Does Soundproofing Paint for Walls and Ceilings Work?

One of the biggest questions in the world of soundproofing methods is the one about soundproofing paint.

Does it work?

Well, it depends. Basically, it works great at certain noise levels. And not every paint works the same.

Since my house needed an arrangement, painting, and soundproofing, I figured it out and gave it a try.

Long story short, this noise reducing paint did the job.

No matter how strange it sounds, it can work in certain situations.

For example, if the noise that is coming from the other room is not that loud, then why would you waste money on some foam panels, blankets, and curtains when a simple soundproofing paint can do the job just fine? There are other soundproofing methods you can try.

Simply put, the soundproofing paint is a two-in-one solution to your problems.

It will simultaneously decrease the noise level and help you redesign your room and positively impact sound transmission.

Nevertheless, there are a lot of benefits coming from this paint.

It’s true, it demands a bit of your time and effort, but the whole procedure is quite worth it as noise reduction can be significant in the end.

Now, let’s learn some basics about acoustic paint, when to use it, how does it work, and finally, how to achieve the best results with soundproof paint on a solid surface.

Basic Things to Know about Soundproofing Paint 

First of all, before you decide to go with soundproofing paint, you should know a few things.

The sound deadening paint can be used on any surface on which the regular paint can be used.

Being interchangeable, it’s quite useful to have it on your walls as a sound reduction solution.

Furthermore, you do not need to paint the whole house with it. Phew!

If you have some critical spots that need more soundproofing than others, then you can simply paint those spots with soundproofing paint for walls and others with a regular one.

As I mentioned earlier, but not detailed, the soundproofing paint will be effective to a certain noise frequency and work with specific sound waves.

If there are some savages next to you, making a really loud noise, then this paint will probably be useless.

For the best possible outcome, use the sound dampening paint at mid-frequency noise.

Those frequencies are mostly conversations between people.

To give you a better insight of this noise, it’s basically the regular talking sound level.

Therefore, the soundproofing paint should be used if you are hearing (not that loud) sound passing through your walls.

In other words, trying to reduce the noise with acoustic paint from your neighbor’s dog or his loud music will most likely fail.

One of the most important things that you should be prepared for is to paint a few layers of coating with acoustic paint.

Let me translate: be prepared to spend some extra money as you will need more than 3 layers of this soundproof paint in order to achieve the best results.

Therefore, it requires a bit more time, money, and effort. But all of these things will probably be necessary while pulling out some alternative methods and soundproofing materials.

How Does Soundproofing Paint Work?

The thicker the material is the better soundproofing you get. That rule is simple and clear. And it applies to soundproof paint as well.

In order to answer the question of “how does it work”, I need to give you an insight on how thick this soundproof paint is.

The thickness of this soundproof paint depends only on your preferences.

In most of the cases, you will need at least 3 layers to reduce noise from a normal conversation, from the apartment next to you, in half.

Basically, one layer is enormously thick for the sound dampening paint.

Soundproofing paint for walls is heavy bodied, made of ceramic microspheres and special sound absorbing fillers.

This will drastically increase its absorbing sound power and reduce echo.

It is water-based and it will easily prevent the sound from bouncing around in your room.

Soundproofing paint, or some may call it- the deadening paint will effectively dampen tinning noise and ringing in all metal structures.

Acoustic paint is a great fighter against the noise on 2 different levels.

Firstly, it will reduce the noise by absorbing it. The noise from inside your room (echo for example) will be minimized.

Also, the sound that is going outside of your room will be prevented from disturbing your neighbors.

As you may know, you can use some furniture or objects in order to prevent the echo.

These pieces of furniture will prevent the noise bouncing from flat surfaces and reflecting to other directions.

Related to that, sound dampening paint acts as a soft and thick surface which will prevent that sound from bouncing and protect your room from the echo effect.

On the whole different level, this sound absorbing paint will drastically decrease some reasonable noise that comes into your room.

Preferably, you should paint over all the impact walls- those at the noise impact. If not, you risk achieving the minimal effects.

