How To Soundproof When Remodeling a Master Bathroom Suite
How To Soundproof A Master Bathroom When Remodeling
With today's trend toward open floor plans, noisy appliances, and kids, homes are noisier than ever! That means that it's more important than ever before to have at least one space in your home where you can escape and relax in quiet comfort!
It only makes sense that that space is your master suite bathroom! First, bathroom noises typically aren't the ones you want to broadcast throughout your house and soundproofing your bathroom eliminates this issue. Plush a soundproofed bathroom means you can blast your favorite tunes while enjoying a glass of wine and a soak, sing in the shower, blow-dry your hair, or flush the toilet without disturbing the rest of the family!
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While it's easiest to add soundproofing when you're remodeling, effective soundproofing doesn't require a major renovation. There's a lot you can do with inexpensive soundproofing material and a little strategic decorating to help control sound.
First, Control The Sound
Sound is produced by vibrations that create waves in the air. Our ears detect these waves and register them as different types of sound. Sound waves are affected by the types of material they come in contact with. Because the typical bathroom is clad in hard materials like tile or stone and features parallel walls sound waves tend to bounce around. Lower frequency sounds are the most difficult to control.
Whether you're building a recording studio or remodeling a bathroom, sound control concepts are the same!
Controlling sound consists of using softer materials, for example, rock wool insulation to absorb high and mid-range frequencies, and using techniques like using non-parallel surfaces, or leaving air space between walls, to control low-end sounds. Soundproofing a bathroom consists of both minimizing sounds leaving the space, as well as preventing household sounds from entering.
Dampen Bathroom Noise With These Seven Simple Steps
If you're not planning a complete remodeling, here are seven steps you can take to keep your bathroom from transferring sound as you plan your master bathroom remodel. The easiest is to add materials that absorb or break up sound waves.
1. While carpeting the bathroom isn't practical, you can lay down thick rugs made from durable material that will stand up to the humidity and frequent washing. They can help to dampen sound.
2. Consider cork flooring tiles. They're an attractive alternative that absorbs noise and can stand up to normal bathroom heat and humidity.
3. In a residential bathroom, creating non-parallel walls is often not a practical or aesthetically pleasing option. To reduce echoes, on flat walls that face each other, add shelves, racks, or other accessories to break up the flat surfaces. Hang a painting, or hang potted plants from the ceiling. Fold or roll up thick fluffy towels and place them on the towel rack, shelves, and cabinets.
4. Use decorative acoustic fabric wrapped wall panels that serve as artwork, but double as soundproofing. Hanging a door storage unit inside the door can also help.
5. Even small gaps can transfer sound. Apply caulking to seal any gaps for example, where pipes enter the room, as well as around the fixtures like the sink. If you use an acoustic sealant, make sure to check that it's the type designed to be used on exposed surfaces.
6. Install acoustic insulation inserts in sockets and light switches. These may be difficult to find, but if you search for recording studio supply companies, you can find them. If you can't find them, standard insulation inserts are better than nothing!
7. Rattling pipes or “water hammer” (a loud banging noise) can be a sign of incorrect water pressure. This is often best addressed by refilling your system's air chambers or installing equipment to better regulate your home's water pressure.
These are all short term fixes that can help you to control sound in the master bathroom. The best option is to address soundproofing when you are remodeling your bathroom.
Soundproofing The Master Bathroom During Remodeling
If you're doing a gut-to-the-studs master bathroom remodeling you have a range of options you can incorporate during construction that is effective, and affordable. Controlling sound basically comes down to three objectives; reducing vibrations, plugging leaks, and absorbing sound. Here are some design and construction tips you can incorporate for doing all three!
Build a Water Closet
Putting the toilet into a separate room with a door, depending on where it's placed, adds another layer of separation between the master bath and the toilet. If you have the room and the budget, this is a great way to isolate the toilet-portion of the bathroom noise, from the rest of the master suite.
Add Mass
The best way to stop vibration is with heavy, dense, material. When remodeling, this can be accomplished by adding a second layer of sheetrock to the walls. While brick and stone are a great choice, they can be impractical in a residential bathroom. By adding the second layer of drywall and overlapping the boards to cover the seams will increase sound control.
Add Caulking Between the Layers
If you're adding a second layer of wallboard, an extra step that can reduce sound transmission even further is adding a 3/8” thick beads of acoustic caulk between the layers. This type of caulking limits vibration and minimizes the transmission of sound between the layers.
Use Sufficient Insulation In the Ceilings. Walls and Floors
Fiberglass is OK, but for better sound control rock wool is used in professional soundproofing installations. To cut down on impact noise like footsteps use gasket tape or foam joist tape. Replace the subfloor and then install an acoustic underlay before your finish flooring.
Wrap Pipes and HVAC Ductwork
Another noise source is your HVAC ductwork and water pipes. These are pretty easy to fix. Sound deadening duct wrap can significantly reduce noise. When it comes to pipes, wrapping them can lower noise as well as increasing energy efficiency.
Upgrade Your Doors
Most standard bathrooms use a hollow-core door that does little to block sound. Upgrading to a solid core can dramatically reduce noise coming to and from the room.
Soundproofing your master bathroom is a great investment. You'll not only insulate your home from unwanted noise, but you'll also create a relaxing oasis where you can soak in the tub while listening to your favorite music, sing in the shower, or just have a quiet space to meditate and relax without disturbing your family.
If you live in the greater Tuscaloosa, Alabama area and are planning a master bathroom remodeling, give the expert designers at Toulmin Kitchen & Bath a call at (205) 366-0807. Let us help you to design the soundproof master bathroom you've been dreaming about
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