We get it – your teen has just formed a band and they want to use your garage to practice… Your initial answer was NO WAY!!! But it doesn’t need to be that way. Follow these simple tips to reduce noise transmission and your kid’s band won’t disturb anyone!
All famous musicians and bands have to start somewhere, take The Who, for example, one of the greatest rock bands of all times got their start in a garage! Maybe your kid will rise to the same ranks, maybe not, but either way providing them with a safe place to practice is a great way to support their interests. And by following our tips, you won’t have any complaints from the neighbours!
The best advice we can give is to insulate
Whether your garage is attached or detached, you need insulation to reduce noise transmission. If not the noise will either bother you or your neighbours. Chances are if your garage is attached and less than 20 years old, the contractor probably complied with local regulations and you’ve got the required energy-efficient insulation.
Your garage walls and ceilings should be properly insulated, we suggest using mineral wool insulation as this is not only a great thermal insulator, but also is a great acoustic insulator as its structure prevents the movement of air. We would not suggest using plastic-based insulation, like polystyrene.
If your garage is attached and there is a bedroom located directly above it, you will have to ensure the ceiling is well-insulated. You should also consider establishing a “lights off” time to ensure band practice doesn’t affect your sleep.
Other tips for reducing noise transmission
You don’t need to take an Acoustics 101 course to understand how to reduce noise transmission, but we can share a few pointers with you. Placing a sound-absorbing material on the floor, such as a rubber pad, felt underlay or noise-absorbing carpet, will absorb some of the sound from items placed on the ground, such as drums and speakers (which transmit the most sound). However, this has little effect on the transmission of sound waves outside of the garage.
Egg cartos and polystyrene panels are useless, and you would have to cover them as they are flammable materials. The best thing to do is to create a mini-room within a room. This creates more walls for the sound waves to travel through, reducing noise transmission.
Invest in an insulated garage door
Sound waves travel like air, so if air can get out of garage, so can sound. The best way to reduce noise transmission to the outside of your garage (and thus avoid angering your neighbours) is to invest in a well-insulated, weather-sealed garage door. Doing so can reduce noise transmission by a whopping 50% or more. We suggest opting for a 1.75‑inch‑thick door (45mm) that has been injected with polyurethane foam, and which has weather-stripping around the entire perimeter and between door sections and the exterior frame.
If this article has given you food for thought…
Contact us at 519-326-5888. As industry experts, we know garage doors better than anyone else and are the best people to advise you and help you make the right choice. You can either call us, visit our showroom or send us a request for an online quotation. We’ll be more than happy to send you a detailed quote. You can also play around with our Design Centre to see how different doors will look at your home.
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