This guide covers how to soundproof a mobile home.
Let’s get into the article!
Mobile homes are lightweight and have thin walls to move around easily.
But these thin walls let the noise in and out easily through them, making your mobile home noisy.
There’s no privacy because you can be easily heard whether you’re sitting in the bathroom, snoring in the bedroom or trying to study in any corner.
This article will reveal some very practical techniques to soundproof a mobile home.
Let’s begin!
1. Soundproofing the door
Any open spaces in or between the door and the door frame will allow the noise to easily come inside your mobile home.
If you look closely, you’ll find a lot of gaps under the door and between the door and the door frame.
These can sometimes be small spaces that cannot be noticed otherwise, but they easily let in the noise.
To minimize the amount of noise in your mobile home, you need to seal all the gaps you find.
Weatherstripping tape is cheap and convenient to use.
Tape over all the parts of the door and the door frame where you find open spaces.
The gap between the floor and the doors may be a larger one.
To fill that gap, use a silicone door sweep.
It is also cheap and can be easily found.
You won’t need to call an expert to fix it because it has self-adhesive and needs no installation.
Just attach it to the bottom part of the door of your mobile home; it will make a lot of difference.
To make the door more soundproof, install acoustic panels on the door.
There are different types of panels.
You can use fiberglass panels for strong noise and vibrations caused by a dryer, washer, engine, and roadside noise.
A Fibreglass blanket is another option to soundproof the door.
Hang it along the door using hooks and cover the door completely.
It is easy to hang and remove, and also it works great.
2. Soundproofing the windows
To soundproof the windows, you can use the same techniques you used for soundproofing the door.
Like doors, windows also have gaps and open spaces between the window frame and the window.
These open spaces allow noise to pass through them easily, making the inside of your mobile home very noisy.
Look closely and find the gaps to determine the major noise sources.
After you find them, you can easily use weatherstripping tape as you used for the door of your mobile home.
Also, some other options can make your windows more soundproof:
- Hang thick noise-blocking curtains in front of the actual window
- Acrylic windows are more noise-blocking, so you can install a new acrylic window panel
- E-coating glass is expensive, but it’s very effective in noise blocking, so install storm windows made of e-coating
Noise blocking curtains
If you hang noise-blocking curtains, they absorb most of the noise that enters your mobile home.
They are made of such materials that their fabric absorbs the sharp sounds and makes the area quieter.
This can be the easiest way to reduce noise by hanging the curtains on all the windows.
These curtains will help enhance the beauty of your room and will also serve noise as a blocking source.
Also, you will have a perfectly dark mobile home when you need to rest or sleep a bit longer.
If you soundproof your windows using the above methods, they will help make your mobile home soundproof.
3. Soundproofing the walls
The major part of mobile homes consists of walls.
So, to make the walls soundproof, you need to choose the right material and also make sure you choose something that’s economical.
Some of the options are:
- Soundproof foam panels that can be directly installed on the wall
- Fiberglass panels can also be installed directly on the walls
- Mass Loaded Vinyl that can be installed directly on the walls as well as inside the walls
Soundproof foam panels
Soundproof foam panels are a good option as you try to reduce the room’s echo and airborne noise.
Let me tell you that airborne noise is the noise of people talking, screaming, music, traffic sounds, etc.
There’s another kind of noise, that’s structure-borne noise.
Structure-borne noise is also called impact noise which is caused due to vibrations.
So, if you face more airborne noise, then soundproof foam panels are suitable for you, but if you are also dealing with structure-borne noise, then soundproof foam panels will not work effectively for you.
You will have to look for the other two options.
Fiberglass panels
Fibreglass panels are more effective because they can deal with both kinds of noise, structure-borne and airborne noise.
They are also thinner, so they take away minimum space in your mobile home.
But one thing you will have to consider is that fiberglass panels are expensive.
They may cost you a lot if you use them for all the walls.
You can only use them for the doors if your budget is low; this will at least make some of the difference.
But if your budget allows, use them on all the walls to make your mobile home fully soundproof.
Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV)
Mass Loaded Vinyl is an excellent thing to make your mobile home totally soundproof.
These have been used since the 1960s to soundproof vehicles to prevent engine noise, traffic noise, and road noise from entering the vehicle.
They work very effectively and make a whole lot of difference.
Whether dealing with airborne or structure-borne noise, Mass Loaded Vinyl works best for both of them.
It can be used directly on the walls as well as inside the walls.
4. Soundproofing the floor
Soundproofing the floor of your mobile home is as important as soundproofing the door, walls and windows.
You can use Mass Loaded Vinyl to cover the floor; it will help reduce the amount of noise.
Most of the engine noise if your mobile home enters through its floor.
Structure-borne noise, also known as impact noise, is mostly entered from the floor when it vibrates due to different reasons.
As already discussed, Mass Loaded Vinyl is an expensive option, so if you have the budget, you should definitely go for it.
You can cover the floor with thick carpets or rugs if your budget is low.
They will not only enhance the look of the floor but will also play a great role in absorbing most of the noise.
Mass Loaded Vinyl does not give a good look, but it works very effectively.
Conclusion
Most of the solutions mentioned in the above article are cheap and easy to install.
However, some of them require more budget and are a bit more complex, where you’ll need to hire an expert to work for you.
Just keep the main key point in mind: you should not go for any such material to soundproof your mobile home that’s heavy and makes it difficult for your mobile home to move around easily.
Don’t use soundproofing the entire mobile home at once; start with one room and see what works best.
So, what are you waiting for?
Go ahead and enjoy a soundproof life in your mobile home!
FAQs
1) What is the cheapest way to soundproof a mobile home’s doors, windows, and walls?
There are many ways to soundproof doors, windows, and walls in a mobile home, but the cheapest of them is to hang thick blankets over them.
Thick blankets not only block the outside noise but also help dampen any noise produced inside the home.
Make sure you cover the entire walls, windows, and doors properly.
2) Are egg cartons good for soundproofing your mobile home?
No, egg cartons may seem easy and cheap to soundproof your mobile home, but this is not an effective solution.
This is because egg cartons are made of very thin cardboard, allowing the sound waves to travel through them easily.
They may be effective in slightly reducing echoes but do not absorb the sounds.
3) What materials are good at absorbing noise that helps make a mobile home more soundproof?
Soft materials help absorb and dampen the noise, whereas hard materials do not absorb noise, making it worse by forming echoes.
Try to use more soft materials like wall hangings, thick curtains, heavy carpets and rugs as much as you can to make a mobile home more soundproof.
4) What works best when dealing with impact noise in a mobile home?
Foam panels are good at absorbing noise, but they won’t work if you’re dealing with impact noise; they only work if you’re dealing with airborne noise.
Foam panels may reduce echo, but for impact noise, such as engine noise and roadside noise, you need something heavy like Mass Loaded Vinyl.
Mass Loaded Vinyl works best to block impact noise, but it may cost you a little more.