How to Soundproof a Ceiling without Construction – 10 Best Ways

by Jennifer Porterfield | Last Updated: March 26, 2021

Tired of your loud upstairs neighbors? If you’re looking to soundproof a ceiling without any type of construction in your home, then you’re in the right place! After our article on Soundproofing Basement Ceiling, we received a lot of positive feedback.

After receiving several requests to write an article on how to soundproof a ceiling in the house, I decided to get to work! I did some experimentation and research and came up with these 10 best ways to soundproof a ceiling without construction.

Table of Contents

• How to Soundproof a Ceiling without Construction – 10 Best Ways
  • 1. Look and Fix the Gaps and Cracks on the Ceiling
  • 2. Use Mass Loaded Vinyl
  • 3. Install Acoustic Foam Panels on Ceiling
  • 4. Place Acoustic Foam Egg Panel on the Ceiling
  • 5. Install One or Two Layer of Drywall on Ceiling
  • 6. Install Drywall with Resilient Channels
  • 7. Add Fiberglass Insulation
  • 8. Install MuteX Soundproof Material
  • 9. Install Green Glue Compound on Ceiling
  • 10. Maybe Construction is the only Solution
• Soundproofing a Ceiling – Conclusion

How to Soundproof a Ceiling without Construction – 10 Best Ways

The 10 best ways to soundproof a ceiling without construction are:

1. Look and Fix the Gaps and Cracks on the Ceiling
2. Use Mass Loaded Vinyl on Ceiling
3. Install Acoustic Foam Panels on your Ceiling
4. Place Acoustic Foam Egg Panels
5. Install One or Two Layer of Drywall on Ceiling
6. Install Drywall with Resilient Channels
7. Add Fiberglass Insulation
8. Install MuteX Soundproof Material
9. Install Green Glue Compound on Ceiling
10. Maybe Construction is the only Solution

1. Look and Fix the Gaps and Cracks on the Ceiling

This is one of the first steps to take when soundproofing a ceiling. I know this tip may seem obvious, but trust me this one problem can be worthy to fix if unnoticed this problem can hinder all the efforts that you have taken to soundproof your ceiling at home or office.

It’s quite unusual to find a hole in the ceiling but if the building is old or not build properly then there can be holes that couldn’t let you completely soundproof your home.

Identifying these gaps or cracks on the ceiling can be tricky, you need to clever here in identifying. One method that I follow is to use a torchlight on the ceiling and look from the other side if there is any light passing through, if there is light passing through the ceiling to the other floor then you have got gaps or cracks on your ceilings.

Once identified fixing them is not a big deal. You can use Green Glue Compound. I use them all the time and they work like a charm. According to me, the Green Glue Compound is the best soundproofing material in the world because of their effectiveness and value.

Just use this Green Glue Compound on those gaps and cracks. Close them using this green glue. Wait for a while for the glue to dry and you are good to go. One thing you need to keep in mind is that this Green Glue Compound is green in color so if your ceiling is not green color then you have got a problem.

One thing I did was, first I glued and then waited for a couple for weeks for the glue to dry. Then I painted over it and it worked really well and nobody could find out that I used glue.

If you need one more solution to completely soundproof your ceiling and also fix the cracks and gaps then you can pair up with a Soundproof Paint and Green Glue Compound. The green glue compound will fix the gaps and cracks that you identified and the soundproof paint will fill up the other small and minute gaps and cracks that you failed or couldn’t find.

This is a really important tip, that is why I have mentioned this one first. Make sure you do this first and then move on to the other best ways on soundproof a ceiling without construction in your home or apartment.

2. Use Mass Loaded Vinyl

I am sure that if you are into soundproofing then you would have heard about Mass Loaded Vinyl. Mass Loaded Vinyl is a perfect soundproofing material for the ceiling. Let me tell you why? Let’s take acoustic foam panel which is really popular soundproof material right now and it works well too.

But for the ceiling, Acoustic foam panel is quite bulky and heavy so its too much pressure on the ceiling that’s where Mass Loaded Vinyl comes to the rescue. Its perfect soundproofing material for the ceiling to be honest.

If you are looking for the Best Mass Loaded Vinyl Recommendation then I would recommend this Soundsulate Mass Loaded Vinyl which is perfect for ceiling and also other places too. Get that it’s really good.

One advantage of using Mass Loaded Vinyl to soundproof your ceiling is the looks of it. It will totally blend in with your colors and interiors perfectly whereas other soundproofing materials like foam panel will definitely ruin it. People will definitely look up at the ceiling whenever they visit your place so the looks are really important.

Mass Loaded Vinyl will help you reduce sound from passing through the ceiling. It is known to stop or absorb low to medium sound signals, which is really good. Let’s say you are looking to soundproof your apartment ceiling then Mass Loaded Vinyl will be perfect because the sound generated at home is low frequency so Mass Loaded Vinyl is perfect to stop that sound signal.

If you are looking to soundproof your studio’s ceiling then Mass Loaded Vinyl might now be so effective you can still use this with other methods that I have mentioned in this article to completely soundproof your ceiling.

3. Install Acoustic Foam Panels on Ceiling

Acoustic Foam Panel or also called Soundproof Panel Panels is the most popular soundproofing material and can be used for soundproofing a ceiling in your apartment.

This is the easiest method at the same time more effective than most of the other soundproofing material. Acoustic Foam Panels are mostly used in Studio to soundproof the studio but I tried experimenting with the ceiling and guess what, it worked like a charm. It was perfect.

