by Jennifer Porterfield |
Last Updated: March 20, 2021 Looking for practical and doable ways to soundproof your drum room? Here’s a complete guide for you.
For people who are in love with drumming and reserved a room for that, it is a hard task to make their drum room soundproofed without getting help from professionals, and for that, you will be required to shell out a serious amount of money, which is painful.
However, for budget-conscious people who cannot afford such professionals, there are some ways that you can use to make a soundproof your room for drums.
Though there are thousands of guides circulating on the internet that you will find on this topic, the majority of them will not help you at all, and in the end, you will end up with nothing but wasting your time.
Being a drumming lover myself, I can understand your pain better than many, and that is the reason I have decided to share some practical and doable ways that will not only help you in making your existing room for drums soundproof but will also save your money. So, let’s jump in!
9 Best Ways to Soundproof a Room for Drums
- Locating the Right Place for soundproofing a drum room
- Use Carpets and Mats on the Above Floor
- Rearranging the Furniture Above the Basement
- Install Soundproof/Acoustic Foam Panels
- Sealing the Room for Drums Properly
- Soundproofing the Walls of the Drum Room
- Install Sound Absorbing Materials
- Use a Drum Shield for soundproofing a drum room
- Building a Separate Drum Space Within a Drum Room
How to Soundproof a Drum Room – 9 Best Ways
1. Locating the Right Place to Soundproof Drum Room
So the very first thing that you will need to do is to find the most suitable room where you can establish your drumming setup. In this regard, there are several factors that you will need to consider, including;
- The basic step is to locate a room that is as far as possible from the living areas in your house. For this purpose, we highly recommend auspicious rooms that don’t have windows and are without clutter, which will make it easy for you to adjust the soundproofing material easily.
- If you are unable to find such a room, you can consider the basement, which is a great option for this.
- Make sure you that you establish your setup in a room or basement that is not empty at all and has some furniture, such as shelve, closets, etc., which will help to reduce the noise factor.
The advantage of why you should consider basements for drumming is you will only need to focus on the ceilings to make them soundproof rather than working all across the walls of the room. Moreover, it is also a great option for people who are budget-conscious since it will not cost you a lot of money.
2. Use Carpets and Mats on the Above Floor to Soundproof Drum Room
Since almost all the houses have carpets and mats, which are also a good way to prevent noise coming from outside, such as footstep noise, TV noise, and other everyday noises.
The option is also cost-efficient, and you will only need to figure out the places from where the noise is coming. It would be best if you consider thicker and softer carpets and rugs because they absorb the noise better.
Requirements
- Carpets, Rugs, and Mats that are thicker and soft.
Here are some good options for Rugs and Mats that are built to be soundproofing,
- DUAL SURFACE: Perfect for use on both hard and soft surfaces. Simply place the latex side of the pad against the floor for hard surfaces and place the felt side of the pad against the floor for soft surfaces.
- PROTECTS FLOORING: Protects against abrasion and wear on all flooring types and reduces pile crushing from furniture.
- EXTENDS THE LIFE OF YOUR RUG: The added cushion from a rug pad provides a layer of protection to the foundation of your area rug giving it long lasting usability in high traffic areas.
- ADDS CUSHION: Provides an extra 0.25" of cushioning for a thick soft plush feel underfoot.
- NON-SLIP GRIP: The durable slip resistant rubber backing side provides precise placement and helps to prevent slipping, bunching, and wrinkles to keep the rug surface smooth on the floor and makes vacuuming easier.
- Safe and Premium Quality Gym Mat: Made of high-density EVA foam for long-lasting and reliable performance. Exercise mats conform to the safety requirements of US CPSIA, ASTM and EU EN71-1-2-3. innhom eva floor mats are durable, long lasting and support you a better cushion while protecting floors.
- Workout Mat Covers 46 SQ. FT: Each foam floor tile measures 23.6 inches x 23.6 inches x 0.4 inch (600mm x 600mm x 10mm). Package includes 6 BLACK and 6 GRAY interlocking foam tiles and 24 end borders for a seamless look. Puzzle mats cover up to 46 sq.ft (approx 4.3 sq.m) of floor space, making it a perfect workout and training accessory.
