How to Soundproof a House

Doors are often the weakest sound barrier in a home, especially hollow core doors that allow sound to pass through easily. Replacing hollow core doors with solid core doors significantly improves sound blocking by adding mass and rigidity.

There are a few options to make a door more soundproof after upgrading to a solid core door. Our recommended method is sealing the door using a Sound Lock Door Seal Kit to eliminate air gaps around the frame. If you’re trying to soundproof a carpeted room, you’ll need a hard transition plate for the door seal kit to function.

For home offices, studios, or theaters where noise control is critical, a dedicated solution like the Sound Lock Soundproof Door combines mass, seals, and fit into a single system.

Walls separating rooms are a primary path for airborne noise. If you are remodeling or willing to remove existing drywall, building a soundproof wall assembly delivers the highest performance. Using RSIC-1 Sound Isolation Clips decouples drywall from framing, reducing vibration transfer. Stud cavities should be filled with insulation, followed by clips, hat channel, ⅝” drywall, and acoustical sealant around the perimeter.

Another option for new wall construction is adding mass with Luxury Liner Roll. Installed at full coverage over insulated studs and finished with ⅝” drywall, this approach blocks sound through added weight. If removing drywall isn’t an option, retrofit methods are covered in this guide on soundproofing an existing wall.

Noise often travels vertically through shared floors and ceilings, especially in multi-story homes. Treating the floor side helps reduce impact noise like footsteps. The best way to soundproof a floor is with acoustic rubber underlay beneath flooring materials to isolate the floor from structure.

When soundproofing the ceiling side use RSIC-1 Sound Isolation Clips on the joists to isolate the structure from the drywall. When ceiling removal isn’t possible, retrofit ceiling soundproofing solutions can still be applied from below to improve sound isolation.

We know how to reduce street noise in a home. If street noise, neighbors, or outdoor equipment are the main concern, windows are often the weak point. Lightweight glass allows sound to pass through easily, even when walls are well built. The best option to soundproof a window is our Fantastic Frame Soundproof Window Inserts.

For outdoor noise sources such as traffic or neighbors, exterior solutions may also help. You can build a soundproof fence to reduce noise as long as you design it correctly. Effective fences break line of sight (taller and wider than the noise source by 1.5x or more), are placed close to the noise source or where you are, and are constructed airtight with sufficient mass.