The only con was that it didn’t blend with my paint color or the interiors at home, other than that its perfect to soundproof apartment ceiling. If foam panels are not suitable for you then check out these sound dampening curtains, it will help with the decor and soundproof window.

If you are looking for the cheap acoustic foam panel then you can refer this table below:

Picture	Name
	Foamily Acoustic Studio Foam Wedges	Check Price
	Mybecca Acoustic Foam Panels	Check Price
	Foamily Acoustic Egg Crate Panel	Check Price
	Auralex Acoustics Absorption Foam Panel	Check Price
	Mybecca Acoustic Foam Bevel Panels	Check Price
	IZO Soundproof Foam Panel	Check Price
	Auralex Acoustic Wedgies Foam	Check Price
	ATS Wedge Foam Acoustic Panels	Check Price
	A2S Soundproof Foam Panels	Check Price
	Beefoam Soundproof Foam Panels	Check Price

4. Place Acoustic Foam Egg Panel on the Ceiling

Acoustic Foam Egg Panel is more or less the same like Acoustic Foam Panel, the only difference is the egg type structural foam on the panel. If you ask me I would tell that these acoustic foam egg panels are made for the ceiling, they are not literally made for the ceiling but with my experiment, I found egg panels really effective when placed in the ceiling.

The Egg type of surface is super effective for soundproofing, the only cons are that they look ugly. other than that it’s perfect for soundproofing your ceiling. Acoustic Egg Panel is really thick so it provides really good insulation so better soundproofing.

If you looking for a recommendation then you can get this Foamily Red Acoustic Foam Egg Crate Panel, if you are getting this then you get to choose the color also. They have Red, Burgundy, and Charcoal. Buy the color that blends in with your wall paint and interior.

5. Install One or Two Layer of Drywall on Ceiling

You need to install one or two layers of drywall on your ceiling, I am sure that this is a very unique tip because most of the content creators never bothered to try so I went ahead and experimented with it and guess what it worked perfectly.

A Drywall is a soundproofing material that is made up of gypsum, viscoelastic, and ceramics. Drywall works perfectly in soundproofing the ceiling in an apartment or house. You can also try using two layers of drywall on the ceiling for ultimate ceiling soundproofing. But the installation of drywall on the ceiling is quite tricky so you need to get professional people to install it.

6. Install Drywall with Resilient Channels

If you need more effectiveness then you can try to install drywall with resilient channels. A resilient Channel is filling up the gap between the drywall and the ceiling which blocks the transmission of sound. This is not required but this will increase the effectiveness of the drywall when used on the ceiling.

If you are looking for a recommendation for Resilient Channels then you get this one from Amazon.com

By installing Resilient channels, we are distributing the sound through the small channels within the bar, so that the sound has to travel back and forth which makes the energy get weaker before it hits the drywall.

7. Add Fiberglass Insulation

Fiberglass Insulation is really good for soundproofing ceiling but it requires more work. If you don’t know what is fiberglass then fiberglass is a soundproofing material that is known to absorb the sound signals, which is much better than blocking sound signals.

Fiberglass insulation is really a good idea but it requires a lot of effort and manpower to install it on your ceiling. Also, it doesn’t look that good if you install it in the living room or bedroom ceiling. But it’s perfect for Garage or Storeroom ceiling.

8. Install MuteX Soundproof Material

MuteX Soundproof Material is an alternative to Acoustic Foam Panels but more like a mat. You can use this for ceiling soundproofing. Installation is really simple and easy.

MuteX is made up of two elements called Vinyl and High Mass.

Vinyl makes it’s more flexible. The High Mass element makes the material denser to absorb the sound signals.

MuteX Soundproof Material is very versatile. It can be used in House, Office, Cars, RV or Camper and many other places that require soundproofing or sound deadening. You can pair it with Acoustic Foam Panel or Drywall for more effectiveness. My suggestion would be Drywall, Drywall will be perfect pair with MuteX Soundproof Material.  You can also use this for doors which will help with door soundproofing.

9. Install Green Glue Compound on Ceiling

Green Glue Compound is one of my favorite soundproofing materials and a great solution for ceiling soundproofing. I had already mentioned green glue compounds before in this article where you can use this glue to fill the gaps and cracks on the ceiling. But this green glue compound does a lot more than that. I’ll tell you how this soundproofing material works.

Green Glue Compound is a converter. It converts the sound signal into heat waves. In simpler terms when a sound signal passes through this green glue compound, that sound signal would convert into heat waves instantly, making it soundless because heat waves do not make any sound.

There are two types of products from Green Glue Compound, they are

1. Green Glue Compound Tubes – 6 Tubes (828ml)
2. Green Glue Compound Bucket – 5 Gallon Bucket

10. Maybe Construction is the only Solution

This is sad but true, you might need to replace the ceiling altogether. Even after following all the nine soundproofing ceiling methods doesn’t work then there is a problem with the ceiling itself. Get professional help more like a Civil Engineer. Explain to them your problem and let them understand the issue completely. Ask them for their advice and suggestion.

Soundproofing a Ceiling – Conclusion

There’s nothing worse than having loud, obnoxious neighbors above you, keeping you from sleeping and distracting you. Your home is supposed to be your place of comfort. Hopefully one of these 10 ideas on how to soundproof a ceiling I provided will bring you peace of mind and the quiet home you deserve!

Let me know if you discover any new ways for soundproofing a ceiling and I will do my best to test it out and provide feedback and results.

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