Need to soundproof to help with severe ear condition.


I live in USA and have to avoid too much noise due to a severe ear condition, which is impossible with how loud the people I live with are, and how thin the walls are, plus a gap under my door that easily lets even more noise in. Since it seems as though there’s no way I can soundproof all of my bedroom (165.5 sq ft/15.37 sq m), with how much I think it would cost and how much airflow I think it would cut off, I’m thinking of setting it up so I can use my PC in my closet (15.17 sq ft/1.41 sq m). The problem I have is that I have no idea what soundproof curtains to get since I don’t know anything about them between brands, material, thickness, sellers, things like that.

My idea is to attach the curtain to the shelf above and just let it drape over. The distance up to the shelf is 85”/215.9cm, and going across I would need at least 85”/215.9cm, maybe more than that so it can also cover the wall in a U shape.

I also can’t figure out how to block out as much noise as possible without cutting off too much airflow since it makes my asthma worse from the lack of oxygen, like how leaving an opening at the top of the curtains would retain the airflow, but it might let too much noise in.

I was also thinking that multiple curtains to just layer on top of each other might be a good idea but I’m not sure. I’m just hoping to find out what the best curtains and methods would be, or maybe if anyone has better ideas on what I should do, so I’d really appreciate any help.

 

roksyk

What you will need to do is sound insulate all the walls of your bedroom that attach to the interior of the home.  You can ignore exterior walls.

First remove the sheetrock and insert solid core insulation.  Some of the solid core has noise attenuation numbers on it.  Home Depot carries it, and you can check with them on which is best for your area.  Make sure the solid core fits securely in the opening, no gaps!  I have used the paperback pink insulation, and it works quite well.  A couple of contractors have told me the solid core is much better. 

Another option, which is more money, is spraying expanding foam into the wall.  If you do this, you won't need to pull out the sheetrock.  But you will need to put another layer of sheetrock over the top of it with an air gap.  Use 5/8 inch Sheetrock for this.  Maker sure this second layer of sheetrock doesn't secure to the wall.  Secure it only to the edges of the wall, so the gap is open and not touching the wall itself.

If you went with the first approach, you will need to replace the 1/2 inch sheet rock with 5/8 inch.  Then put your second layer of 5/8 inch sheetrock over it with an air gap as I mentioned..  

The door needs to be treated.  Since this is a bedroom door, it most likely is a hollow core door.  You can drill holes in it and inject expanding foam into it, although the holes will be hard to conceal.  Another option is tacking thick heavy carpet over the entire door, overlapping the edges about 3 inches.  The carpet should drag on the floor carpet.  The carpet should be at least a half inch thick.  You can use a few layers to get the thickness you need.

Unless you have a serious subwoofer in play, that should pretty much eliminate any problems.  I wouldn't worry about the air vent.  If that is a problem, you will need to hire a sheet metal company to come in and make a new duct that blocks the sound yet allows the air to flow.

PS: Sound proofing isn't cheap, and it is a lot of work.  It is also expensive if you hire someone to do it.  If you hire someone, make sure they have experience in sound proofing.

I wonder if these ear plugs would help - made by a hearing aid company, they don't muffle the sound, rather reduce DB at least 20 DB evenly across the audio spectrum, so speech, TV, music,etc sounds correct and clear. I use them at family dinner, movies, airplanes and can wear them comfortably for about 10 hours. Etymotic Research ER20 ETY available amazon