The DIY Guide To Building A Soundproof Window Plug
Over the past few years, an increasing number of people have wanted to soundproof their windows. While this might not be a problem when you’re having renovations done, there could be a few issues if this isn’t the case. The primary reason for this is that quite a significant amount of people might not want to pay for costly renovations.
Many of us will want to soundproof our windows ourselves. There are quite a large number of benefits to this, with some of the more notable of these being that it can be relatively inexpensive and shouldn’t take too much time to do.
However, quite a large number of people may not know how to soundproof their windows themselves. While many might think that this will be a relatively complicated process, it doesn’t have to be, as there are a few simple steps that you can follow to do so.
Naturally, the first step will be to ensure that you have each of the materials needed to soundproof your windows. Though you might think that you’ll need a variety of things to do so, you might not need as many as you may have thought. In contrast, you’ll simply need:
Naturally, many of us will not have many of these materials lying around, which means that you’ll have to buy them. However, this doesn’t mean that you’ll have to spend a significant amount of money on them.
In contrast, you can purchase them at a relatively affordable price from Amazon. There is also the fact that they should be delivered quite quickly, so you should be able to get to work on your DIY soundproof window plug much faster than you may have thought.
Once you have each of the above, you can then start working on them. Though you might think that this will be a time-consuming process, it’s much faster and easier than you may have believed. As such, your windows should be soundproofed quite quickly.
Before you start on the project, however, there are a few specific factors that everybody should know about.
What Is A Soundproof Window Plug?
Many people might wonder what a soundproof window plug is, with the term being relatively unknown among a significant number of people. In short, it’s exactly what it sounds like and acts as a cover for your window that stops any sound from entering through it.
Typically, this consists of soundproofing material and foam that’s backed up by a wooden board that has a handle installed. When working properly, the plug will absorb sound waves and then reflect them back out onto the street.
This could mean that there shouldn’t be much noise entering through the windowsill. While these can be an effective solution to noise pollution, they can often be quite expensive, with this primarily being driven by the fact that many will need to be custom-made.
However, this is avoided by making DIY soundproof window plugs. Regardless of whether you choose to hire a professional or make it yourself, there can be a variety of pros and cons to using one of the products, which the majority of homeowners will need to be aware of before they start using one.
What Are The Advantages Of Plugging A Window?
Perhaps the largest benefit, and most obvious, is the fact that you’ll see a significant amount of noise reduction once you have them installed. This could mean that you should be able to sleep much better at night without being bothered by traffic and many other sources of noise pollution.
Naturally, this is an area that will be much more beneficial in homes that are close to busy streets and where owners will typically have to tolerate a significant amount of noise. The plugs can also provide a large amount of thermal insulation, which should help you cut down on your energy and heating bills over the long-term, with this adding up quite quickly.
This can be seen throughout the year, as a soundproof window plug should be enough to keep the majority of heat and cold out. These aspects are enhanced by the fact that you can easily remove the plugs whenever you need to help let air into the home.
They can also provide a blackout ability, which is something that many people may want to capitalize on quite significantly. Though this is an area that some people may not want to focus on, it could be a notable benefit. Alongside this is a larger amount of privacy, which is something that the majority of people may want to take advantage of.
If you’re making a DIY soundproof window plug, you should also see a significant amount of savings when compared to purchasing a professionally made one. When combined with the savings that you may be able to see, then these can be quite a cost-effective product for your home, which is an attractive benefit.
What Are The Disadvantages?
Despite the variety of benefits that a soundproof window plug can have, there can also be several negatives that homeowners should be aware of before getting one. Perhaps the largest of these is that they can block out the light during the daytime, which is something that relatively few people may want.
While they can easily be removed during the day, this also means that you’ll be letting the noise in with it. As such, many people may see this as a large drawback. Alongside this, they might not be the most attractive addition to your home, especially if you make the soundproof window plug yourself.
While you may be able to add a certain amount of style to it when creating it, this will only add to the cost of the overall project. Alongside this, it could take much more time to do so. Both of these are areas that many people might want to avoid.
There’s also the fact that building the plugs could take a substantial amount of time, especially if you’re doing so for a variety of windows. While many people will be able to avoid this by hiring somebody else to create the soundproof window plugs, this could prove to be much more costly than many people will want.
As such, many people may find that there are more drawbacks to them than they may be comfortable with.
Step-By-Step Guide To Making DIY Soundproof Window Plugs
Quite a significant number of people might think that soundproofing their window will be a long and complicated process. This may end up in the majority of them may end up hiring a professional to do it instead.
However, you shouldn’t have to do so, as the process is relatively simple. As mentioned above, there is a sizable number of materials that you’ll need. You should be able to get the majority of these from Amazon, each of which should be quite affordable while still being high-quality.
The amount of these materials that you’ll need may vary from window to window, especially the acoustic foam and wooden board. However, it’s best to ensure that you know the exact size of your windows before you order the materials.
