If you know how to soundproof a room with blankets , you will save a lot of time and effort and mistakes. Of course, you can create your acoustic panels by yourself, but the blankets are a lot easier and faster.
The correct use of the acoustic (moving) blankets will reduce the level of noise considerably. So in a few minutes, after you get the soundproofing blankets, they should be ready for use.The level of noise it would control will not be as remarkable as listening to the sound in a standard studio. However, you will notice a considerable reduction.
If you are entirely new to the idea of soundproofing a room, this is your best starting point, where you can learn to do it. Young artists who cannot afford the cost have been using any form of blankets to achieve better sounds. So these kids achieve their desire of soundproofing a low level of noise.
Does that mean you can use any form of blankets?
However, you want something better. You want it to be as effective as possible so that you do not end up wishing you do something with your time and money, say, watching Netflix, instead of using Acoustics blanket.
So to that, you will find 6 steps to make your room sound better and always using blankets.
By choosing quality moving blankets & installing them is a proper manner, you will effectively insulate the sound.
In this post, you will know things to look for before you choose quality soundproofing blankets. So you will know how to use them correctly.
Read forward and see how to do it.
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What is a Moving Blanket?
It is time to get some understanding of some of the materials.
The inner layer of moving blankets are usually made of cotton materials, some percentage of polyester, mineral wool or fibreglass. They are used for different purposes which include protecting the surface of furniture from scratch, or they can be used for soundproofing purpose (as you will find out soon).
The effectiveness of this cushion depends on how heavy it is. Heavy moving blankets will relatively quiet space better than thin ones. However, generally, acoustic blankets (which are specifically made to soundproof a space) are better for the purpose of soundproofing.
But no matter the thickness of the two types of blankets, they cannot block sound completely.The duty of the blankets is to dampen or absorb the sound and reduce the level of any noise problem. So choose something else if your aim is to create something impenetrable to sound.
Commonly, they should be used in spaces where there are many hard surfaces which can make sound waves bounce from one corner to another.
Are Acoustic Blankets Washable? What Do You Think?
Yes, acoustic blankets are washable.
Washing them makes them neater, removes unwanted smell and adds a new touch to them. Although after washing you will notice fuzz balls over the surface of the blankets, washing the blankets do not reduce the efficiency of the materials.
You might want to reduce the rate of wash to prevent damage from frequent washing. Instead, vacuum the blanket regularly and wash once in a while.
Do Moving Blankets Work for Soundproofing a Room?
The answer is “YES.”
Moving blankets absorb sounds. These sound waves would have bounced back if they hit hard materials or surfaces, and they would cause echo and noise. However, after absorption, the sounds come out more apparent and better to the listener.
They are made to serve two purposes, and they do it well. Just like they are used for protecting the surface of furniture materials, they effectively serve as sound insulation. But they must be thick enough.
The blankets used in soundproofing must be relatively thick for it to work as soundproof materials. If it is sturdy enough and hung in the room, the materials will prevent reverberation and noise and sound reflection.
Using an acoustic blanket is one of the most affordable and effective way to soundproof your room.
Things to Check When Buying a Moving (Acoustic) Blanket for Your Room
If you want to buy moving blankets which will not be just a beautiful addition to your room, but also a sound insulator, you need to keep an eye for certain features.
If you make the right choice,
- Sound will penetrate the materials easily
- You will save cost
- You will reduce mistakes
- Your room will be soundproof just as you wish
- So you will use the fabric for a long time
Here are the things to check
✔ The Types of Fabric
The outer surface of the fabric for making acoustic blankets should be penetrable to sound. This is important since the purpose of acoustic blankets is to absorb sound (to allow the waves to get the core of the fabric).
Inside the blankets are materials such as fiberglass, recycled cotton, mineral wool or vinyl materials. These inner materials are denser, and they serve as the layer that trap, deaden and reduce the sounds. To get to this layer, the outer layer should be penetrable.
How to Know the Fabric is Good Enough to Absorb Sound?
Try blowing air into the fabric. If the air passes through to the other end, then the fabric is penetrable for sound.
