by Jennifer Porterfield |
Last Updated: February 26, 2024 Bathrooms are one of the most echoey rooms in your entire house due to the hard surfaces such as tiles, glass, and ceramic that repels sound instead of absorbing it, making even the slightest of noise echo inside and outside the room.
However, whilst the humorous sound of someone singing in the shower may not be too bothersome, there are certain bathroom noises you don’t want to echo through the room and the rest of the house for everyone else to hear.
If you’re hyper-aware about noises from your bathroom being heard by people in nearby rooms, then you’ll want to keep reading to find out some easy ways to soundproof your bathroom.
Some of our tips are more permanent and costly solutions whereas others are cheap to put in place and can also be undone which is great for renters.
Table of Contents
Soundproof The Floors
One of the easiest ways to soundproof your bathroom is by using mats or carpets in there to help absorb the noise, not only this but it also makes your bathroom floor more comfortable to walk on.
You can get mats and rugs with non-slip undercoating so it stays in place all the time.
There are so many rugs out there that you’ll be able to choose from so we do not doubt that you’ll be able to find one that suits your bathroom perfectly.
You may be wondering if you could carpet the entirety of your bathroom to absorb as much noise as possible, but we wouldn’t recommend this as the water can easily damage the material and can be harder to clean.
Soundproof Your Bathroom Walls
Adding another wall layer to your bathroom will help prevent sound from leaking between rooms and the best and cheapest material to do it with is drywall, which you can buy from your local home improvement store.
Before installing any drywall in your bathroom, look around for any cracks in the walls which could be the main culprit for leaking noise.
If you come across any then fill the crack or seal with joint compound sealant and then let it dry for a few hours before painting over or decorating to cover it up.
If you’ve got a rather large bathroom or one that is especially echoey, then you could consider installing acoustic panels on your walls or the installed drywall to absorb noise to keep the room as quiet as possible.
There are different colors and patterns of acoustic panels you can get so hopefully you’ll be able to find some that suit your bathroom decorations so they don’t stand out too much.
Soundproof Your Bathroom Door
Interior doors within the home are not the most reliable for absorbing noise hence why you’ll often be able to hear noises from down the hallway.
There’s no need to worry though as there are cheap and effective ways to solve this problem.
One of the easiest ways to fix this is by getting some self-adhesive weather stripping which can be installed around the door frame which helps to seal the gaps when the door is closed to prevent sound from leaking out.
Another simple solution to soundproof your bathroom door is putting a soundproof blanket over the back of the door and securing it in place.
Whilst they might not fit with the aesthetic of your bathroom, they are one of the cheapest and simplest ways of soundproofing your bathroom.
If you wanted a more permanent solution then you could opt for changing out the door for a more heavy-duty door one that soundproofs the bathroom more than the original door.
Install A Different Switch For The Fan
Many bathrooms are automatically installed with a fan, especially if there are no windows to ventilate the room properly.
However, some bathroom fans are automatically turned on when you turn the bathroom light on which means it creates a whirring sound every time you use the bathroom.
This can be rather annoying especially at night when you’re just going to use the bathroom rather than washing so there’s no need to have the fan on at all.
If this is the case then you may want to get an electrician in to create two separate switches for the fan and the light so it won’t automatically come on every time.
Soundproofing The Toilet
The toilet is the main source of noise in your bathroom with the constant flushing and slamming of the toilet seat when it’s closed.
To prevent the slamming, replace your current toilet seat with a padded or soft-closing one as this will minimize, if not prevent any noise.
As for flushing, you may need to add adhesive to the edges of the toilet tank (without the lid) and then place the lid back on (it should be tighter than before), now it should be quieter when you flush it.
Sort The Pipes Out
Old or loose pipes in your house can create a lot of noise and vibration, but you can do something to minimize this.
Look out for some pipe insulation at your local home improvement store to dampen the noise, or in turn, lower the water pressure in your home to minimize the noise when water is running.
What Else Can I Do To Reduce The Noise?
Bathrooms are often the most echoey room in your home as there’s barely any sound-absorbent furniture in there and most of the materials are hard surfaces and repel noise.
To help minimize the sound, place a pile of towels on a stand, add a rug or a bath mat to the floor, and even add a storage unit to keep all your toiletries neatly stored.
This may be a good time to add a laundry basket to your bathroom as the basket itself and the dirty clothes inside will be great sound-absorbing materials. You’ll also keep your bathroom tidier.
Ideally, the more things you have in your bathroom, the more sound will be absorbed and the less it will leak noise to the rest of the home.
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