All the machinery and power tools that come along with your woodworking tasks can produce a ton of noise. Let me help you with how to soundproof a workshop.
Woodworking is one of the few fun skills you can learn to keep yourself busy and make you some money on the side. Woodworkers are respected for the quality woodworks they produce whenever they enter their workshops.
Woodworking can be LOUD
While everyone loves to see the beautiful pieces of the woodwork the carpenter produces at the end of the day, nobody looks forward to the very disturbing and discomforting noise that accompanies the sawing, cutting, reshaping, carving and all other activities that make up the entire woodworking process.
Whether you are a professional woodworker or a part-time woodworker, you must have to look into the plight of the complaining neighbors. You may think they have no reason to complain and try to ignore them, but the best thing would be to find a way to resolve the problem.
Let me tell you the truth
The truth about woodworking is that no one living or doing business near your workshop looks forward to seeing you step into your workshop to get some woodwork done. One thing everyone, including your wife and children, dread about your work is the deafening noise that accompanies your time and works in your workshop.
Just the sight of you carrying your saws and other carpentry tools would make everyone run for cover and keep them searching for any device with which they can cover their ears and hear less of the noise coming out of your workshop. No one loves the sound of your tools while you craft those beautiful woodworks. That is just the honest truth.
Also think about your neighbours
But the good news is that you can actually find a way around all the noise coming from your workshop while you work. You can step into your workshop at any time of the day or night without disturbing anybody. Most modern woodworkers have found ways to silence the entire noise by soundproofing their workshop.
Soundproofing your workshop will stop the stream of complaints coming from your neighbors. There are several effective soundproofing techniques you can use to soundproof your workshop and eliminate the whole noise. In this post, we will look at some of these soundproofing tips and techniques. Before we go into how to soundproof a workshop, it is important we help you understand a few things about the science of sound and noise.
Understanding the noise and vibration of your workshop
Before we go into ways to soundproof your workshop, let me highlight some important points about the science of noise and sound.
Like you already know, noise is a type of sound so no one can see it. However, you can imagine sound to be some kind of air that moves around your workshop and escapes through every available hole as noise.
This is why locking yourself in your workshop is never enough to stop the noise from coming out and disturbing your neighbors. There are always two types of sound coming from your workshop.
Types of sound
1. Structure-borne sound: this is the sound that comes out from the impact of an object on a solid target such as floors, walls, etc. Examples of impacts that produce this type of noise include footsteps, a dropped object, etc.
2. Airborne noise: this is the type of noise transmitted through the air. It is the type of noise produced when sound created in the air hits a barrier. Examples include a conversation, the sound of a barking dog, the sound of the TV, your garage tools, etc.
Whether the sound from your workshop is structure-borne or airborne, there are certain steps you can take to stop the noise entirely. Let’s see some of these steps below:
1. Invest in a Drywall
This is arguably the most effective way of soundproofing your workshop. However, it is a little bit more expensive than all other soundproofing options. It is also hard to install and requires the handling of a professional. Make sure you hire someone who knows the job well to get the accurate measurement of your workshop wall and buy the right quantity of drywall.
Before you begin the installation, make sure you take a good look at your old wall to see if there are cracks and holes on it. Once you discover any cracks or holes, make sure you fill-up the holes with a green glue or some other such gluey substance. Once you are done with repairing all cracks and filling the holes, the next thing would be to screw the drywall to your walls.
2. Mass Loaded Vinyl
Mass loaded vinyl also known as MLV is simply a vinyl product produced under high temperature and pressure. It is produced with odorless materials that have not been recycled. MLV is installed to reduce the noise coming from the walls, floors, and ceilings of your workshop. These vinyl products reduce noise by deflating it to ensure the noise does not leave your workshop. You can simply install your mass loaded vinyl the wall using soundproof green flue.
3. Acoustic Foam Panels
Acoustic foam panels may not appear to you like something you can use to soundproof your workshop. These soft and spongy panels do not permit the bouncing and vibration of sound, thereby stopping the spread of the sound all across the workshop.
You can also install these panels on your ceiling, and soundproof that area of your home immediately. If the panels are not self-adhesive, you can use the green glue to make sure the panels adhere strongly to your ceilings and walls. These acoustic soundproof panels do more sound absorption than blocking the sound.
Don’t forget these acoustic panels can easily gather dust, so clean them up regularly. You can clean them once every week since it is a workshop. You can also place these panels on your workshop doors and windows if you are not too concerned about the view of your workshop.
4. Combination of foam and drywall
You can try to combine some of the techniques mentioned above since layers are the main factor when it comes to soundproofing. You can place your acoustic foam panels on the already installed drywall or the mass loaded vinyl. If you used any one of these techniques, combining it with the acoustic panel technique will give you better sound insulation.
5. Rubber Wheels and Rubber Mats
You have to secure all your walls, ceilings, floors, doors and windows. The main aim of soundproofing your floor is to bring the vibrations produced while you work to the barest minimum.
Any soft material that will stop the sound from bouncing and vibrating vigorously will suffice. Rubber mats seem to be the most suitable material for the job here. These rubber mats are very useful and quite affordable. Rubber wheels for your machines are also known to be quite effective. These rubber wheels make the vibrations from your machine lose some power before touching the floor. It is okay if you decide to combine these two techniques to achieve better results.
6. Windows Inserts
Now to your workshop windows. Windows are easily overlooked when soundproofing a workshop. Overlooking your windows when soundproofing your workshop is one mistake you must never make. Installing window inserts is one effective way to ensure your windows don’t leak noise.
These window inserts are simply removable additional layers of glass that can create an air gap, and capture the noise originating from your workshop. These window inserts are great for your workshop and for all other spaces like your living room if there is any need to install them there. One very important advantage of these window inserts is that they are easily detachable. Their detachable nature makes it possible for you to remove them anytime you feel you no longer need their soundproofing services.
7. Weatherstrip
When you want to soundproof your workshop windows, a number of cracks can happen around those windows. It is easy for the noise from your workshop to find any tiny crack to escape through and mess up your whole soundproofing efforts.
This is where the weatherstrip comes in. Whether the crack is around your door or window, you can seal it up using a weatherstrip. Most times, these weather trips are simple self-adhesive rubbers that are quite easy to install.
8. Moving Blankets
When it comes to soundproofing your workshop door, a moving blanket is most ideal for the job. These moving blankets are simply soft fabrics with several layers of soundproofing materials that are capable of catching the sound in its threads without giving it any chance of escape. These moving blankets act as noise absorption materials and not noise blockers.
Combine all methods
You can use any of these methods or a combination of different methods to achieve the best soundproofing results. The aim is to minimize the noise that can escape from your workshop to the outside world. It doesn’t really matter how many techniques you combine before you can achieve the desired results.
The major thing is to make sure the complaints about how you are contributing to noise pollution in your neighborhood stops or at least reduces to a reasonable extent.
Go experiment
You may want to experiment with different soundproofing techniques and combinations before you find the ones that are most suitable for you and stick with them. I hope you got to enjoy reading this article about how to soundproof a workshop.
Please let me know in the comments below in case you still have any questions. If you are just getting started with woodworking click here.
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