Nothing compares to the relaxation and entertainment of a Home Theater. However, if your acoustics are not in check, it can be one of the biggest nuisances to the rest of the house. Do not worry; we have compiled a comprehensive list of how to soundproof your home theater properly, so you can relax, lay back, and enjoy your movies and music.
When creating a home theater, one must understand the difference between soundproofing and sound absorption. Soundproofing is when sound is being blocked, whereas sound absorption is when materials are applied to the walls or ceiling to absorb the sound from within the room.
SOUNDPROOFING DURING CONSTRUCTION
This is probably the most crucial phase in order to achieve a more soundproofed home theater. Things you could do include:
Install Acoustical Blankets – These are designed for industrial purposes to dampen the sound of loud commercial machinery. They can be installed behind your drywall for home theaters to give a foundation to prevent sound vibrations from escaping the room.
Resilient Isolation Clips – These clips stop sound waves from transferring to the walls by creating a space between the walls, ceiling, and floor.
Green Glue – Used behind drywall and other rigid materials, this noise-dampening compound reduces and absorbs vibrations within the walls.
SOUNDPROOFING AFTER CONSTRUCTION
If your home theater room has already been constructed, do not feel like it’s too late. Even though you cannot benefit from the premium soundproofing of isolation clips and green glue, soundproofing treatments can still be applied. Your options include:
Acoustical Blankets – You could still install the blankets by hanging them on the walls. They make thicker blankets with additional padding sandwiched in between two absorptive layers for this purpose.
Door Seal – Usually within kits, these are meant to seal the gaps in doorways. This is extremely important as just a 1% opening can allow up to 50% of the sound to pass through it.
SOUND ABSORPTION
Many options exist in this area; by adding any material such as blankets, you can achieve some level of sound absorption. However, your options include:
Acoustical Panels – These versatile panels work by absorbing sound waves in your home theater and converting them into heat energy. This is highly effective in eliminating sound from bouncing from wall to wall or echoing.
Bass Traps – These traps are important to have in every home theater’s corners to absorb low-frequency sounds that tend to build up in these areas.