I'm having trouble with my roommate complaining about hearing me talk on voice chat late at night. Even with earplugs, he can still hear me! I typically use headphones after midnight, and while my mechanical keyboard doesn't bother him, my voice does seem to bleed through the shared wall. I've been trying to keep it down, but he claims he can still hear me. What are the best ways to soundproof the wall? I live in a rental single-family house, so I can't make any major structural changes. Also, the floors in the house are wooden; does that make a difference?
5 Answers
Have you tried lowering the volume on your headphones? If they’re really loud, you might not even realize how loud you’re talking. Also, using open-back headphones can help; they allow some ambient sound, so you'll hear your own voice more clearly, which could help you keep it down. Of course, if you’re still being too loud for your roommate even through earplugs, maybe a cold drink for him is in order to make up for it!
It’s important to pinpoint where the sound is leaking. Check if it’s coming through the vents or under the doors instead of the walls. For the doors, make sure you wedge a towel under it to block the gap. If it's the walls, you can hang heavy blankets or even quilts on them to absorb sound. Just a heads up, if your roommate can hear you through earplugs, it could mean you’re either quite loud or he has pretty sensitive hearing—maybe a bit of both!
I’ve added a sound blocker at the bottom of the door, but he said it didn’t help. I really think it’s the wall between us.
For sure! Heavy blankets or quilts made a huge difference when I tried them out when living with several roommates.
Adding some cozy rugs or even a couple of quilts on the shared wall could be beneficial. If he has his bed against that wall, he might consider moving it—it could help with the sound issue. Just don’t get too loud, or you might have to buy him a drink later!
His bed is actually on the opposite wall. Do sound dampening blankets work like regular quilts?
Definitely! They work great for reducing noise. I even put some on other walls connected to the shared wall for extra sound reduction.
Another idea might be to gift your roommate a white noise machine. It's effective at drowning out sounds. Just make sure to place it strategically in his room for the best results.
That’s a good idea! Should I put it close to the shared wall, or does it matter where it’s located?
Place it wherever he's most affected! If it’s near the shared wall, it’ll help drown your voice better.
If all else fails, consider building some sound-deadening panels, like I did for my home theater! Using Rockwool acoustic insulation can really cut down on sound transmission. It's a bit of a project, but if you're up for it, it can be very effective in the long run.
I’ve been mindful about my volume already! I did a sound check during the day, and it felt normal. What exactly do open-back headphones help with?