Soundproofing - You Can Do It Yourself

If you've ever walked into a room stripped of all its furniture, carpets etc, perhaps when decorating, you will have noticed how the noise echoes around the room. This is because there is nothing to absorb the sound, so it bounces around the walls. These vibrations readily travel through the wall, thus upsetting your neighbours if they are loud enough. When you put the carpets and furniture back, you'll notice that the echo has gone. The soft furnishings and furniture and are absorbing the vibrations, therefore the sound. So here's a hint as to what you can do to help yourself.
Hang a large rug, or rugs, on the wall. The thicker, the better. Alternatively, try a quilt of some kind. Perhaps a patchwork quilt- they always look good displayed in this way, and it's a shame when they are left folded in a cupboard. Show them off and soundproof at the same time. The crucial thing to remember when using rugs or quilts is the airspace between them and the wall. Get a baton to attach your wall hanging to. This makes a gap of air behind the hanging which is crucial. Attach your hanging to the baton, perhaps with sew and stick Velcro, or staples so you can easily take it down for cleaning. Securely screw the baton to the wall through which there is a problem (presumably a party wall), ensuring the baton is at least ½" wide.
Add soft furnishings. Cushions, heavyweight curtains (especially velvet and velour) that are lined, soft sofas and deep piled carpets will all contribute to sound reduction. Pile in the rugs on top of the carpet and you have yet more insulation. Sound travels through floorboards as well as walls! Think how cosy you'll be with all these layers. Not only will you reduce sound, but you should help to shrink your heating bill, too.

Once upon a time a friend of mine had two sons living at home. One of them decided to learn to play the drums. My friend lived in an old, terraced house. He worked, freelance, in his study in the next room. At first, it seemed a recipe for disaster. Then my friend had a lightbulb moment. He understood the principles of sound travel. He also had a lot of stored stuff following a house move. So he went digging and found some rugs. Being a handy person, he set about attaching batons to the wall. His wife thought he was mad. he probably is, but not because he put batons on the wall. He then hung thick, heavy rugs from them, almost covering every wall in the room, especially the party wall and the one adjacent to his study. He put more rugs on the floor, big floor cushions for his son to chill out on and even a door curtain behind the door. He hung thick, lined velvet curtains and banned the window from being opened when drum practice was happening. Noise was deadened to such an extent you could barely hear it outside at all, and in the study the sound was deadened so much my friend hardly noticed it. The result? Happy neighbours, my friend was able to keep earning from his study and his son went on to be in a band for several years.