- Waterproof and Easy to Clean: Waterproof make interlocking foam mats easy to clean with damp cloth or mild soap. The foam floor tiles offer adjustable coverage—use less for smaller areas, or purchase more to expand your workout space. The puzzle piece mat can be cut to fit for custom size. Lay single piece or multiple pieces and it will fit almost anywhere.
- Easy to Assemble: Lightweight interlocking puzzle pieces with stitching design connect quickly and easily, and come apart just as simply for transporting or compact storage. It is easy to assemble and the puzzle exercise mats lock together tightly so they won’t break apart when being used.
- Durable Cushion and Multiple Uses: Each 0.4 inch thick foam floor mats are sturdy enough while providing a cushioned space. Each gym flooring mat is specially manufactured to make sure protection from rough and hard surfaces. Works great under heavy exercise machines to dampen vibration, reduce equipment noise, and protect your floor. Perfect exercise mats for home, gyms, workshops, garages, basement, fitness room or even children’s play areas.
3. Rearranging the Furniture Above the Basement to Soundproof Drum Room
Though you might find this step surprising since it requires you to work on the place located above the basement, rearranging the furniture above the basement is another helpful way to reduce the noise coming from the upward to the basement.
In this regard, consider the below steps;
- Try to place the heavy furniture, such as shelves, closets, and couches directly on the place that is exactly above the basement where your drum equipment is located
- Before moving the furniture, try to placemats under it
- Although this method also has some downsides, such as continually moving the furniture without locating the right place from where the noise is coming will only damage the floor, but at the same time, it has no cost. You can try the method if it helps, then that’s great. If it doesn’t, there is nothing to lose
4. Install Soundproof/Acoustic Foam Panels
Another solution to soundproof the basement is installing soundproofing or acoustic panels. Though you will need to shell out some bucks, if you really want to soundproof your basement, it is a great option. For those who want to establish their drum room setup in the basement, you will not need to install them all across the walls since the only area you want to cover, is the ceiling of the basement, which means they will not cost you more. While installing the soundproof panels, consider below steps;
- Place them properly against the walls and ceiling.
- Prefer places that are near your drum equipment and place them there.
- Before placing them, make sure there is no gap from where noise can penetrate.
There are different types of soundproof panels that include foam panels, Fabric panels, and Acoustic Wood panels.
Requirements
- Soundproof panels, either Acoustic wood panels, foam panels, or fabric panels.
Here are some of the best soundproof or acoustic panel options for your drum room
- Pyramid foam provides moderate sound control on walls or ceilings, especially ones not parallel to the floor. This product is best for when absolute sound deadening is not required, but moderate deadening is desired.
- Great for spot treating sound on walls in your studio or office - For use in recording studios, control rooms, Offices home studios, home entertainment theaters, Home Offices
- Product Care: Occasional Vacuuming of Dust.
- For professional acoustic control, sound dampening, acoustic treatment, noise reduction - Reduce waves, reverb and flutter echoes in smaller to medium sized rooms.
- MADE IN USA - Passes the CA TECHNICAL BULLETIN CAL 117-2013: Requirements. This is the Procedure and Apparatus for Testing the Smolder Resistance of Materials Used in Upholstered Furniture. This product, passes the requirements tested in the CAL 117-2013 procedure
- Size: 1" x 12" x 12" (approx) ; Noise Reduction: 80-90%; Color: Charcoal
- For decorative purposes, may be placed side by side with wedges, pyramids, eggcrates and bass traps.
- Eliminates Standing Waves And Flutter Echoes ; Reduces Unwanted Reflections; Reduces Unwanted Reflections
- Good for studios, recording studios, vocal booths, control rooms.
- Product Care: Occasional Vacuuming of Dust
5. Sealing the Drum Room
For those people who don’t have a basement in their house, they can reserve a room for drums. To make it soundproof, you will need to figure out the gaps from where the noise is coming in. You also have to ensure that you have covered all the holes regardless of how tiniest they are since high levels can easily manage to make its way through them.
