Sound absorbing paint, commonly known as soundproof paint, does work! However you should know that this paint only works in the right setting and the right application.
Sound reducing paint is a thick, water-based paint with sound blocking molecules known as thermacels.
Thermacels are painting insulating additives designed to absorb sound.
They are effective in soundproofing against mid-frequency sound waves such as noises coming from normal conversations, stereos, and television.
Sound dampening paint will be effective in dealing with noises emitted in a normal range.
Where to Use Sound Deadening Paint For Walls
It’s important to note that painting every room in your house with sound proofing paint won’t turn your home into a quiet castle.
But you can paint certain room in case of the following:
Baby’s Room
Every parent knows how tough it is to get a baby to sleep. But the toughest part is making your baby sleep through 2-3 hours without interruptions.
If you’re worried that normal conversation in the living room or TV sounds could wake your little one from their nursery- why not use soundproof paint and deal with the problem once and for all?
Painting the baby’s room with sound reducing paint will absorb normal conversation noises and hence reduce the likelihood of your child being woken from normal conversation.
Apartment
Adding sound absorbing paint to your apartment bedroom will help you sleep peacefully through the night, especially if you’re frequently awoken by television from your living room, casual conversation or music from neighbor’s apartment.
Classrooms
Pupils are prone to slightest distractions. The slightest noise from outside the classroom can immediately shift their attention and focus.
If kids in your classroom can hear noises from the neighboring classes especially through walls, painting with soundproof paint would benefit greatly. You can also use it and paint drum room walls.
How to Apply Soundproof Paint
You will need the best quality soundproofing paint, and you’ll also need a lot of it to get the best results.
There are two ways you can go about it: you can purchase a soundproof paint or alternatively buy a soundproof paint additive and add it to the paint of your choice.
Below are some of the recommended products you should consider using today.
Acousti-Coat Paint is water based soundproof paint that you can apply to different wall surfaces.
You can apply it with a spray gun, brush, or roller. The paint is available in one or five-gallon containers.
Alternatively, you can use ThermaCels- Insulating Paint Additive and mix it with paint of your choice.
It’s a soundproofing additive.
Regardless of the approach, you should apply three or more coats to your walls to achieve the best results.
When painting a room using the normal paint, it’s always easy to tell if the walls require another coat of paint by the visual appearance.
You shouldn’t use this concept with noise-insulating paint because it’s thickness will make you think that the walls are sufficiently covered even after the first coat.
Materials Needed
Because you’ll be applying no less than three coats of this noise proofing paint, it’s advised to use a tool that will make the work easier for you.
ETERNA is a 6 Piece Paint Roller perfect for this job. It consists of multiple brushes of different sizes. The kit comes with 3” flat paintbrush, 9” paint roller with two additional naps.
Using a roller to apply this thick paint in three coatings will save you time and labor.
Pairing Soundproof Paint Other Soundproofing Ideas
For best results, it’s recommended to pair sound reducing paint with other soundproofing ideas.
For example, you can pair it with soundproofing wallpapers or wall arts or other ideas.
If your main goal is to reduce noise coming from your neighbor’s stereo, or television, then using this paint should do the trick without any additional sound deadening methods.
However, if you aim to soundproof your house against traffic noise or barking dogs from your neighbor’s yard, you might want to consider pairing this method with other methods of soundproofing.
How to Tell If Apartment Is Soundproof
If you want to avoid the hassle of buying sound proof paint every time you change neighborhoods, there is a trick to tell if an apartment is soundproof.
- Enquire if the building was designed to convert to a condo. If potential conversion was known before construction, then an acoustic expert may have been involved in the process.
- In newer building designs, the bathroom plumbing is along the corridor. If you can hear water running from the corridor, expect to hear your neighbors above you
- You could visit the apartment multiple times and hope that there’s some outside noise present. Alternatively, you could visit the neighborhood at different times to confirm how loud it is.
What are the Benefits of Acoustical Soundproof Paint?
While you won’t have a 100% noise reduction, you should expect up to 30% noise reduction.
There are more benefits of using this paint besides blocking unwanted noises.
Because soundproof paint is a thick paint, unlike normal paint, it can act as a great thermal isolator.
My wife and I painted several rooms in our house and recorded the difference in temperature before and after we painted the rooms.
The results were astonishing. We noticed significant differences before and after. However, for best air conditioning in respective rooms, we recommend these quiet AC units.
Lastly, the paint gives a renovation appearance to your house- and helps compliment the interior decors. It’s also a cheap solution for blocking outside noises.
So Does Sound Dampening Paint Work?
Yes, soundproofing paint does work. However, don’t expect to get 100% noise reduction.
As earlier mentioned, its effectiveness highly depends on how it’s applied (more coatings give the best results) and the kind of noise you’re trying to soundproof against.
The paint will deal with mid-frequency sounds and not low sounds (bass sounds) or highly pitched noises.