Dog Kennel & Daycare Soundproofing
Lots of dog owners feel some sense of guilt at leaving their best friends home alone all afternoon. Sometimes it’s nice to let our dogs socialize with other dogs when we’re away at work for the day. It’s no wonder, then, that the popularity of doggy daycare has exploded over the past decade or more. It’s great for their social skills, but is it great for their ears?
Too much noise can be harmful to the pups and sour your relationships with the neighbors due to barking noise. Excess noise isn’t ideal for any of us. Learning how to soundproof a dog kennel/dog crate is a good way to keep everyone in your orbit happy and healthy.
Why a soundproof dog kennel is important
When looking for ways to improve your doggy daycare family’s health, a soundproof dog kennel covers more ground than you may think. Too much noise exposure can cause us to feel more stressed and less focused and can even lead to hearing damage if the noise levels are particularly loud.
Keeping ambient noise down by learning how to soundproof a dog kennel and implementing sound control measures will not only create a more stress-free environment for both dogs and employees, but that stress reduction can lower things like blood pressure and anxiety. Items like a soft crate, and soundproof crate covers, can reduce unwanted noise from barking.
You’ll also make your establishment more attractive to potential clients. Too much noise can make it sound like a stressful room from the minute you walk in, and stress reduction is a big part of the reason we bring our dogs to the kennel in the first place. Reducing noise to manageable levels will make them feel better about leaving their best buds there for the day. Ready to dive in? Let’s look at how to soundproof a room for dog barking.
How to soundproof a dog kennel
There are two main factors that play a role in soundproofing any room. The first is controlling the sound waves within the room. Fewer sound waves mean less echo and reverberation and a lower overall volume. The second is preventing those sound waves from breaking out of the building and roaming the neighborhood. We’re going to look into both. Here’s how to make a soundproof room for dogs which can also help reduce the noise impact of excessive barking.
Add acoustical treatments
Since you’re not likely to change the volume or frequency at which a group of dogs is going to bark, you’ve got to introduce materials to the space that will absorb sound waves rather than reflecting them back into the room. It’s like creating noise canceling kennels for dogs.
Most of the materials used in modern construction reflect sound waves, and that includes the walls, floors, and ceilings. They are all smooth, hard surfaces and cause sound waves to reflect and amplify if they aren’t fitted with acoustic foam, absorption sheet, and other soundproofing material treatments. Each of these surfaces should be addressed to lower the overall volume in the room.
The walls
One of the most problematic surfaces in any room is the walls. They are directly in line with the path of sound waves created by people speaking and dogs barking, and if you don’t mix in some softer materials, they will reflect most of those waves right back at you. Inserting soundproofing material like acoustical foam panels can help reduce unwanted sound waves.
Learning how to soundproof a dog kennel is different from learning how to soundproof other rooms. Since you’re dealing with multiple dogs that live with you for hours on end, it’s good to choose materials that can stand up to some abuse, as well as ones that are easy to wipe clean.
The ceilings
Another tricky surface you’ll want to tackle is the ceiling. If you’ve got high ceilings with exposed ducts and pipes, you’ll not only have to deal with the echo and reverberation that comes with high ceilings, but you’ll have added sources of sound to contend with. You’ll have to do something about it.
There are many options for dealing with ceilings, and some will work better than others in your particular situation. One great solution is to add a drop ceiling with acoustical inserts below your overhead utilities. Not only will they trap the sound waves from below that lead to echo and reverberation, but they will absorb the sounds from above, meaning the loud noise never reaches your ears.
They are easy to install around your existing sprinkler system. This means you can significantly improve the sound in the room by hiding everything overhead that makes noise but still have the ability to easily access the things above your ceiling grid. Safety can and must remain a top priority when learning how to soundproof a dog kennel.
Set up your floor to absorb impact sounds
Dogs are notoriously loud when they walk on hard surfaces. The clumsy clicking of a dog’s nails is a percussive instrument like no other. Softening the floor surfaces with acoustic blankets will allow more of those impact sounds to get absorbed into the floor.
Interlocking foam pads can work well in this situation. They are soft and absorbent and reduce impact sounds when things come into contact with them. If you go this route, make sure the pads are waterproof and easy to clean since there’s always the possibility that one of your clients will have an accident.
Add mass and density to your exterior surfaces
Learning how to soundproof a dog kennel isn’t just for those inside. It is equally appreciated by those who share your neighborhood. If you want to keep all that barking from disturbing the neighbors, you’ll have to add some mass and density to the exterior surfaces of your building. Thin walls can allow sounds and vibrations to pass right through, but dense walls stop them in their tracks. The main spots you’ll want to focus on are the windows, doors, and the walls themselves. This will help provide you and your neighbors with a quiet kennel that has low a low noise level.
Get great windows
Windows are an excellent way to provide your daily visitors with some bright natural light, but they can be a weak spot in the building’s defenses against sound. If they let a draft in, they let the sounds of your clients barking out the window. If a soundproof dog daycare is your goal, windows must be addressed.
Get yourself a new set to keep your neighbors happy, improve the room’s thermal performance, and save yourself a few bucks on the heating and cooling bills. If you aren’t looking to replace all your windows, you can achieve many of the same benefits with a quality set of window inserts. There are many easy solutions for dog kennel soundproofing, and window inserts are just one of those solutions.
Beef up your doors
For easy solutions on how to soundproof a dog kennel, nothing beats a solid door for both sound control and security. Like windows and walls, lightweight doors can allow a lot of energy to pass through, and that means both sound and thermal energy. Replacing your old doors with something more substantial will keep the noises in, keep unwanted guests out, and provide a solid first impression to the clients that entrust you with their most valuable possessions. This is one of the easiest dog kennel solutions for soundproofing on the market.
Reinforce your walls
Some walls are made for soundproofing, and others are not. If you have brick or cinder block exterior walls, you likely don’t have to do much to them to keep the sound in. Concrete is a great material for this purpose. If your walls are made of drywall and OSB, you’ve got a little more work on your hands.
Adding mass and density to your walls may sound like a daunting prospect, but there are simple ways to do it that won’t break the bank. Most solutions will be applied to your interior walls with an acoustic panel, and some you can even do yourself with a few tools and minimal training.
One of the most simple things you can do is to add a second layer of drywall on top of your existing drywall. This will double the mass of your current barrier. Add some green glue between those layers, and you’ve got even more impressive sound control.
You can accomplish even more by decoupling the materials in your wall, but this involves much more time, energy, and money than adding drywall. But, if you want to learn how to soundproof a dog kennel completely, this is something you will want to look into.
Enlist some experts
You’ve probably been thinking of ways to bring the noise down in your dog daycare but haven’t been sure what can be done to combat the noise. Maybe you’ll figure out how to muffle sound of dog barking someday, but until that day comes, acoustical treatments and soundproofing are your best options.
If you’ve looked into how to soundproof a dog kennel but need some help identifying the materials and configuration that will give you the most bang for your buck, it’s always helpful to enlist the help of experts. They’ve treated all kinds of rooms and can point you in the right direction, no matter what your particular situation looks like.