The most common areas where these tiniest gaps can be found are doors and windows and air vents. To find out the gaps between doors and windows, here are some tips;
- Turning off the lights inside the room when the door is locked, keeping the lights on outside the room. Through this way, you will be able to easily find the gaps and fill them up with acoustic materials.
- Don’t ignore any gaps regardless of how small they are.
- Make sure there is no gap left that needs to be filled.
The most straightforward way to fill them up using a practical and most effective way is to apply medium density fiberboard material. You can use green glue, which is considered the best noise-proof glue. These materials are cost-effective and can be easily found through online stores.
- Applies in just minutes
- Independent lab tests prove that using Green Glue Noiseproofing Compound dissipates up to 90 percent of noise
- For best results, cure time is seven days and reaches peak performance 30 days after application
- Ideal for dissipating low frequency noise common with home entertainment and theater systems
Air vents are another significant concern through which the noise can easily pass through. However, you should also consider air ventilation factors while soundproofing those air vents, which might result in an unpleasant environment inside the room.
Requirements
6. Soundproofing the Walls of the Drum Room
Once you are done soundproofing all the existing gaps, now you will need to work on the walls of your room for drums. To do this, here are some tips;
- Try to place the furniture in the room tactically against the walls and cover the walls with shelves, closets, and other heavy furniture.
- Place them in a way that they serve as an extra layer to help prevent the outgoing and incoming noise through walls.
- If you have placed bookshelves, make sure it is filled with books and no place is empty.
- Line the walls with soundproof material which will help with the sound absorption. In this regard, drywall is a cost-efficient option, which is recognized for dampening the sound waves. Applying multiple layers of drywall sheets will increase the effectiveness of soundproofing.
The number of sheets is not defined, but the best practice is to mount a couple of layers and then observe the results. If that is not enough, you have the option to add more layers. Mounting these drywall sheets, you should consider using soundproof sealant material between them.
Requirements
- Place the heavy furniture properly against the walls
- Drywall sheets
- Soundproof sealant material
7. Install Sound Absorption Material
This is an advanced era, and you can easily find sound-absorption material. These items are not only cost-efficient but also pleasing to the eyes. This sound-absorption materials include;
- Acoustic Foam Panels
This type of soundproof foam panels is usually prepared from a polyurethane material that includes polyester, polyether, and melamine. These materials form open cells, both inside and across the panels. When the sound waves hit the foam, they get captured into those open cells, and as a result, they will lose the significant amount of noise. Using them you will easily soundproof a drum room.
- Each WEDGE comes uncompressed and in prime condition! The Wedges in the photo will be exactly what you get.
- Great for spot treating sound on walls in your studio or office - For use in recording studios, control rooms, Offices home studios, home entertainment theaters, Home Offices
- 12 Pack covers 12 square feet - Each tile is 1 square foot of 1 inch thick acoustic wedge
- For professional acoustic control, sound dampening, acoustic treatment, noise reduction - Reduce waves, reverb and flutter echoes in smaller to medium sized rooms.
- MADE IN USA - Passes the CA TECHNICAL BULLETIN CAL 117-2013: Requirements. This is the Procedure and Apparatus for Testing the Smolder Resistance of Materials Used in Upholstered Furniture. This product, passes the requirements tested in the CAL 117-2013 procedure
This type of blanket is a great and affordable option to prevent sound and to minimize the echo. These blankets prevent the passage of air, which means the passage of sound waves will also be blocked. They are another great option to soundproof your room for drums.
- Felt Type moving blankets are made of 70% recycled cotton fiber along with 30% PET fibers
- Moving pads each measuring 54" X 72"
- Pads are a Grey color with various colors or recycled threads
- Textile moving blankets are of excellent quality and made in North America
- Each blanket weights 1. 66 lbs having a tensile strength of 40lbs With 3mm thickness
Soundproof curtains are similar to the curtains every house owns, but they are designed in such a way that makes them a perfect choice to reduce noise within a room. They are made of a heavier and thicker material and contains various dense layers of fabric that are capable of absorbing a high degree of sound. This is yet another best option to soundproof a drum room.
