Quieting My Son’s Drum Room?

Hi,
I’m not sure if you can help me, but we are considering some level of soundproofing for our son’s bedroom. He plays the drums, and our house is not large, so we would greatly benefit from something that would help block/absorb some of the sound. Can your company help with this? And if so, what kind of price range would apply?

THANKS!
C.B.

C.B.,

Soundproof drum room – it will keep all sides happy.

Drums are awesome and a great drummer can transform a good song into a transcendent work of art. Drum practices, however, are not nearly as much fun for the bystander. If you have a drummer in your house, the chances are good that you’ve asked yourself questions about how to make a soundproof drum room. Unfortunately, actually soundproofing a drum room can seem too expensive and labor-intensive for most households.

But that doesn’t mean you don’t have options! Here are the many strategies for drum room sound absorption that can significantly reduce the amount of noise that permeates the rest of the house and neighborhood.

How Much Does it Cost to Soundproof a Room for Drums?

It can add up pretty quickly. That’s not to say that fully soundproofing a room for drums wouldn’t be worthwhile. It entirely depends on a variety of household circumstances. But the reason fully soundproofing a room for drums costs so much is because soundproofing is much more involved than a lot of people think. Soundproofing a room often requires renovations to the floor, walls, and ceiling of that room. This can mean replacing normal sheetrock with denser, more absorbent materials or, in some cases, building a room inside a room so that the sound waves from the drums aren’t getting to the walls that are connected to the house proper without a layer of sound dampening. 

drum soundproofing

We recommend adding an extra layer of Green glue to increase the mass and after that another sheetrock. This could be really helpful for the extra soundproofing. When it comes to vibration transference – Resilient Sound Isolation Clips are a great choice. 

You’ll also need to block vents and any spots in the room where air can escape—because again, sound travels through air. The door to your drum room will be the biggest source of air leakage, but that’s one problem that can be solved quickly and relatively inexpensively with a door seal kit. There are similar fixes when it comes to vents

And furthermore…

The tricky part is finding other air leaks in the room. It can take some time, but running your fingers along the edges of the walls and feeling for air movement is the best way to spot leaks. Once you’ve found them, you can cover those leaks with caulk or foam seal tape. 

drum soundproofing

Instead of building a wholly soundproof drum room, your best option may be utilizing sound absorption techniques to reduce the amount of sound coming from your drum room instead of eliminating it entirely.

Drum Room Sound Absorption Solutions

Since totally eliminating sound isn’t an option for a lot of people for any number of reasons, taking steps to absorb sound in the drum room is the next best thing. After all, reducing the sound that escapes the room by just ten decibels can make that sound seem up to 50% quieter to a human ear. How’s that for sound science? So what do you need to do to start absorbing sound? Start from the ground up.

Cheap ways to soundproof a room for drums

Make sure the drum room is either carpeted or has plenty of rugs. Soft surfaces help absorb sound, so having a soft layer of fabric under your drums helps immensely. It’s also a good idea to put a rug under the drum kit, even if your room is carpeted or is otherwise full of rugs. There are even rugs that are specifically designed to be used to absorb sound and keep your kit from sliding around. 

best way to soundproof a room for drums

Use the vent covers and door seal kits that we mentioned earlier. Blocking those big airflow spots will make a big difference is the amount of sound that bleeds out from your drums.

Be aware, though, that blocking vents and doors will make the room pretty hot and stuffy, so make sure your drummer isn’t spending too long in there without taking breaks. It’s also wise to place heavy curtains like Soundproofing Curtains & Sound Blankets over any windows to make sure you don’t spend too much sound out into your neighborhood. 

Drum room soundproofing panels

Finally, opt for low-cost solutions such are Echo Eliminator wall panels. Or put acoustic panels up in the drum room. Put them on the walls and ceiling if the drum room is in a basement or on a lower floor. These panels do a lot of work in reducing echo and limiting the amount of sound that bleeds through into the rest of your home.

This won’t soundproof the drum room in your house, but it will significantly reduce echo, making the room itself sound better.  But it will reduce the sound that gets out. And remember, a ten-decibel reduction is essentially the same as turning the volume down by half.

best way to soundproof a room for drums

You may also consider putting a barrier over the room vents while the musician is practicing, but keeping in mind that they will need to be removed or the room will not get circulation. That could be done with our Mass Loaded Vinyl barrier.

Any musician needs to practice to perfect and improve their music, whether they’re just learning, continuing a hobby from their youth, or doing it to make a living. 

In conclusion

By taking steps to reduce or eliminate sound coming from a drum room you can allow your drummer to play longer and louder without driving everyone else around them up the wall. It’s still wise to check with your neighbors to see if there are times they absolutely can’t abide possible drum practice sounds, though, and to make sure your drummer sticks to a schedule that doesn’t alienate everyone around them. 

But these tips will go a long way towards fixing any noise problems before they become an issue.


1 Comment

  1. Ismael

    You can buy audimutes too they are special blankets that you put around the walls and they absorb a lot of sound .

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