provides a thick, rubber-like coating to your wall that deadens sound to reduce what’s being transmitted through your wall. You will pay around $160 to $320 for this project.
Mass-Loaded Vinyl (MLV)
For a versatile, effective acoustic treatment, consider mass-loaded vinyl, which goes for about $250 for 100 square feet of product.
Mass-loaded vinyl is composed of high-density organic salts, sand, and small particles of metal.
Due to the varied nature of these materials, it can absorb any frequency of noise. It also works against both airborne and impacts noise.
You can apply MLV directly to your wall or use it in between layers of drywall, which we will explore later.
Acoustic Foam
Acoustic foam tiles are what many people envision when they think about soundproofing. These lightweight, sturdy foam wedge tiles are commonly used in recording spaces to shape the room.
Easy to install, they are most effective at absorbing mid and high-range frequencies.
There are numerous products on the market, but you can expect to pay about $120 to $400 to treat your wall with acoustic foam.
High Price, High Impact
For the most effective ways to reduce your noisy impact on whoever is on the other side of that wall, you’re going to have to renovate a bit.
It may also be time to consider hiring a professional. (Renters who can convince their landlords to let them pursue these projects should get a gold medal …)
Rockwool & Insulation
This is the stuff a recording studio might use. Rockwool offers a kind of insulation for your wall that is specially designed to absorb sound, and it works very well.
Speak with a professional to explore other types of insulation, but this type of product will cost around $80 to $160 just for materials.
You will need to repair the wall after installation, and a professional handyman or contractor may charge between $15 to $65 per hour of labor.
Soundproof Drywall
For the ultimate in noise reduction products, consider soundproof drywall. Not surprisingly, this is the most expensive and arguably the most effective option at about $50 or more per panel.
Due to the addition of viscoelastic and ceramics to the inner layer, soundproof drywall has a higher Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating than regular drywall.
A project of this nature comes with numerous choices affecting price. You could build a new wall using this product, or you could construct a new wall on top of your current wall using soundproof drywall.
At this point, you might want to consider using something like Green Glue and MLV for added sound absorption.
Depending on whether or not you choose to engage professional help, this project can climb into the $1,000 plus range.
Decoupling
Moving up the price ladder, you can also choose to decouple your wall using sound isolation clips or resilient channels.
Solutions like these work by isolating your drywall from the studs, thereby dissipating the sound waves before they have a chance to transmit through the wall.
You can certainly elect to exclusively decouple a wall yourself for less than $300 in materials. Again, you may need professional help at $15 to $65 per hour of labor.
For the ultimate acoustic wall treatment, it is worth considering combining products and methods.
So, for example, if you’re going to decouple, why not add Rockwool and Green Glue and use soundproof drywall?
Factor in soundproofing professionals at $75 to $200 per hour, and a project like that will certainly set you back a few thousand bucks.
Ultimately, it’s hard to be a good neighbor when you love to play music. By spending $150 to $2,000, you can take honest measures such as these to reduce your impact!
Moreover, soundproofing would also increase the value of your home, since it is very in-demand these days!