- Ready Made: 2 panels per package. Each Classic Lined Curtain measures 52" wide x 95" long (Total width is 104"). The unique design of the silver grommet (1.6 inch inner diameter) creates casual elegance for your house, which makes the curtains easy to install and slide.
- Blackout Effect: The real blackout curtains on the market. Sew in black liner backing makes the drapes thick enough to completely keep out the sunlight and uv ray. The benefit is to offer you a real dark environment, bringing you a good night's sleep during the day.
- Noise Reducing: Heavyweight Blackout Lined Curtain Panels can be a good sense of drape, making the window completely closed, to cut noise down. The effect of absorbing sound is 2 times higher than the ordinary 1 layer of curtains so that at any time you are not disturbed by noise.
- Unique Design: Draperies constructed with 2 layers are all triple weave blackout fabric, balancing room temperature by insulating against summer heat and winter chill meanwhile protect privacy. No chemical coating, no formaldehyde, bring harmony to your family.
- Easy Care: Quality finishing will withstand years of use. Machine washable and Wash the water temperature below 86℉. Mild detergent no bleaching. Low temperature ironing. Don't use sharp things scratching curtains.
Requirements
- Foam Panels for Walls
- Soundproof curtains for doors and windows
- Soundproof blanket
Check out our extensive soundproof curtains reviews covering the top 10 noise reducing drapes for home
8. Drum Shield to Make a Soundproof Drum Room
If you are serious about making a soundproof drum room, then money shouldn’t be an issue since Drum Shields are heavy-budgeted ones. These shields prevent noise from traveling drum room to another. They are used by professional drummers to manage the stage sound when the drum sounds are high.
- DS4 5 panels Full 1/4" x 24 x 60 Crystal clear acrylic
- Total Height;5 ft.
- Acrylic drum shield and drum screen panels, for Drum sets, Adult Signature per Amazon Buyer Protection Policy.
- 12 Bright Chrome Hinges or Living Hinge (living Hinges can be added at an additional cost)
- Items over $55.00 will require a Adult Signature per Amazon Buyer Protection Policy. MADE IN THE USA ,Drum set not included
- Drum Shield- DS1 4 - 2ft. x 4 ft. Panels no Deflectors
- 4 section drum shield
- 4 PANELS Full 1/4" x 24 x 48 Crystal clear acrylic
- 6 Bright Chrome Hinges or Living Hinge which easily attach and hold panels tightly. (living Hiinges can be added at an additional cost)
- Items over $55.00 will require a Adult Signature per Amazon Buyer Protection Policy. MADE IN THE USA ,MADE IN THE USA ,
They serve as a cage for sound and prevent it from dominating the sound produced by other instruments. It is a perfect option for people who have high sound drums. Here some tips for placing drum shield;
- Place it in such a way that it covers them properly.
- Make sure there are no gaps under it.
- Make sure it is placed around the drum properly, and you have enough space to practice.
Requirements
- Drum Shield for capturing sound
9. Building a Separate Drum Space Within a Drum Room
Here is another effective but significantly heavy-budget option to make a Soundproof Drum Room is building a separate space within a drum room. To do that, you will have to shell out a serious amount of money, but all of that will be worth it.
You can build a separate space for drum practice, which will use a special material for walls and ceilings. Here are some tips when building one;
- Use sheetrock, green glue, and drywall material.
- Make sure there are no gaps around or above the walls and ceiling.
- Make sure it is completely airtight.
Requirements
- Sufficient space to set up drums.
- Special material, such as foam panels, or fabric panels to build walls and ceiling and roof.
- Sheetrock.
- Green Glue
To help you out making a soundproof drum room here is a video that’s quite useful
How to Soundproof a Room for Drums – Conclusion
For those who love drumming and need drum practice, yet the noise prevents them from doing, should worry no more! There are some practical ways that you can try to make your room for drums a soundproof place and practice there without any disturbance. Above are the most effective ways that you should try to soundproof a drum room. Some of them are budget-friendly, while some of them will make you shell out some money to achieve your goals.