The sound dampening paint is non-toxic and environmentally friendly.

It’s basically the same in this matter as regular paint. There is only one difference- this sound dampening paint acts like a sound deadener.

Also, you can apply it in several different ways.

You can use roller or spray to fasten up a procedure a bit, or you can simply go with a brush, or a hopper spray gun. It works both for exterior and interior use.

Since you will need a few layers at least, I would personally recommend this roller as it has shown as the fastest performing tool.

This kind of paint in most cases can be easily cleaned.

All you need to do is grab some water and soap, and the paint will be clean in no time. We like that!

Of course, if you are worried about the design of your room, you shouldn’t be.

This acoustic paint, as a regular one, comes in different colors and shades.

You will be able to match it to your room’s design easily.

Where can you use soundproof paint?

Simply speaking, you can put sound reducing paint wherever you feel the most vulnerable to the noise.

Basically, this sound deadening paint is used on the interior surfaces.

Other than walls, and ceiling, you can use this paint on wood and metal, as well as on primed drywall.

Again, make sure that you cover whole walls (for example) as it will increase the absorption by a lot.

Also, you may cover some crevices with it and seal the holes that release the noise.

What are the benefits of soundproofing paint?

As you have already seen in this article, sound absorbing paint will decrease the noise of some normal frequencies up to 30%.

Nevertheless, there are few more benefits from using acoustic paint.

Soundproofing paint is quite thick material.

Therefore, depending on the coatings and layers put, it can act as a great thermal isolator.

Since I have this paint in several rooms, I’ve managed to record the difference in the temperature before and after putting it on my walls.

The results were more than amazing. I’ve noticed several degrees difference on average.

By the way, here are some of the best quiet air conditioners if you're interested.

Finally, you can use this method as a solution to several problems.

It’s a quite cheap method and you can do the job of soundproofing and painting simultaneously.

Of course, there are limited color options for this paint but I’m sure that you will manage to fit the wanted color anyway.

How to achieve the best results with combined methods

Basically, if you want to reach some better results, you can combine sound deadening paint with some of the easiest soundproofing methods, or even using household items.

Namely, if you wish to block the noise even more, then, after painting, you can simply put a large piece of the furniture up against the walls such as bookshelves as an additional layer of noise defense.

That will also reduce the echo to 0, and prevent the noise from molesting your neighbors.

Furthermore, if your rooms have windows and walls, you should consider soundproofing them as well.

Once you soundproof your walls with sound absorbing paint, it’s a good moment to deal with windows and doors next.

If the neighbors from above are making too much noise as you can hear their footsteps or the dog’s footsteps, then, along with painting your ceiling with deadening paint, you can ask them to possibly add some carpet on their floor in order to minimize the noise.

Also, make sure that you seal all the holes before painting. It’s true, paint is thick and it will cover them, but you should probably seal them previously with green glue (a soundproofing substance).

Read more about Green Glue and its effectiveness here.

Simply speaking, there are various methods which you can combine with soundproofing paint.

Some of them are easy and require not much time and money, while others are kind of trickier and a bit expensive.

How Do You Paint Soundproof Foam?

Acoustic foam is a widely used method for creating a soundproof atmosphere.

However, there are a few important things to remember in order to reduce noise.

First, there's the lack of sound insulation in acoustic foam. It diminishes sound echo thereby creating overall higher sound quality and clarity in its surroundings.

In essence, every time you reduce noise, there will be a noticeable difference in sound transfer which results in less sound issues.

These are achieved by the foam pores that dissolve sound waves (especially low frequencies), which help reduce echos, reverberations and unwanted sounds. Acoustic foam is useful but not very pretty.

So, Does Soundproofing Paint Work?

Given everything that I mentioned about soundproofing paint, does it work, how does it work and what are the benefits of painting with it, we may conclude that sound deadening paint really does work on some levels.

Those levels are levels of noises that are not that loud.

You will be able to dry out the noise of regular talking from the room next to you with a few thick layers of sound absorbing paint.

So, don’t expect miracles- it can’t be used as a permanent solution to noise problems such as dog barking, kid crying etc.

