Sheds make the perfect place to house a new drum kit, guitar or massive sound system. If you fail in soundproofing your shed your neighbors may not be too excited about your new purchase.
Soundproofing your shed is necessary if you want to be able to use your drum kit in there without making enemies or if you simply want to use it as a place to reduce the sound of your generator.
Soundproofing a shed is perfectly feasible however it does have a few unique challenges. While the basic principles of soundproofing still apply, you will generally be working on a fairly basically built structure with little pre-existing sound resistance.
When you soundproof a room in a house, a garage, or a basement you normally have a solid structure to start with whereas most sheds are not as thick or solid. The wood and other materials used are generally thinner and the finish is not as perfect.
This means that there will be more gaps and more areas for sound to escape from.
That is not to say it cannot be done just that it will require a fair amount of effort. Obviously, you can call in a professional crew but that will add significantly to the cost. If you want to tackle your shed soundproofing as a DIY project, we will guide you through the options and the process.
The first step is to determine how comprehensively you want your soundproofing to be. To get it close to perfect for sound recording will be difficult and rather costly. If you want to reduce noise coming in and out you could go for a less expensive solution. You could add some mass to the structure and use foam or other ideas to absorb some sound.
Your requirements and available budget should be considered.
Things To Consider Before Soundproofing Your Shed:
To properly soundproof your shed, you will have to sacrifice a fair amount of space to complete the box within a box method.
Most sheds are not very big.
Take measurements and calculate the amount of space you will lose with the soundproofing process.
You do not want to invest in the supplies and start, or even finish the project, only to find that the shed is no longer large enough for your needs.
Also, consider that the existing windows might be an issue and you might have to cover them up to achieve quality soundproofing. This will mean that more light is required. Be sure to budget for this.
Tools You Will Need for Soundproofing your shed:
Before you get started, make sure you have all the necessary tools on hand. You will need the following:
- Tape measure
- Caulk gun
- Drill
- Utility knife
- Dust mask
- Screw gun
- Taping knife
Steps To Soundproofing Shed:
1. Seal Up All Gaps
This should be the first step and often the last step as well. For effective soundproofing, you want the area to be as airtight as possible.
Sheds, in particular, are likely to have a lot of gaps, cracks or holes. Check around door frames, windows and anywhere pipes or cables go through the wall.
Buy a good quality acoustic caulk. This product is quick and easy to use. A quality acoustic caulk is specially designed for this purpose and will remain soft and flexible allowing it to last and remain effective for many years.
2. Cover The Shed Floor
In a basement or garage, this would not be a major issue but is advisable in a shed as sound can easily escape through the simple wooden floor. Again, as above, first fill in all the gaps and cracks.
You then have two options.
Depending on your budget and requirements, you could either go for a carpet or rubber matting. Both are fairly effective but the rubber mats are easier to clean and a bit more durable. You get interlocking mats that are really easy to work with and look great.
3. Use Mass Loaded Vinyl To Soundproof Your Shed Walls
Here the real soundproofing begins. Perhaps the best and most economical way to soundproof an existing wall is to add a layer of Mass Loaded Vinyl over the existing plasterboard or wall covering. This is a very high density, very thin sheet of vinyl that has very good sound blocking properties. The heavier the product the better the soundproofing.
Mass Loaded Vinyl is very easy to cut and install. The product contains a fabric scrim with an embossed face increasing tear resistance whilst maintaining high flexibility.
Walls / ceilings / underfloors – the product should be tacked to studs / joists using tacks with large heads or incorporating a washer to minimize tear. Gluing is also beneficial.
Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV) can be glued to machinery housings, pump housings, boat or car structures to increase the mass and reduce sound transmission.
Then you can then just paint, or for better aesthetics and further soundproofing, you can add Peel & Stick acoustic tiles, or another layer of Soundchek acoustic plasterboard over the top of the MLV.
If you have this structure wall to ceiling and it is correctly done, your room will be very well soundproofed.
4. Soundproofing Your Shed Windows
This is obviously an important issue and most sheds will have a few windows.
A thin sheet of glass will do little to prevent noise going in both directions, in and out.
If you have built a complete room within a room as described above, you could either leave the windows out altogether or create special soundproof windows in the area where existing windows are.
First, ensure the existing shed windows have good rubber seals. Then you have a few options. There are plastic sheets that one can buy that you could glue directly onto the pane of glass.
This will make it thicker.
Another alternative is acrylic windows that provide more soundproofing than thin glass. You can also get fairly inexpensive soundproofing curtains or blankets to cover existing windows, however this will have only a minimal impact.
If you are creating a decoupled room inside your shed with double walls, use thick glass for the windows and align with the existing shed windows.
Ideally, you want acoustic glass consisting of two glass sheets sandwiching a third thinner sheet for maximum effect. Make sure the new windows are perfectly sealed.
5. Soundproofing Shed Tip: Reduce Sound Leakage Through The Doors
Another weak spot in many soundproofing projects is the door. Any area that is not effectively soundproofed will reduce the impact of all other efforts so do not neglect anything.
Shed doors are notoriously poorly fitting. Again, if you have created a perfect, double walled room within a room then that should have its own double door with the same insulating compound. It should also be correctly sealed with rubber.
It does, however, still pay to give the existing shed door the same treatment. Ensure there is a good rubber seal at all points where the door makes contact with the doorframe. Obviously, you also need to seal up any cracks around the doorframe with acoustic caulk.
6. Soundproofing Shed Tip: Double Check Everything Is Sealed Up
As we said with the first step, go back again with your acoustic caulking and check there are no gaps or areas where sound can transfer. If you spot any, give them a quick seal with the caulking gun.
7. Airflow Considerations
Obviously, if you are going to make the soundproofed room airtight, you will need to ensure you have good airflow. Account for the size of the area and install sufficient inlet and outlet vents and fans.
It is not only the people that need to breathe but all the equipment used in the room will also need air. When selecting a fan, find one designed for use in that environment, in other words, a silent fan.
8. Don’t Forget To Account For The Electrics
Make sure you plan everything correctly right from the start. You do not want to go back and cut up or drill into your soundproofing when it is complete. Make sure you plan and account for all power, cabling and lighting requirements.
Makes sure that all areas where cables go through the soundproofing material are tightly sealed so that there are no gaps.
As you can see, while it is not easy to soundproof a shed, it is possible it just requires a clear plan.
Using the room within a room concept, any space can be made soundproof, even a rickety old shed full of gaps and no insulation can be made soundproof with good planning and effective implementation of soundproofing techniques.
Start with a good plan and take it one step at a time. The end result will be well worth it when you can play your new drums without upsetting people.
Soundproofing Products Australia online store sells a wide range of thermal and acoustic insulation products. We also sell Mass Loaded Vinyl, Nuwrap Pipe Lagging Insulation, Polyester Insulation, Fibertex Rock-wool, Knauf Earthwool, Fletchers Pink Batts, and Bradford Acoustic Batts.
If you have any questions or require a particular delivery quotation, don’t hesitate to Contact Us! You can also get a free obligation quote. Check out other insulation supplies in Soundproofing Products Australia
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