How and Why You Should Soundproof Your Garden Studio

27th September 2019

A garden studio is far more than just a glorified shed. It is an extension of your home and it needs to reflect that in both look and in structure. Most garden rooms are built as music rooms, gym rooms, exercise studios and playrooms and all of these will produce a significant amount of noise which is precisely why we recommend that you soundproof your garden studio.

What is Soundproofing?

Soundproofing is any means of reducing the sound pressure from a source. This will usually be achieved by using damping materials which absorb that sound and prevent it from travelling outside of a building. 

How Can You Achieve This?

The easiest way to achieve soundproofing is by adding a damping material inside the garden studio walls during construction. There are many options on the market which include drywall, plasterboard or MDF boards as well as acoustic wall insulation.

Acoustic Wall Insulation can be used to limit the amount of sound entering a building from the outside environment or travelling between rooms. It is currently one of the most popular ways to ensure your home or garden room is quiet, calm and peaceful, no matter what’s going on elsewhere. Most garden studio companies will probably offer you acoustic insulation as standard but always double-check this with them when you enquire. It is best to have your soundproofing added during the build rather than afterwards due to extra costs and, of course, mess! 

Is It Only The Walls?

No, if you want to fully soundproof your garden room you will need to ensure that the entire building is treated. Most floors in a modern garden studio will be constructed from a solid concrete base which will prevent sound from leaking out. As standard, we offer hard-wearing laminate flooring as a finish but if you have additional needs or would like to look into other options which may help with soundproofing we are always happy to discuss this. The ceiling would also need to be soundproofed and, again, we can look into making this happen for you with damping materials. You will want to look at your garden studio as a whole if you know you will be using it to make a lot of noise.

Windows and Doors

Soundproofing does, of course, extend to windows and doors also which means that you will need to carefully decide on what styles to opt for. Even though single-paned glass may look pretty and give you that classic look for your summerhouse, these will not hold any sound inside and your neighbours may not appreciate being able to hear your thumping exercise music in the middle of the day! Double glazing will a better option in order to prevent that noise pollution or you could even look into triple glazing which would be fully soundproofed. Your choices may well be limited by what the company offers on their package, however, you could always choose to buy externally and have the builders fit your chosen windows and doors during the build process.  

Seals

If you are relying on a garden room company to construct your building they will be very aware of ensuring that all seals around doors and windows, as well as around running cables, are important in order to prevent damp, drafts plus to aid in soundproofing. If you are doing your own build, do not overlook these areas. Cutting corners may well cause any expense spent on acoustic insulation to be pointless if your sound can leak out in other areas. A legitimate company will understand the importance of this and will carry out the work to the highest possible standard. A fully soundproof garden studio may require far more consideration than you may have originally thought.

Furnishings

We all know how sound can travel in an empty room. The noise just surrounds you and echoes all around so a very simple way to tackle noise problems is to ensure that your new garden studio is filled with items which will prevent sound from travelling. Rugs are an easy way to prevent footsteps sounds echoing, furniture will help to absorb noise and curtains will keep sounds muffled. You don’t have to overdo it, just think about filling the space in the best way you can and in a productive way. 

Final Tips

If you are planning on using your garden studio for very noisy activities such as drumming, band practise, dance and so on, it is always best to discuss this with your neighbours prior to the build. You certainly don’t want them to find out the hard way and the last thing you want is to have upsets amongst the street. If you take all that we have discussed in this article into consideration there shouldn’t be any issues with sounds coming from your garden studio anyway, but it is always nice to give those who live nearby a heads up. Also consider the times of day you will be using it, keeping the doors and windows closed if you know your session is going to be particularly loud or wear headphones if possible. A well-soundproofed garden studio will benefit everybody, not just you.

If you have any further questions in regards to achieving a soundproof garden studio do not hesitate to get in touch.