Is soundproofing a basement for drums possible? If you ask the same question, then this post is for you. I will share with you some easy and effective tips on how you can do it.
One of the disturbing noise you can hear is the sound of a drumset. This is too much for a non-music neighbor to bear. Even if you practice in the basement, the sound will still be loud. If you care about your neighbor, you don’t want to disturb them every time you have a band practice session.
The best solution is to soundproof the basement. But, is soundproofing a basement for drums really work?
Yes. Soundproofing a basement for drums is possible.
If you’ve been researching online, you might have probably come across different tips and tricks on how to soundproof a basement for band practice.
There are a thousand ways to do it. Some techniques need money to make your basement quiet during the band practice. The more money you have, the better your chance of getting your basement soundproofed.
If you are reading this post, it is highly likely that you are looking for a solution to this problem. But there are two possibilities too; it’s either you have enough budget or a limited budget for the project.
If you have enough budget, then everything is easy for you. However, if you don’t have enough money to buy the best soundproofing materials, then this post is for you.
That’s right. This post is created to help you soundproof a basement without spending thousands of dollars. You can do it using materials that absorb sound.
Here are the five easy ways you can do to soundproof a basement for drums:
Table of Contents
1.Find the Leaks and Fix Them
Air leaks are good exit points for the noise. If you have big leaks in your basement, that means that the drum noise that will be heard by the people nearby will be considerably deafening.
Sealing the big air leaks will absolutely help reduce the noise that passes through. You can start by finding the leaks on the walls or other parts of the basement and fix them.
The most common places for air leaks are found in the door. If this is the case, you can use the Soundproof Weather Stripping Door Kit (click here to see this material on Amazon). This thing will help you fix the problem easily.
If you apply it correctly, all sides of the door will be secured. The noise from the drumset will not be as loud as before.
You can also expand the search for air leaks all around the basement wall. Once you found them, use Foam Seal Tape (click here to see this tape on Amazon) to seal the smaller air leaks on the wall.
2. Reinforce the Door
If you have a modern door in your basement, there’s a high chance for the noise to readily pass through the door. Hollow doors are not very good at blocking the noise.
This means that, no matter what soundproofing materials you used on the walls, if the door remains as it is, you won’t achieve your goal of containing the noise inside.
The best thing you can do, however, is to reinforce the hollow door with soundproofing material that can really help. The best one that I recommend is the Singer Safety Double Faced Quilted Fiberglass Panel (click here to see this panel on Amazon).
The only drawback that I see with this material is the price. It is a bit pricey and if you have a very limited budget, this might not be the perfect solution for you.
The good news is that there are other ways you can do to achieve almost the same result. You can use plywood to reinforce the door. Just use screw or glue to attach the material on the door. You can also try the Jack Richeson Medium Density Untempered Hardboard (check this on Amazon). This is even better.
3. Use a Drum Rug
The success in any soundproofing projects depends on how well you understand the nature of sound. The noise from the drumset is louder if the basement or room is made of concrete materials.
To lessen the noise, you need to add some soft materials that will somehow absorb the sound. For drums, the best material is the drum rug such as the Meinl Cymbals MDR-BK Drum Rug (click here to check this rug on Amazon).
This rug is made for this specific purpose. It will hold the stands of the drum in place while absorbing the sound. This means that using this rug allows you to keep the drums stable as well as minimize the noise the drum produces.
To achieve the best results, you want to lay the rug on the floor where the drumset stands. It will be better if the floor is carpeted. The carpet also helps absorb the sound. The carpet and the drum rug will be the great tandem for reducing noise from the drumset.
4. Apply Acoustic Foam
As mentioned, if the basement is constructed out of concrete, then the basement has hard surfaces. This means that the sound or noise will bounce back and forth.
In most cases, the basement ceilings and walls are made of concrete. If your basement is like this, it will be hard for you to control the noise that ricochets all over the room. The room itself amplifies the noise making it even louder.
The best technique you can employ is using Acoustic Foam (click here to check this foam on Amazon) to cover the ceiling and the walls. Acoustic foams come with different colors and styles you can choose from for your project.
Acoustic foam panels do a pretty good job at reducing the echo which will, in turn, minimize the noise.
The good thing about using acoustic foam is that you don’t need to cover the whole basement. Even the few panels will considerably reduce the noise. This is how effective these materials are.
5. Cover Windows with Thick Curtains
We’ve almost done. You have already fixed the leaks, reinforced the door, and minimized the echo in the room. But there’s one thing that you need to check, the window.
Aside from the door, windows are also a contributor to the problem. This is because windows are some of the weakest parts of the room or basement. The noise could pass through outside which causes disturbance to the neighbors.
Windows are difficult to soundproof with usual soundproofing materials. What you can do is use a thick curtain to block the sound. If you go on with this route, I suggest that you use a thick curtain. The thicker the curtain, the better the results.
The curtain that I recommend for this project is the NICETOWN Blackout Curtains Panels (click here to see this curtain on Amazon). These curtains come in different colors you can choose from. Use the one that best suits your internal design.
Final Thoughts on Soundproofing a Basement for Drums
As mentioned, there are hundreds if not thousands of ways to soundproof a basement for drums. Some are inexpensive, while others could cost you money.
Depending on your situation, the steps and tips I shared here may or may not work. But I believe that this post would somehow give you an idea of how to soundproof a basement for drums.
If implemented correctly, you can still see the difference.
For more information about soundproofing, feel free to check my Soundproofing Guide.
Happy soundproofing!
