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Becks
02-14-2011, 03:31 AM
Hey guys a little background behind myself is that I am in a fraternity. We rent run down row homes to have parties at... one problem we have been having lately are the police.. When having parties with over 200 kids the sound is our biggest problem.. I am looking for cheap affective methods to sound proof. Any one know of or have any methods? Cheapest is best. Thank You ...Becks

grats
02-14-2011, 03:42 AM
egg cartons... seriously.. they're really good, put em all around wall


for "cheap"

Smartzkid
02-14-2011, 04:19 AM
Styrofoam insulation sheets are pretty effective. They are light enough that you can tape them to the walls without too much adhesive. You can add a layer of drywall and paint it if you want it to look nice.

Cafeteria tables work well - especially when they are stuffed with dense material. Newspaper works well here. If you can find these tables used, they'll be extremely cheap.

Filled bookshelves work as well. Used bookshelves are very easy to acquire, often for free. Library sales and middle schools are great places to get bunches of cheap books.


Rugs can dampen the sound reaching the floors below. Additionally, they dull the sounds from people moving (and falling :p).


If you need to stop sound from reaching higher floors, there isn't much you can do without putting a good amount of effort in. I've seen people use thick cotton cloths attached to the ceiling, but it looked terrible. If you plan the color/pattern of your cloth, you can probably pull it off without looking too bad. If you're bold, you can add another layer of drywall to the ceiling - this will be a pain if you have any overhead lighting fixtures or fans, but it works wonders.

grats
02-14-2011, 04:29 AM
Styrofoam insulation sheets are pretty effective. They are light enough that you can tape them to the walls without too much adhesive. You can add a layer of drywall and paint it if you want it to look nice.

Cafeteria tables work well - especially when they are stuffed with dense material. Newspaper works well here. If you can find these tables used, they'll be extremely cheap.

Filled bookshelves work as well. Used bookshelves are very easy to acquire, often for free. Library sales and middle schools are great places to get bunches of cheap books.


Rugs can dampen the sound reaching the floors below. Additionally, they dull the sounds from people moving (and falling :p).


If you need to stop sound from reaching higher floors, there isn't much you can do without putting a good amount of effort in. I've seen people use thick cotton cloths attached to the ceiling, but it looked terrible. If you plan the color/pattern of your cloth, you can probably pull it off without looking too bad. If you're bold, you can add another layer of drywall to the ceiling - this will be a pain if you have any overhead lighting fixtures or fans, but it works wonders.

Agreed, I see a lot of people with Styrofoam + egg cartons in dorms etc

bbri06
02-14-2011, 05:59 AM
It seems like it would look a little bit ridiculous to have styrofoam and egg cartons all over your walls...

Hobbit
02-14-2011, 06:11 AM
I had to make a makeshift audio recording room once, egg cartons work AMAZING. Especially when you take cotton swabs or cotton batting or anything like that and put it in the voids behind them.

grats
02-14-2011, 06:26 AM
I had to make a makeshift audio recording room once, egg cartons work AMAZING. Especially when you take cotton swabs or cotton batting or anything like that and put it in the voids behind them.

That's a great idea I'll have to share that


It seems like it would look a little bit ridiculous to have styrofoam and egg cartons all over your walls...

Makes you look like a party animal imo

lordsaturn
02-14-2011, 02:45 PM
Matresses and stuff up on the wall. Any thick foam-like material will do too.

Hobbit
02-14-2011, 04:15 PM
Matresses won't work as well for his situation. I'm assuming since its a party that the main source of noise is a large group of people all talking at the same time at an elevated level, and maybe some music? If you use matresses they usually have like 3/4 inch foam padding, 7inches of hollow space with springs which will vibrate from the sound further amplifying it, then another small part of foam. If you used solid core mattresses that would word decent but it'd still be better if you put something like egg cartons still on top of it. The shap of the egg cartons capture the sound and deaden it. It's because there are virtually no corners or edges and no flat spots the the sound waves have very little to bounce straight off of. Then whatever padding is behind it further dampens any sound that has gotten through the thin egg carton.

They even have acoustical deadening foam shaped like egg cartons and is even called egg crate foam :p I would t suggest that though... Very expensive :p

Becks
02-14-2011, 08:50 PM
I had to make a makeshift audio recording room once, egg cartons work AMAZING. Especially when you take cotton swabs or cotton batting or anything like that and put it in the voids behind them.

I am most likley using this idea I will post some before and after pictures.

tofurocks
02-15-2011, 03:27 AM
I am most likley using this idea I will post some before and after pictures.
Good luck finding enough egg cartons :norris:

Hobbit
02-15-2011, 03:47 AM
Good luck finding enough egg cartons :norris:

It's really not that hard, just go to restraunts, bakeries, grocery stores etc, if you ask really nicely and tell them you are a Student working on a school project most of them will save them for your. That's what I did :)

cause
02-15-2011, 06:18 PM
Thats smart, you could also try using couch coushins (free off of craigslist?)