Inexpensive Ways to Reduce Noise in Your Dorm

When it comes to college, there’s a time to study and a time to party. Unfortunately, your fellow students may be doing one while you need to be doing the other. You can’t request a soundproof dorm, but dorm soundproofing is something you may sorely need on those nights where you have a big test to cram for, but your neighbors are cranking the tunes and partying the night away.

What can you do? You can always ask them to keep it down, but we all know as soon as you get back to your dorm room, the volume will shoot right back up. Plus, you don’t want to be that person anyway — especially if you’re just as likely to be the one partying the next evening.

Dorm Soundproofing Tip #1: Work From the Ground Up

You’d be amazed how much sound comes up through and across the floor, especially if there are dorm rooms underneath you. The vibrations that travel through your floors from the noisy dorms beneath you can cause quite a disturbance to your studying routine. You’ll need to add a layer to your flooring that can absorb some of these sounds and give you more peace and quiet.

Fortunately, this is a problem that is easily moderated by a nice, thick rug. Or two. Or three. You may even want to add to the soundproofing with a layer or two of rubber mats underneath the rug. Some nice thick carpeting has the added benefit of giving you a much more comfortable floor to walk on anyway!

You’ll also know that when it’s your turn to make a little extra noise, the carpet will absorb some of the noise before it can reach your neighbor below.

Dorm Soundproofing Tip #2: Cover the Walls

A lot of the dorm room noise you’ll experience could be from other students living in the dorms adjacent to yours. Vibrations can easily travel through walls, especially if they’re thin. Therefore, when learning how to make a dorm room soundproof, one of the first actions you should take is to cover the walls.

You should be able to find plenty of DIY options to absorb sound from your walls. After researching your college’s rules for hanging wall items try covering your walls with posters on a corkboard, framed pictures or heavy drapes.

Dorm Soundproofing Tip #3: Strategically Placed Furniture

The right furniture placement can also be a virtually free way to soundproof your dorm room. Furniture fills up empty spaces to reduce echo and stop soundwaves from freely bouncing back and forth between your dorm room walls. When figuring out how to reduce the noise in your dorm, try different furniture arrangements — and different types of furniture — to get the job done.

Bookshelves up against the walls can reduce sound, couches and dressers can also help. If you already have furniture up against the walls, you may want to reposition them so the majority of the furniture is against the wall where the sound transmission is the worst, and will allow placement to be of the most benefit.

Dorm Soundproofing Tip #4: Use Acoustic Panels and Soundproofing Foam

Many affordable, easy-to-install products are available for soundproofing rooms. Acoustic panels are one of the first products you should consider. These wall hung panels absorb sound while improving the sound quality in a space. This means that those moments of quiet study time can be even quieter, ensuring you can concentrate. Acoustic panels come in many styles, allowing you to keep the look of your room cohesive.

Another item that can help soundproof your dorm is soundproofing foam. These sound-absorbing foam pieces come in all shapes and sizes to suit your needs. Place them in your dorm’s corners and on walls to capture sound before it can disturb you. These products will also help absorb sound from your dorm, which your friends in the room next door will likely appreciate.

Dorm Soundproofing Tip #5: Add a Door Sweep

Before looking into this option, be sure to check if hardware additions are allowed at your location.  Some dorm room doors are thin or even hollow, allowing sounds to enter your peaceful study chamber. Any empty space around your door will also let sounds into your room, so you’ll want to do whatever it takes to seal them off. Door seals and sweeps can improve the sound-blocking qualities of your door.

Choose Soundproof Cow Products to Soundproof Your Dorm Room

It’s unlikely you’ll be able to completely soundproof a dorm room. There are a lot of people making a lot of noise in college dorms, and you’re limited in what you can do. However, with these simple tips and a little creativity, you should be able to get yourself a little more peace at the times when you need it the most.

If you are able to use soundproofing materials like acoustic panels or soundproofing foam, Soundproof Cow can help. We offer easy and affordable soundproofing solutions for just about any situation. Contact us today for more information!