Once you have everything you need, however, you can then begin working on the project. When doing so, it’s worth putting aside several hours to make sure that you can do everything properly, although this can depend on how many windows you’re soundproofing.
With that in mind, there are few specific steps that you’ll need to take when soundproofing your windows.
Measuring The Window Area
Naturally, the first step that you’ll need to take is to measure each of the windows that you plan on soundproofing, with these measurements being vital in a variety of ways. As mentioned, this will play an essential role when you’re buying the materials that you’ll be using when creating the soundproof window plug.
When doing so, there are several measurements that you’ll need to take. While many people will know to measure the height and width of the window, you’ll also need to focus on the distance between the window and the edge of the sill.
This can be crucial, as it will play a significant role in determining how thick your soundproof window plug will be. While you may want the plug to be as thick as possible, you should leave a certain distance between it and the glass itself, as this space should help to increase how effective the soundproof plug is.
When you measure the windows, you should make sure that these specifications are as accurate as possible, as you should aim to have the final product fit as snugly as possible. Alongside this, it will ensure that there’s no wastage when you’re ordering each of the materials that you need.
- STRONG ENOUGH BLADE - With 40% thicker blade, this professional tape measure with fractions can stand out 100 inches(2.45m) in level, and 157 inches(4m) in uprightness; Nylon wrap(better than nylon coating) blade makes measuring tapes rust proof and 10 times more better on wear-resistance; So you don’t worry about the measure tapes ripped after a dozen uses .
- EASY READ MEASUREMENT- The measuring tapes is with big numbers, and the non glossy texture of tapes which makes it very readable. True-Zero end hook for accurate measurements. The tapes measure is in inches cm mm metric and imperial, which makes it perfect for professional carpenters. It's the best 25' tape measure!
Once you have these materials, then you can then start working on the project. However, it should be noted that if your windows are more than three cubic feet in size, then it’s recommended that you build a frame for the foam and mat to sit in.
Doing so will ensure that everything fits in the window properly and shouldn’t fall out. For smaller windows, however, you may not need to do so.
Building The Plugs
Once you have all of your measurements taken and the materials you need have arrived, it’ll be time to start building the plugs. The first part of this will be to cut the board to the right specifications, which will ensure that the entire window is covered and soundproofed.
To do so, it’s recommended that you draw out the right specifications on the wooden board. By doing so, you can then simply follow the lines while cutting. How difficult this part of the process is can vary depending on which type of wooden board you’ve chosen.
- Bulk pack of 12
- Medium density untempered hardboard
While thicker boards will be somewhat more difficult to cut through, they can often be much more effective when soundproofing your windows. In the majority of cases, medium-density fibreboard is recommended, as it’s high-quality and shouldn’t take much time to cut through.
When cutting through the board, you should make sure that it fits the window as tightly as possible. Once this has been done, it’s time to cut through the soundproof mat. This should be done to the same specifications as the wooden board, with this then being attached to the board.
- MuteX is made in the USA and has an STC rating of 32.
- Compact & Lightweight at only 1/4" thick and 1/4 lb/sqft
Following this, you’ll then need to cut through the sound-absorbing foam. While many people might think that this should be done to the same measurements as everything else, it shouldn’t be. Instead, you should make this slightly larger, which will ensure that it fits snugly into the window.
You’ll then need to attach the sound-absorbing foam to the previous two layers, either through an adhesive or some other means. When doing so, you should make sure that everything is as well attached as possible to ensure that nothing comes apart in the future.
The last part of building a soundproof window plug is to attach a handle so that you can open and close it whenever you need to. Naturally, this should be placed on the part of the plug that faces the room so that you can insert or remove the window plug whenever you need to.
After this, you should be able to place everything onto your window, and you’ll then be able to take advantage of the benefits that it offers.
As each of the above steps highlight, soundproofing your windows shouldn’t be too complicated. How much time this will take can vary from person to person, although it shouldn’t take as much time as you might expect, although this can depend on how good at DIY projects you are.
This could mean that you may need to spend a day or so on the project, especially if you’re soundproofing several windows or doing your entire house. If you’re planning on soundproofing all of the windows in your home, then it’s recommended that you aim to do so over several days.
The primary reason for this is that you shouldn’t rush the project, as this can often lead to a variety of mistakes being made. Naturally, this is something that the majority of us will want to avoid, as it could mean that some windows may not be entirely soundproof.
As such, you should spend a considerable space of time on each step, with this being especially true when measuring your windows. Alongside this, cutting the acoustic foam and wooden boards will also need a sizable amount of time, with much of this being focused on ensuring that everything is accurate.
Once you pay a large amount of emphasis on this, you should be able to make sure that everything fits perfectly and that your windows are properly soundproofed. You should also pay a considerable amount of attention to safety, as you’ll want to ensure that you don’t hurt yourself when soundproofing your windows.
Outside of this, the process should be relatively easy for the majority of DIY enthusiasts. This will then mean that you’ll soon be able to take advantage of all the benefits that soundproofing your windows brings.