How to Soundproof a Dorm Room

Your dorm room should be the most peaceful and comfortable place for you.

But when you’re in college, some students study while some party at the same time.

You cannot give a shut-up call to anyone unless they’re doing anything illegal.

Especially when you also like to party and you’re most likely going to party the next day.

The best way to maintain peace in your dorm room is to soundproof your dorm room.

This article will help you in learning techniques to make your dorm room soundproof.

1. Furniture arrangement

living room furniture

Most dorm rooms are already furnished and provide you with a bed, dresser, desk, and chairs.

You can rearrange your furniture in such a way that your bed is farthest from the source of the noise.

For example, if you have a noisy neighbour next door, try to place your bed away from the wall you share with your noisy neighbour.

This way, when you are trying to sleep, you’ll manage to have a peaceful sleep by staying away from unwanted noise.

You can place your dresser or desk with that wall to it for your advantage.

Your furniture with that wall will also act as a soundproofing element.

2. Wall hangings

wall hanging

Wall hangings help to absorb noise.

Try to use such material in wall hangings that absorb more noise, like thick fabric.

The thicker the element, the more noise it will block out.

It will add aesthetics to your room and absorb sound waves.

These elements include wall posters, pictures, thick frames, etc.

You can also use sound-deadening curtains on the walls to dampen the noise.

Use different colours in the wall hangings to make them more vibrant and aesthetically pleasing.

Besides giving aesthetics to your dorm room, they will make it soundproof.

 

3. Floor coverings

You can cover as much of the floor as possible with thick rugs to make the room soundproof.

Thicker the rugs, the more sound they will absorb.

They will help not only dampen the noise but also give your room a very cozy and warm feeling.

You can also use those rugs for sitting in them while studying or playing card games with friends and have a comfortable space.

They will also feel great underfoot.

For additional soundproofing, you can place the soundproof pad under the rugs.

 

4. Soundproofing the ceiling

Acoustic foam tiles are best for the soundproofing of the ceiling of your dorm room.

Use them in different colours to provide a more aesthetic look to the ceiling.

Also, thick tapestries and sound-deadening blankets can be hung from the ceiling to make the room soundproof.

If you want to go for a more professional way of soundproofing the ceiling, use Mass Loaded Vinyl.

It is a little bit expensive but highly recommended material for soundproofing walls, ceilings, and floors.

You can install it easily, even without the help of an expert.

And don’t worry; at the end of the school year, you can easily pull it down and take it with you when you leave your dorm room.

Remember, soundproofing the ceiling will only work if you are trying to block the noise from the people upstairs.

 

5. White noise

White noise machines are easily available nowadays.

They are the easiest solution to block out the noise from your irritating schoolmates who are partying at odd hours.

As a student, your budget may not allow you to purchase anything besides your study material.

So, if you don’t have the option of buying a white noise machine, you can ‘play white’ noise at full volume on YouTube on your mobile phone.

The plus point is white noise also aids in sleeping; if you find trouble sleeping in the noisy hours, try white noise to relax your mind and sleep more peacefully.

 

6. Noise cancelling headphones

Again, noise-cancelling headphones are the easiest and simplest solution to eliminate all the noise.

When everything else fails, just go for this option.

When searching for peace, wear your noise-cancelling headphones and block all the irritating noise while you study or try to sleep.

 

7. Door sweep

Most of the dorm rooms have doors that are hollow or very thin.

This will make it easy for all the noise to enter your peaceful room.

First and foremost, see if you’re allowed to change the door.

If the management allows you to make any changes, then look for gaps between your dorm room and the door frame.

If you find any, try to seal all of them with weatherstripping tape, which is easily available.

Most of the noise enters the room from the gap between the floor and the door.

Also, try to cover that gap to minimize as much noise as possible.

Use silicone door sweep for that purpose.

It is cheap and can be easily found.

And the best part is you don’t need to call an expert to do this for you; you can do it all by yourself very easily.

If you can’t do any of the above solutions for your door, just hang a fibreglass blanket in your dorm room.

It will also help minimize the noise and block out the sharpest sounds.

You can also remove it easily whenever you leave or shift your room.

These solutions are easy and economical to soundproof your dorm room door.

 

8. Windows

To block out the noise, you can also soundproof the windows of your dorm room.

For this purpose, you can use similar techniques as you used for soundproofing the door.

Watch out for open spaces or gaps between the window and the frames.

Usually, there are gaps that you don’t notice unless you look for them.

They are also a big source of making your dorm room noisy.

They allow the noise to enter through them inside the dorm room, making it noisy.

Use weatherstripping tape to fill those gaps as you did for the dorm door.

To make your windows more soundproof, hang thick noise-blocking curtains in front of them; they will absorb most of the noise.

Noise-blocking curtains not only block the noise but will also enhance the interior of your dorm room.

You will also have a perfectly dark dorm room while you try to sleep in the daytime.

As mentioned before, thick curtains and rugs help in dampening the noise, and they also help in absorbing it.

 

9. Use soundproofing paint

Yes, you heard it right.

You have the option of using soundproofing paint.

Paint your walls and ceiling with this paint and make your room more soundproof.

Soundproofing paint can reduce some noise, but you will also have to use some other solutions to make your room entirely soundproof.

It is also called acoustic paint, and it’s made of latex.

It absorbs some of the noise and helps in dampening it.

This may cost you a little too much but go for it if you can afford it.

And also, do ask the management first.

You can only opt for this solution if you ate allowed to make changes to your dorm room.

 

Conclusion

Living in a college dorm room can be a big challenge, especially if facing too much noise.

Of course, noise can be very irritating and disturbing when reviewing your lessons or trying to get some sleep.

If you’re getting crazy because of the noise constantly entering your dorm room, make your life easy by trying the above solutions.

See which one works best for you.

Happy soundproofing!

 

FAQs

 

1) How do you deal with noisy college fellows while you live in a dorm room?

You cannot control anyone, especially if you’re also the one who doesn’t like to be controlled.

You may get very irritated by your partying neighbours in the college, but unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about it.

However, some tricks can be applied to lessen the noise.

Some of them are:

  • Close all the windows and doors. Also, hang heavy curtains on all of them, which will not only block the noise but also help dampen the noise.
  • Hang lots of wall hangings to dampen the noise and enhance the interior of your dorm room.
  • Fill all the gaps that you find in the windows and the door.
  • Cover the gap between the floor and the door; this will be very effective in blocking the noise.
  • Put heavy rugs in your room.
  • Use a white noise machine.
  • When nothing works, talk to your noisy college fellows to be quiet.

 

2) How effective is soundproofing?

Soundproofing is very effective if the right acoustic solutions are used.

It all depends on the type of noise you’re dealing with, your living space, and how properly the soundproofing elements are installed.

 

3) Does soundproofing work if you’re dealing with impact noise?

Yes, if done correctly, it works even when dealing with impact noise.

 

4) Dorm rooms are often located in noisy environments, such as near busy roads or common areas.

Soundproofing can help reduce the amount of noise that enters your room, making it easier to sleep, study, or relax.

 

5) What are some materials that can be used for soundproofing?

Some common materials used for soundproofing include acoustic foam panels, soundproof curtains, thick rugs or carpets, and weatherstripping for windows and doors.

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