Need to soundproof to help with severe ear condition.

[Roksyk]

I live in USA and have to avoid too much noise due to a severe ear condition, which is impossible with how loud the people I live with are, and how thin the walls are, plus a gap under my door that easily lets even more noise in. Since it seems as though there’s no way I can soundproof all of my bedroom (165.5 sq ft/15.37 sq m), with how much I think it would cost and how much airflow I think it would cut off, I’m thinking of setting it up so I can use my PC in my closet (15.17 sq ft/1.41 sq m). The problem I have is that I have no idea what soundproof curtains to get since I don’t know anything about them between brands, material, thickness, sellers, things like that.

My idea is to attach the curtain to the shelf above and just let it drape over. The distance up to the shelf is 85”/215.9cm, and going across I would need at least 85”/215.9cm, maybe more than that so it can also cover the wall in a U shape.

I also can’t figure out how to block out as much noise as possible without cutting off too much airflow since it makes my asthma worse from the lack of oxygen, like how leaving an opening at the top of the curtains would retain the airflow, but it might let too much noise in.

I was also thinking that multiple curtains to just layer on top of each other might be a good idea but I’m not sure. I’m just hoping to find out what the best curtains and methods would be, or maybe if anyone has better ideas on what I should do, so I’d really appreciate any help.

 

[Joe Smith]

There are a variety of sound-deadening earplugs on the market, those seem like they would be far easier to implement than what you are proposing with the closet...? The Loop series of plugs, for instance. Or, wearing comfortable thicker headphones with no sound playing, just to deaden the sound.

You could also put a removable rubber sweep on the bottom of your door, or use a cloth-filled "airdraft blocker thingie" (normally used in winter to block drafts) to close up that gap. Even when walls are on the thin side, it's open spaces/gaps that often contribute greatly to noise spill.

 

[Trdat]

Soundproofing is a lot more than curtains, drapes and some filling in air gaps. You might get a couple db here and there and even 6db wont be much perceived difference 10db is what you should be aiming for. Plus you will need an air exchange(deadened/soundproofed) to bring in filtered air from outside and ensure reduction of noise through that opening.

You need to tell us from where the sound is coming from? You want to deaden the PC sound or noise from another room or outside?

I often just were earmuffs in the apartment when my kids are running around.

 

[Roksyk]

There are a variety of sound-deadening earplugs on the market, those seem like they would be far easier to implement than what you are proposing with the closet...? The Loop series of plugs, for instance. Or, wearing comfortable thicker headphones with no sound playing, just to deaden the sound.

You could also put a removable rubber sweep on the bottom of your door, or use a cloth-filled "airdraft blocker thingie" (normally used in winter to block drafts) to close up that gap. Even when walls are on the thin side, it's open spaces/gaps that often contribute greatly to noise spill.

I already wear earmuffs all the time and sometimes wear earplugs since I can't wear those all the time because of the pressure inside the ears. However, even with that protection, it still is not enough to block out enough noise to prevent my ear condition from getting worse. I also can't cover the gap because the lack of airflow and oxygen makes my asthma a lot worse.

 

[Roksyk]

Soundproofing is a lot more than curtains, drapes and some filling in air gaps. You might get a couple db here and there and even 6db wont be much perceived difference 10db is what you should be aiming for. Plus you will need an air exchange(deadened/soundproofed) to bring in filtered air from outside and ensure reduction of noise through that opening.

You need to tell us from where the sound is coming from? You want to deaden the PC sound or noise from another room or outside?

I often just were earmuffs in the apartment when my kids are running around.

I don't think there's any way I can do air exchange since the only ventilation besides the ceiling a/c vents is a gap under my door that's maybe a couple inches. The noise I need to deal with is a tv being on in the room right next to mine, which that bedroom door is about a few feet away with the same door gap. There's also what is in front of my door, which leads to a loud a/c unit, the kitchen, living room, and dining room, which is all open space with no carpet and a high ceiling, which causes a lot of reverb and makes everything louder. I also wear earmuffs all the time, but it's not enough to help with my ear condition due to the sensitivity.

 

[Trdat]

I don't think there's any way I can do air exchange since the only ventilation besides the ceiling a/c vents is a gap under my door that's maybe a couple inches. The noise I need to deal with is a tv being on in the room right next to mine, which that bedroom door is about a few feet away with the same door gap. There's also what is in front of my door, which leads to a loud a/c unit, the kitchen, living room, and dining room, which is all open space with no carpet and a high ceiling, which causes a lot of reverb and makes everything louder. I also wear earmuffs all the time, but it's not enough to help with my ear condition due to the sensitivity.

Well, regarding air exchanger you need to punch a hole in the wall and grab that air from outside and if none of the walls lead to outside maybe it can be managed via the ceiling.

The simplest way to soundproof the room is going to be a drywall with insulation (this can be simulated or numbers taken from the web to get desired reduction) added to your current wall and a Euro door with at least 10mm thick glass 15mm air gap and a second pane of 6mm laminated glass that shuts hermetically or you could just opt for a soundproof door if it doesn't need to be transparent. Any wall needs another layer of drywall. The above doesn't guarantee soundproofness as your ceiling is not soundproofed but it might be enough for comfort. Technically, you need the entire room dry-walled even the floor but I have had the neighbors wall dry-walled without ceiling and floor and it gave a significant reduction however this was not a room rather the next apartment.

Like I mentioned above, sealing gaps won't provide significant difference. It all depends what reduction you want and how much you want to spend.

You need to be specific in

1. How much effort you want to put in to achieve desired effect.
2. How much dosh you want to fork out.
3. Then understand where sound is permeating through and at what db.
4. Then figure out how much reduction from that point will approximately give you comfort and work out if its all worth it.

 

[Curvature]

You seem distressed. We audiophiles on ASR and elsewhere often think we can buy our way to contentment and happiness and not only overspend but buy fully useless things like tweaks for that little bit "extra". We are also impatient and unwilling to compromise, even if our goals have no evidence-based merit. So make sure you are not like us and act on medical advice first and have a clear sense of your conditions.

I'll limit myself to saying that if you have hyperacusis, part of the treatment typically involves noise exposure therapy so that you aren't bothered as much by what you hear. There is a strong component here of learning to control your reaction to noise.

Only seal the door if you have a vent in your room for airflow. You can seal the sides of the door using thin weatherstripping, which will make closing the door harder. It's a little more complicated to block the bottom elegantly, but you can use a towel. There are some existing products that attach to the side or underneath the door and slide along the floor.

To limit noise entering your room otherwise will be very hard. Curtains must be labtested and have an STC rating specifically: https://www.acoustic-curtains.com/lab-tests

If you install these, first of all they are very heavy and need special curtain hardware. Your walls may or may not be able to sustain the weight. Second, they must go floor to ceiling to be effective. Third, they must not block your air vents. Fourth, all of this is expensive and labor-intensive and a permanent solution, while you seem like you are renting. Last, if there is noise travelling from the ceiling or floor or from inside your room (like your computer), it will become more prominent and obvious, not less, because you will have dropped the overall background noise in your room.

The best, cheapest, most practical solution would be custom passive earplugs IMO.

 

[Philbo King]

Noise-cancelling earbuds or headphones would be your best bet, depending on the frequencies of the noise.

Theatrical curtains (1 inch thick fabric, super expensive) might be helpful possibly.