How Do I Sound Proof My Home Cinema?

Sound proofing a room can be very important in a home cinema, the whole experience can be spoiled by external noise intruding in the room - imagine the washing machine spinning away when you are trying to enjoy a quiet moment. The benefits of sound proofing also apply to sealing the room off from the rest of the house and the neighbours - you'll soon become unpopular if non-movie fans are made to endure loud explosions or music tracks!

How does Sound travel?

Sound waves travel in any direction and can be transmitted by the fabric of the house. These paths can be through floor joists and a high end subwoofer system can even vibrate a concrete floor slab! Low bass channels can be particularly troublesome - escaping through small gaps in the ceiling and walls. Not only does this escaping noise irritate other parties it stands to reason it is reducing the overall effect of the home cinema.

How can it be Controlled?

There are several ways to control sound as it travels through the air. Walls and ceilings break up sound and plasterboard will stop a certain amount of noise leakage, particularly high end frequencies. To really control the sound a void needs to be created between one wall and another - this stops the easy path through wall joists. This void can then be filled with a variety of media, several companies make products of varying thickness. Open honeycomb panels are one option which are designed to reflect wound waves numerous times until they run out of energy and cease to be a problem. Another option is dense rockwool, which resembles insulation, and is designed to absorb sound waves. The best solution we have found is a pressed poly-vinyl noise barrier made by Acoustiblok which takes up very little room (so no need to sacrifice too much room space), it comes in 3mm and 6mm varieties and is installed between the stud and dry wall. The product is so effective it is more efficient than lining your home with lead sheeting!

Written by:

Dave Chester

Custom Controls

http://www.CustomControls.co.uk

Custom Control & Entertainment Solutions - Home Cinema, Multi-Room Audio Video, Home Automation & Lighting Control. Premier Dealers for Crestron, Kaleidescape, Lutron and Bowers & Wilkins.

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