We have talked a lot about the benefits of soundproofing here on our blog, but we have never delved too deep into how soundproofing actually works. And we think that the more you understand the science behind the art of soundproofing, the better chance you have of putting it into practice in your own space.
What is soundproofing?
We couldn’t describe the idea of soundproofing better than the actual definition of the work, so here it is:
‘To make a room or building resistant to the passage of sound’
Pretty straightforward stuff, right?
That job is accomplished by reducing and absorbing noise using different techniques. Soundproofing is a must in professional recording studios, but it’s also becoming more and more popular in residential structures like apartments.
But how does it work. That’s what we really want to know here.
How soundproofing works
So soundproofing is all about blocking and reducing sound and we can generally achieve that in three different ways.
Space – This is the easiest one to understand. The further away you are from the source of sound, the less likely you are to hear it. For example, if a car crash occurred two miles away from where you’re stood or sat right now, you wouldn’t hear it. Sound diminishes when travelling through space.
Mass – This is also fairly obvious. Them more mass between you and the source of sound, the less audible the sound wave will be when it reaches your ears. Imagine you’re playing the radio very loud in your room with the door open. Anyone outside your room will be able to hear the sound reasonably well. Shut the door and that sound quickly muffles.
Dampening – This is slightly more complicated. Dampening is a way to absorb sound. It forces the sound waves to travel through materials of varying densities, obstructing the sound waves path. Dampening actually limits a sound waves ability to vibrate, which in turn results in the absorption of the wave itself.
That’s soundproofing on a very basic level, but you can use the three techniques above to limit the sound leaving or entering your property.
Got more questions about soundproofing? Get in touch with us today!