Simple enough, it is a fair solution to a fair noise. Definitely far better than regular paint.

All in all, I hope that I mythbusted your doubts about soundproofing paint. Bottom line- it works!

 >>> Click Here to Learn More about Soundproofing Paint <<<

Soundproofing Methods To Use With Soundproof Paint

Sound insulation is not the most efficient means of turning your house into a quiet bookshop but when mixed with some cheap soundproof materials you may achieve a much better result.

You'll need inexpensive acoustic paint and would prefer not breaking the wall and adding insulation. Here are the most inexpensive solutions for sound protection you can get.

Soundproofing Windows

Since you've already covered most of your house with soundproof paint, another step you can take is soundproofing the windows. 

One of the most popular ways of soundproofing a window is installing soundproof curtains.

When it comes to soundproofing a room, soundproof curtains have been proven to greatly impact sound deadening and blocking unwanted noises and sounds.

Our favorite is the LORDTEX Curtains on Amazon.com.

These curtains have a stylish look and go well with any living room or bedroom.

Moving forward with soundproofing your windows is sealing the window with a sealant. GE Silicone GE5000 is our top choice for this job.

This solution not only helps with reducing sound. It also protects from mold, harsh weather conditions, such as rain and freezing temperatures.

These soundproofing methods will surely help you soundproof a room once you’re done applying the third layer of soundproof paint.

Naturally, there are multiple approaches which you can combine with soundproof paint. Some methods are certainly easier than others and won’t require as much time and money.

Where Can You Use Sound-Absorbing Paint?

Sound absorber paint can be applied to any room at home and to certain furniture.

Remember acoustic paint absorbs vibration and noise therefore it is important to connect walls with connecting walls as a primary target to minimize noise.

Exterior walls are often the most important consideration when using sound absorbing paint when renovating a house.

If you want to paint the walls then you should always use it as you are certain the paint does not cause traffic or other traffic disturbance, especially walls with windows.

Tips For Using Acoustic Paint

Even though you need a brush or a roller with acoustic paint it is a bit different than regular paint. Here are some quick facts about acoustic paint:

1. Acoustic paint is thicker than regular paint. You will need to buy more of it as it doesn't spread well.
2. It takes longer to dry compared to standard oil paint. The usual dry time can take up to 16 hours! Make sure you are patient. In an ideal world it is advised to wait a minimum of 32 hours before you can apply the second layer of paint. It is also not recommended to use it in low temperatures. This will make the process of drying much longer. Note: if you increase the temperature the acoustic paint will dry faster.
3. For the best sound reduction results you should get the thickest paint possible. Along with that, as we mentioned before, using up to 3 layers will dampen even more sounds.
4. Soundproof paint is usually not smooth when you touch it. The coarse feel is standard in any acoustic paint. Keep in mind, this does not affect its performance. If you still don't like the feel of this kind of paint you can always paint over it with another kind of paint. We personally have not tried this method so it is advised to check with paint manufacturers.

Conclusion

If you want to enjoy a quiet and noise-free life, soundproofing your house is certainly a good idea.

Since there are more and more noises that accompany everyday life it is becoming increasingly hard to keep off those pesky sounds.

Today, you won't only have to deal with your neighbor's dog barking, chickens crowing or kids screaming while running around in the backyard.

Certain sounds are louder than others such as aircraft noise, heavy traffic or even a house party.

Dealing with all these different sound sources requires different soundproofing methods, materials as well as extensive planning.

Hence it is a good idea to consider the different options available and go through the step by step.

If you combine a few different soundproof methods you will most likely achieve good results other than just using regular paint.

The soundproof paint we have covered in this article works well for mid range frequencies. To supplement this solution you will also have to apply no less than 3 layers of acoustic paint to get the best results. 

We understand that making improvements to your house can be time consuming and at times confusing.

That being said, we hope this article can guide you in the right direction and make renovating your house a little more enjoyable. After all, it is your very own construction project and the lack of noises in your house will be well worth it.

Who doesn't like some peace and quiet after a hard day's work?