✔Density
The most important thing about a soundproof blanket is its density. The noise reduction coefficient (NRC) is a scale of zero to one use to show how much sound a material absorbs. The Zero (0) is utterly reflective whereas one (1) is completely absorbent.
Most of the times, professionally designed industrial moving blankets take this rating around 0.7 – 0.9.
Therefore, In this case, you should keep your eyes on moving blanket’s NRC rating before you make the purchase.
✔Thickness
Generally, Sound absorption depends on the thickness of the blankets and the material that the blanket is made of. In my experience, lightweight acoustic blankets do not absorb sound as much as you would really want to.
If you go out to get specially designed industrial soundproof blankets, you will spend a lot more.
Lightweight Acoustic blankets cost lesser than those blankets. They are used for protecting furniture but could still serve our purpose. And they are relatively cheaper.
However, they are not as effective as real acoustic blankets. So to get the best out of acoustic blankets ensure you are getting thicker ones that will act as strong sound absorbers
However thicker blankets can be much more substantial as they are hard to be hung onto a surface. Therefore, you need to keep a balance between ease of use & how much sound the moving blanket is going to absorb based its sound deadening capability.
✔Cost (Price) of Blankets
Everyone wishes to have a cost-effective way to get their room soundproofed.
If you choose the cheapest blanket in the market, it may not absorb sound as you expect. It does not necessarily mean that the Sound absorption depends on the price blanket’s price. However, most of the time quality blankets are much expensive but affordable.
The price of the blankets should be affordable. If it seems too high for you, compare the price to that of a real acoustic blanket. Moving blankets should cost lesser than them. If they do not, it is better to buy acoustic blankets for the same price.
If you make the purchase online, carefully read the seller’s description and Compare the price with its features. Choose one that gives maximum benefits to what you pay for.
✔Grommets
The blankets could have grommets. Grommets will make them easier to hang on walls or doors or ceilings.
If you choose a blanket that does not have grommets, you need to get it installed by yourself.
If I were you, I choose a blanket that has grommets as I prefer a hassle-free installation.
✔Design & Right Cut
Most of the time this depends on the area you are going to soundproof & where you are going to hang them on. There are tons of moving blankets in the market where you can see they have different sound deadening capabilities & designs.
If you are going to make the best choice, you need to choose the best design you prefer to have, at its right size.
The reason is when you are cutting acoustic blanket down it will damage the blanket and also its design.
Therefore, you better to keep in mind the size of the area you are going to hang them before making the purchase. This avoids unnecessary damages to the blankets surface & its design.
[Related Article: 5 Best Soundproof Curtains For Your House]Best Soundproof Blankets Available In the Market
By considering all the things mentioned above, followings are the best soundproof blankets in the market that I can recommend for you.
01 – Supreme Mover Moving Blankets (72-inch x 80 inches)
02- Audimute Sound Absorption Sheet Sound – Dampening Blanket
03- uBoxes Textile Moving Blankets (54 x 72 inch)
04- Cheap Cheap Moving Boxes (72-inch x 80 inches)
05- Moving Blanket from Forearm Forklift
How To Soundproof A Room With Blankets
As you have read, in this case, if you are using a heavy moving and thick blanket. You will save many costs for your soundproofing project. In the process, you will also not be adding too much stuff into the room.
Acoustic blankets or even heavy moving blanket can be made to look like part of the room. So they only occupy little space in comparison with acoustic panels & boards.
[Related Article: Check out our Best Acoustic Foam Panels With Installation Guide]Add that to the fact that you can wash them and you will see the reason you should start preparing to get one and soundproof your room right away.
So let’s soundproof your room with a blanket.
01. Fix them on the Walls
This is the commonest place to fix the thick blanket as most buildings and houses nowadays have thin walls that allowed excess noise to pass through them. After you have gotten either an acoustic blanket or the cheaper moving blankets, you will need to attach it to the back of your walls.
There are different ways to go about it. You can either hang it like a poster, or you can use a rod and hang it like a curtain.
