Hello AT,
What do I do with this "sound-proofing" material?
It looks like paneling, but it is rough cut, so I can't just stain or paint over it without extensive preparation. Plus, I'm not terribly handy...
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I have a wall in my apartment (granted, its smaller - only about 4' wide and at the end of a hallway) that was covered with big, ugly silver conduit running from the floor below me to the floor above me. My circuit breaker box was on that wall, too. I covered it with graphic fabric from Ikea (very reasonably priced) using an inexpensive, plastic tension rod (usually designed for shower curtains). The effect is wonderful - its like a huge wall mural or fabric wallpaper. If you wanted to paint those walls, just use solid-colored fabric.
Fabric has the added benefit of muffling sound, too - in case you need some extra soundproofing from your oh-so-friendly neighbors.
Since your walls are much bigger and a tension rod wouldn't work, I'd suggest the ceiling wire system from Ikea. We just put one up in my boyfriend's bedroom to close in a closet area and it works (and looks) great - plus it doesn't take a home improvement specialist to install.
Ikea Wire System: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60075295
Ikea Fabrics:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/range/10374/10655/
Great Marimekko Pattern Fabrics:
http://www.finnstyle.com/macofa.html
view bostonkayla's profile
Hard to see the material in the photo, but painting is probably not wise. The soundproofing material is likely highly porous and would absorb paint like a sponge. Also, filing the pores with paint would lessen the soungproofing quality. These panels usually are covered in fabric. You can easily recover them in something that suits your tastes.
view lightenup's profile
agreed on the fabric - i've done this on sliding doors and unfinished walls in lofts. i usually back the fabric with a bit of batting. this can soften the edges and help muffle sound. just use a staple gun and you're all set!
view glh's profile
I don't get it. What is it exactly and what does it sound proof?
view Kurt's profile
Sounds like you need better soundproofing material.
view justlikelead's profile
Sound proofing usually has a really porous core where the sound goes in and doesn't bounce back out or vibrate through.
Sound travels the path of least resistance...so any normal size gap around edges of sound proofing lowers the benefit.
Tricked-out media rooms go to the extent of building a room within a room where no internal structural member connects with any exterior structural member so there isn't volume or vibrational transference.
Buy rolls of 1/2 inch sound batting and staple gun 'em to abut and cover the reveals around what you already have. Then fabri-cize.
Or, Home Depot has sound absorbing plywood with a 1/4 inch sound foam already attached (which is a dreamy solution to subfloors under new hardwood).
Or, I understand there is a new liquid sound proofer that goes on like paint....but don't know the brand.
Hear all that peace?
S
view Cracker's profile
Can you sneak a peek at an edge? Unless it visibly has the sound foam that Cracker mentions, your "sound proofing" sure looks like ordinary plywood.
You can run a sander over it, prime, and paint -- or you could pull it down and put up real sound-proofing material that will block the noise of your neighbors' enjoyment.
view wende in the twin cities's profile
I saw an episode of Redesign on HGTV where they sound proofed a room by applying felt fabric over synthetic batting on the walls. The result was beautiful upholstered walls. Perhaps you could do something similar. The result would be better sound attenuation from your neighbor's unit and a nice wall.
I would suggest either obtaining a sufficiently large amount of fabric, then sewing or gluing it together, or getting an interesting king or California king sized sheet(s) from a bedding store. The synthetic batting is available from a fabric or arts and crafts store. Adhere the batting to the wall with two-sided tape or something that won't ruin the sound panel, (assuming you don't own your unit) then staple the sheet around the perimeter of the wall. If stapling directly into the wall won't work, get long, flat strips of wood and nail them around the perimeter of the offending wall or sound proofing panel and staple the fabric directly to the strips.
The result should be a quieter room on your side, and no sound from the other unit.
view John H's profile