Insulation is described by the Cambridge Dictionary as “the act of covering something to stop heat, sound, or electricity from escaping or entering”. But what’s the best insulation for sound?
Sound insulation can help to make your work, office, or entertainment room a better environment.
Depending on the type of insulation you use, you can a) soundproof, stopping noise from entering or leaving, and b) absorb sound, reducing echo and reverberation.
This article looks at both – we’ll tell you the best insulation for both soundproofing and sound absorption, as well as the most effective, cheapest, quickest, most convenient and most attractive insulation.
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Most effective for soundproofing – mass loaded vinyl
When you are talking about soundproofing, nothing beats installing insulation within a structure.
Whether it’s your wall, floor or ceiling – the most effective insulation for sound is often panels that are installed inside.
That way is effective because a) the insulation adds mass, which blocks more noise and b) in some cases the insulation can block the sound transmission pathways between one room and another.
Of course, this means a more expensive, time-consuming operation. In many cases, you will have to remove a layer of drywall (for walls) or open up your flooring to access the sub-floor (for floors).
So which types of insulation can you install within a wall or floor? We recommend:
- Mass loaded vinyl sheets (for walls)
- Felt (especially for carpet underlays)
Most effective for sound absorption – mineral wool panels
The most effective method of installing insulation applies to sound absorption, too. But the material is different.
Not only can you absorb sound more effectively with insulation that is installed within a wall, ceiling or floor, but it is also less of an eye sore.
Which insulation is best for sound absorption is open to debate.
Sound absorbing materials such as mineral wool, polyester fiber and premium acoustic foam can all do a good job of absorbing sound; reducing echo and reverberation.
This will make conversations more pleasant, allowing you to talk in person on the phone more easily. You can also look forward to a better audio experience from your TV or instruments.
Both mineral wool and polyester fiber have a noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of around 0.9. That means that they absorb as much as 90% of the sound that reaches the material (and reflect 10%).
Due to its effectiveness as insulation in the cavities of walls, floors and ceilings – with a fiber matrix and high density that is excellent at absorbing sound waves – we have picked out mineral wool panels as the most effective insulation for sound absorption
Cheapest for soundproofing – felt
When it comes to soundproofing, we are talking about blocking sound. We don’t mean absorbing sound to stop it from reflecting and causing echo (that’s sound absorption).
Insulation for soundproofing must add enough mass to block sound. So it should be dense. This is why there aren’t that many dirt-cheap options out there.
Mass loaded vinyl won’t break the bank, but it isn’t a budget option either.
If you are looking for a cheap insulation material – try felt. Thanks to the tightly-packed fibers in the material, the transmission of sound waves can be kept to a minimum. It will also improve the acoustics in a room. You can purchase basic felt for as little as 50 cents per square foot.
Cheapest for sound absorption – acoustic foam
You will recognise acoustic foam as the panels that come in the shape of an egg carton, or as lines of wedges.
Cheap, and easy to affix with self-adhesive or tape, acoustic foam is your quick fix for sound absorption.
Thanks to the structure of the open polyurethane foam and its air bubbles, more of sound waves can be absorbed, rather than reflected.
Whether it’s a recording studio, entertainment room or office – superior sound absorption results in improved acoustics, with less echo and reverberation.
Most attractive for soundproofing – install within structure
The truth is, the best soundproofing insulation, and most insulation in general, will be tucked away within a structure.
Not only is insulation often best hidden from sight for aesthetic reasons, but in many cases it will also be more effective installed behind drywall or underneath flooring.
The best soundproofing insulation – including mass loaded vinyl, felt and rubber – is not designed to look great. It often comes in pretty plain panels that won’t add anything to the look of your room.
For this reason, we recommend that you hide insulation away within your walls, ceilings or floors. Of course – if your house is already built, this might require you to uproot flooring or take down a layer of drywall in order to install the insulation.
Most attractive for sound absorption – acoustic fiberglass panels
The same as above applies for sound absorption – insulation is best installed within walls, floors or ceilings.
However, you might be reluctant to tear down a wall or take up a floor just to reduce the echo in a room. On the other hand, acoustic foam panels stuck to your wall don’t look the best. So what’s the solution?…
Polyester fiberglass acoustic panels are superior to acoustic foam for sound absorption. The stats back this up. Fiberglass panels offer a noise reduction coefficient of up to 0.9, compared to acoustic foam’s 0.8. This means it absorbs 90% of the sound waves that hit it.
And fiberglass panels, although more expensive than acoustic foam panels, also tend to look much better. They come in smart, streamlined designs that are actually quite cool in a recording studio or home cinema (although you might get some puzzled looks if you put them in your living room).
Best insulation for sound (overall)
The answer to this depends on what you want to achieve.
For an all-round soundproofing job that blocks sound (reducing noise from entering or leaving a room) and absorbs soundwaves to improve acoustics, you are going to need more than one material.
You’ll have to employ an effective blocker of sound (such as mass loaded vinyl) along with a good sound absorber (such as mineral wool or polyester fiber). And if you want to reduce impact noise, such as footsteps on your floor), you might wish to use another material such as rubber or cork.
All these materials are, ideally, best off going within a structure such as a floor or wall. That’s why insulation can be more conveniently installed when you are constructing a house. However, even if your house is already built – there are plenty of options!