In the first case, you will need some nails or glue to make attaching it to the wall. To do this,
- Locate the center of the wall where you want it.
- Now spread the blanket on the area around the cent
- Use nails to attach the sides on the wall
- Alternatively, you might use glue to fix it to the wall.
- Or if the acoustic blanket comes with a grommet, hang it on the wall with it.
- If you do not want to cause much distortion on your wall, you can fix a curtain rod or curtain tracks on the wall and hang the blanket on it.
02. Attach them on the Door
This blankets can also serve as soundproof blankets for doors. The only difficulty is that doors have openings which will be used regularly. If the door is just an unused door which you will not open ever again and you want entirely to soundproof it, then treat the area like you did with walls.
- Completely spread the blankets on the area of the door and extend it to the walls on its
- Nail the blanket on the wall and let cover the entire door. Alternatively, you can glue the blanket.
Otherwise, if the door will be opened regularly
- Just drape the blanket over the door so that you do not prevent the opening of the doors.
- Alternatively, you could attach the blanket on the body of the door with the use of nails or glue.
- Alternatively, you could use a curtain holder to hang the blanket like a curtain behind your door.
03. Attach the Blankets on the Window
Attaching blankets will make it challenging to have a clear view of the outside. Also, the blanket could also block sun rays from entering into space. These two can be important to you as a person. So before you decide to soundproof your windows with a blanket, decide if you want to blur out the exterior view of the house.
After you have decided, you can choose to soundproof your window. Simply hang the blanket like a curtain over the window. If you will not open the window again, then you could cover the whole window and attach the blanket to the walls around it.
Note:
you should cover as much as possible air gaps when soundproofing your windows (and doors) with acoustic blankets or moving blankets. That way you will improve the quality of sounds in confinement.
04. Attach them to The Ceilings If You Have Noisy Upstairs Neighbors.
The ceiling is also an excellent place to attach the blankets. Although it can be a bit difficult to attach them on the ceilings, it is helpful for people with neighbors upstairs.
In such rooms where your noisy neighbors are above your head, the noise from above can make you cringe. However, with soundproof blankets, you will experience a noticeable improvement immediately.
If you find it difficult to fix the blankets on the ceilings, ask a friend to help in the process. Use glue or nails as the case might be to attach this soundproof material over the ceiling. And you will enjoy a sound sleep after quieting the sounds from above, sounds which might include the crying of a baby or that which seems like playing squirrels.
05. Cover Your Floor with Blankets
This is one of the ways you can help your neighbor enjoy their sleep especially if you are the one using the floor above theirs. This will prevent the noise (noise like footsteps) that goes down to their space and causes them a lot of worries.
If you are using the soundproof blankets that could serve as carpet, you are killing two big birds with one small decision. You are preventing echo in the room and improving the aesthetics of the space.
06. Wrap Up Some Appliances
Do you have an appliance you want to soundproof with this blanket?
Yes?
Then give the appliance a soundproof coat and in the end, enjoy an improved sound quality within the room.
These appliances could be your dishwasher or your refrigerator. The rule is to make the complete process look beautiful and yet keeping the functionality of the appliances.
Of course, there are ways to do it effectively
One, just lay the blanket over the top of the appliance, for instance, your refrigerator.
Two, wrap it up. A whole blanket might not be sufficient depending on the size of the appliance so use two blankets.
Lay one on the floor and put the appliance at the center. Place another at the top. Pull the one on the floor over to the center of the appliance so that it covers the sides.
Now wrap the two blankets together and hold it with a tape at the middle of the appliance.
This is how Blanket Wraps a Sofa
Final Thoughts on How to Soundproof a Room with Blankets
This is how to soundproof your room with blankets. You will experience a different sound quality. You will reduce the sound of echo or reverberation or prevent external noise from your neighbors. So you will not spend much money to achieve this.
There are six steps in this post. The walls and ceilings are easy to achieve. Blankets on the floors will prevent the noise from your room to getting to outside. And if you take the tips in the post into consideration, you will not only be soundproofing your room but also you will be adding beauty to your room.
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