Simple Guide to Soundproofing Your Home Theater

Proper soundproofing is crucial to enjoying a genuine cinema experience at home

Enjoying a movie in your custom home theater is not only a visual experience, it’s an auditory one. What you hear is almost as important as what you see when it comes to watching a movie, and that means you don’t want outside sounds intruding on your viewing experience. Likewise, you don’t want to irritate your family or your neighbors with loud sounds when you’re watching something and they aren’t.

So how do you create the ideal audio experience in your home theater? You soundproof your home theater. Of course, proper home theater soundproofing isn’t as simple as it sounds, but that’s why we at SoundWaves have put together this blog to help Wayne, PA residents enjoy a better home theater installation.

 SEE ALSO: How to Select the Perfect Sound System and Craft the Ultimate Home Theater

SOUNDPROOFING BASICS

To understand the most effective ways to soundproof your home theater, it helps to know a little about how sound travels in space. Any sound you hear is essentially a vibration traveling through the air or another medium that your ears can pick up.

When you’re watching a movie at home, your speakers send these vibrations out in all directions, and outside vibrations can also enter your home theater through your floors, ceilings and walls. What soundproofing is, then, is the art of mitigating the vibrations that come into a room as well as any vibrations that are leaving the space.

NEW CONSTRUCTION

The easiest way to effectively soundproof your home theater is to start the process during design and construction. This is because the best way to keep sound in and out of your viewing space is to use materials with strong sound absorption capabilities in your walls, floor and ceiling. There’s zero-sound drywall available to use, or you can add a layer of sound-absorbing material between the walls of your home theater and the walls of any adjoining space.

For a slightly less expensive option, there are so-called sound absorbing “chips” you can install between wall layers to create some space and lessen the amount of vibrations that can pass through. It’s also important to have a tight seal around the door of your home theater, as even a small gap between the door and the frame can let a great deal of noise through.

RETROFITS AND REMODELS

It’s much more likely, though, that you’ll find yourself in a situation where you’re trying to soundproof your home theater after everything’s been built. But don’t panic,; there are still viable options to help you enjoy a better home theater experience.

If you’re looking for a simple, economical solution, hanging curtains, blankets or drapes on your walls will somewhat mitigate the vibrations going out from your theater as well as reduce echo within it. The effect is fairly minimal, however, so only use this method as a last resort. There are denser, more effective sound barriers that can be hung on walls, but you’ll need to purchase them from a professional outlet.

A better option is to add acoustic panels and bass traps to your room. Acoustic panels work by absorbing sound waves and turning them into heat energy. Bass traps are made from a special foam or fiberglass and are designed to be placed in corners to better absorb low-frequency vibrations and deliver better bass clarity. Both acoustic panels and bass traps can sometimes be eyesores in a room, but manufacturers are getting better about making panels with designs, patterns or other features to make them more appealing.

If you’re interested in improving the auditory experience of your home theater installation, we will happily take a look at your Wayne, PA home and see what can be done. To learn more, call SoundWaves at (484) 412-8108 or visit us online.